Instructional Design is an applied science. There are methodologies.

The foundation of the field of instructional design was laid in World War II, when the U.S. military needed to rapidly train large numbers of people to perform complex technical tasks. In 1975 the U.S. military commissioned Florida State University, Center for Educational Technology to develop a comprehensive training development methodology, the Interservice Procedures for Instructional Systems Development (IPISD). This methodology has been continuously used by the U.S. military since that time.

The IPISD and other methodologies developed at Florida State University became the foundation for practical application of the principles of learning theory in business and education. The three most influential methodologies are:

1. The IPISD, developed by the Center for Educational Technology by Robert Branson and Gail Rayner, et al. It includes a section on job task analysis that is often omitted in other methodologies.
   
2. Robert Gagne and Leslie Briggs published a comprehensive approach to competency-based instructional design and the application of learning theory in 1974, Principles of Instructional Design. The learning theories of Gagne are integrated in the methodology steps.
   
3. Walter Dick and Lou Carey first published The Systematic Design of Instruction in 1978. This methodology has been used by thousands as the basic training for the craft of instructional development. It focuses on the essential steps and skills of the craft.

As academics and practitioners are expanding and contesting the field of instructional theory, I believe that something is being lost in the debate. The law of diminishing returns may apply. I believe that we already knew 80% of what was needed to produce effective instruction in 1975. The other 20% does not seem, to me, to be greatly advancing the core knowledge. Their are numerous debates that echo from the camps of cognitivism and constructivism about the appropriateness and effectiveness of old and new models of instructional design. Of course research in instructional design and learning theory continues, as it should; but let's not throw out the baby with the bath water.

I have often heard it said at perfromance support conferences and elsewhere that "training doesn't work". This seems to be the message that has gone out from a wide base of industry. However, this has not been my experience with the dozen or so large-scale training development projects in which I've worked. So the question is - "why" doesn't training work? Well, there are a thousand and one reasons why training can go wrong, particularly where non-qualified designers are involved. However, the bottom line is this:

A properly applied systematic approach to the analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation of training simply does not allow for training that doesn't work. If it doesn't work, the process is definitely not finished.

"Not working" is not an option when all phases of instructional system development are correctly addressed. An empowered qualified instructional designer knows how to fix problems with ineffective training.

We know how to effectively transfer knowledge, we have the methods to do so. It is a process that has been proven again and again. The practical effectiveness of instructional design is not a question, it is a fact. Therefore, I agree wholeheartedly with the words of Professor M. David Merrill in his article, Reclaiming Instructional Design, published in Educational Technology, 1996, 36(5), 5-7.

This web site will promote the practical application of basic instructional design and development. It will grow to contain tips and advice on how to best use on-line media, how to successfully estimate and manage a learning development project, and which bits of the methodology you need for your particular project.

Other resourses of interest:

The Executive Summary of the Interservice Procedures for Instructional Systems Development can be read at The AAA Encyclopedia.

This executive summary is a great overview of the whole process of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation for instructional materials. There are extensive military references that have been removed from the Executive Summary contained in the electonic version of the Interservice Procedures for Systems Development that you can purchase from this site.

A job design for a commercial multi-media development unit is also at the AAA Encyclopedia.

As instructional design moved into the multi-media presentation area, projects became cooperative efforts between many differently skilled individuals. This job design shows the variety of skills and tasks that a commercial production group would need to allot among the group, including sales and client management.