That said, I have seen a general increase in the use of technologies that are free. Blogs, wikis, Google apps, Twitter have all come to be used effectively in classrooms, but not because an educational technologist was there to make it happen. Most of the uses I've seen have come from the faculty themselves, who increasingly are using these tools in their own work, so it becomes natural to them to try to use them in their teaching. No extra staff needed. And usually, no cost for the tools themselves.
Without question this design process should be informed by knowledge of pedagogy, but the process itself is worthy of description as there are differing options and perspectives.
Reigeluth (1983) defines instructional design as a set of decision-marking procedures that, given a set of outcomes for student to achieve and knowledge of the context within which they will achieve them, guides the choice and development of effective instructional strategies.
The learning theory used to inform instructional design has moved on from its behaviourist origins, moving through cognitivism, constructivism and slowly into connectivism.
Models, such as ADDIE, are most useful in the systematic planning of major revisions of an existing course or the creation of a new course. However, traditional university academics spend relatively little time in systematic planning activities prior to teaching an existing course (Lattuca and Stark 2009). A significant reason for this is that academics are not often required to engage in the development of new courses or major overhauls of existing courses (Stark and Lowther 1988). The pre-dominant practice is teaching an existing course, often a course the academic has taught previously. When this happens, academics spend most of their time fine tuning a course or making minor modifications to material or content
actual teaching and learning that occurs is more in line with the teacher’s implicit internalised knowledge and not that described in published course descriptions
These kinds of designs are excellent for learning discrete bits of information, practicing simple and basic behaviors, building complex psychomotor skills, and learning to use applications or processes that require a narrow, prescriptive approach
instruction that attempts to control the learner’s responses and environment
acquisition
learning goal is enculturation
Enculturation results from interactions among people, objects, and culture in a collective effort to solve problems, create products, or perform service
Carrying on a dialogue tells the student that she/he is an equal member of the community.
applicable to their needs when they need them, motivating learning
This convergence of tools, practice, and theory enables teachers and students to discuss, plan, create, and implement unique strategies for providing instruction within a unique environment.
enablers
Learners are collaborators in the learning process and have an equal role in setting goals.
They make most of the decisions related to what to learn, how to study, and which resources to use.
Teachers pass on information to the learner. The clearer the information the more the learner will acquire.
Evaluation is a critical strategy within traditional learning environments
Teachers focus on interacting at a metacognitive level with the learners. They help students analyze their learning deficits through questioning.
Insufficient learning or failure
Tools enable learners to contribute to the community.
learners who want to learn what they need as fast as they can to apply within their community of practice
Tools are not objects of instruction.
Scott Grabinger
Instructional Design for Sociocultural Learning Environments
Hargittai, E. (2010). Digital Na(t)ives? Variation in Internet Skills and Uses among Members of the "Net Generation". Sociological Inquiry.
80(1):92-113.
"People who have grown up with digital media are often assumed to be universally savvy with information and communication technologies. Such assumptions are rarely grounded in empirical evidence, however. This article draws on unique data with information about a diverse group of young adults' Internet uses and skills to suggest that even when controlling for Internet access and experiences, people differ in their online abilities and activities."