This is a reading for our Blended Learning in a digital age class : Alonso,F., Lopez, G., & Manrique, D., & Vines, J. (2005). An instructional model for web-based e-learning education with a blended learning process approach.British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2), 217-235.
I HIGHLY recommend this paper to be read by all on the DTCE, as it very nicely covers the major pedagogical theories, as well as lays out the foundation for instructional design theory. I have attached my annotated PDF for the same at the end.
The article lays out instructional design theory as a combination of the three major pedagogical frameworks : behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism.
Behaviourism “views the mind as a “black box” in the sense that response to stimulus can be observed quantitatively, totally ignoring the possibility of thought processes occurring in the mind”(p.218)
Cognitivism “views learning as involving the acquisition or reorganisation of the cognitive structures through which humans process and store information.”(p. 219). This looks at how we move from short-term memory to long term memory, classifying the latter as “learning”.
Constructivism “accepts multiple perspectives and maintains that learning is a personal interpretation of the world. Constructivist theory sustains that learners construct or at least interpret their own reality based upon their perception of experiences.”(p.219).
I’ve posted the quotes directly as I feel this has been covered in the past, but nonetheless repeating these concepts won’t hurt anyone.
The authors then go on to describe instructional design theory, stressing the importance of self-paced individualization of instruction, as afforded by digital technologies. I could relate with this article a lot, as in my work back in India we used to use a very similar model of instructional design, only back then I didn’t recognize it as a firm set of principles. Reading this article illuminated a lot of the misconceptions I had about the work the Instructional Designers did in my line of work. I kind of became appreciative of the fact that most of the instruction that was delivered was in fact grounded in solid theory.
Once again, I do highly recommend everyone gives this one a quick read, if only for my highlights. Here’s a link: Alonso
Reflective Reading 