Instructional design might seem like a trend, but
the concept actually goes all the way back to
World War II. It was at this time that
psychologists and education professionals
worked together to solve a new problem being
faced by the military, which was how to quickly
train large groups of people.
This effort resulted in the creation and use of
multimedia instructional materials, which for the
time period mostly meant the production of
training films. These films were shown to the
troops in order to quickly educate them in
subjects that ranged from foreign language and
cultural etiquette to how to operate a tank.
Over the years the idea of using multimedia as
an educational device has continued and grown
from training films to include emerging
technologies, from online learning tools to virtual
reality. Today, instructional design continues this
practice of merging science of learning with
technology and design to create powerful and
engaging learning environments.
WHAT IS INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN?
