EDU 655 Week 1 - Assignment Critical Thinking Questions

Ashford 2: - Week 1 - Assignment

Critical Thinking Questions: Week 1
 

Read Chapters 1, 2, and 3 from Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology. You will then complete two Critical Thinking Questions from each chapter. Your answers must include at least two references in addition to the course text Each question should be addressed with a minimum of 50 words.
 

Chapter 1 - What Field Did You Say You Were In? Defining and Naming 

1. In addition to the difficulty of describing to your      friends and family what instructional technology designers actually do,      what other challenges might arise from not having an industry standard,      agreed-upon terminology for labeling or describing what IDT is? 
2. Describe how Instructional Design has evolved from its      beginnings through to present day. What changed in the 50s-70s? 
3. Compare and contrast the two definitions of      Instructional Design in 1970. 
4. Why do you suppose the latest AECT definition of      educational technology includes the word "ethical" where prior      definitions did not? 

Chapter 2 – Characteristics of Instructional Design Models 

1. Pick any three of the nine characteristics that the      author uses to describe the systems concept and describe a scenario where      these three characteristics interplay with one another. 
2. Explain why taking a student-centered approach to      instructional design can be a powerful paradigm shift. Compare and      contrast this approach to a "teacher-centered" approach. 
3. Explain why it is difficult to write meaningful      objectives early in the design process. How do the Pebble-in-the-Pond and      Ten Steps to Complex Learning approaches address this challenge? How do      they differ in their approach? 

Chapter 3 – Characteristics of Instructional Design Models 

1. Do you agree with the traditional role of instructional      media and teachers that the broad educational community has held for the      past 100 years; or do you agree with the viewpoints of some professionals      in the ID&T field? Why? 
2. What do you think the authors of Visualizing the      Curriculum (1937) meant when they stated that the value of audiovisual      material was a function of their degree of realism? Why do you think this      was such an important book at the time?  
3. Compare & contrast the Cold War impacts on the      development of an instructional design process (IDP) with an instructional      design technology (IDT). Which field (IDP or IDT) do you think was more      effected by the Cold War? Why?  
4. While the private sector and the military have been      early adopters, the author notes that the education sector has been remiss      in integrating both new technologies as well as new processes for      teaching. What is your reaction to that trend? What do you think are the      main barriers and how might you see them being overcome going forward? 

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.