Why do we need a degree in Instructional Design?

I read an interesting article on Rapid E-learning Blog that discussed the background of instructional designers especially whether the ID professional’s require a degree in instructional design or just anyone could become an instructional designer.

Here is some interesting excerpts from the article.

You don’t need a formal degree to learn the skills required to build good elearning courses.  There are many books and resources available that will provide the same information you’d get in any formal program.  Combine that with the easy authoring tools and rich informal learning networks available today and you’re all set. Besides many people with degrees tell me they didn’t learn how to apply what they learned in their programs.

You may want to consider getting formal degree in instructional design because:

Broaden your horizon.  You’ll be exposed to resources you may never ever consider or bother reading.

Challenge your thinking.  You’ll connect with others who probably don’t think like you (and they may even be people you don’t like).

Do new things.  You can be an elearning developer with ten year’s experience who basically does the same type of course over and over again.

I feel like there are many valid points highlighted in this article and the comments from instructional designers and readers of this blog from Articulate also raised many interesting points.

Web Design: What Color to use in my site?

If you are new to design, it can be a tough decision to select colors for your web site. Here are some sites that can help you with the process:

• Color Scheme Designer not only provides color options but shows example pages with the color scheme you have chosen.
• ColorJack offers color schemes, a color sphere generator, and a wealth of other resources including articles, software, a blog, etc.
• The Color Wizard offers a variety of ways to choose and compare a variety of color schemes related to a chosen starting color.
• Eric Meyer’s Color Blender is very useful when you want to create site with a monochromatic color scheme.
• Sometimes designers choose colors based on a photograph. Visit colr.org to select a image from the Web and choose colors from from the image for use in your site.
• WellStyled.com offers a handy color scheme generator that will create a variety of color schemes including monochromatic, contrasting, triad, tetrad, and analogic.
• Hypergurl.com offers a color scheme generator that shows a quick preview of text and background colors.
• The color selector at Colors4WebMasters offers point and click color choosing options, immediately shows you the results, and generates CSS to configure the colors.
• Use the RGB sliders to choose a color and Lee Street Management’s QuickColor Flash animation will display a selection of coordinating colors.
• Color Wheel Pro – a program that allows you to see color theory in action: you can create harmonious color schemes and preview them on real-world examples.
• Adobe’s Kuler offers an easy way to browse color schemes or search for a color scheme based on a keyword or theme, such as desert.
• Bruce Clay offers an overview of using color in web design focusing on the the hidden meanings of color, branding, and the power of color.
• Colorcombos.com offers a collection of color combinations for your choice and even provides a method to quickly grab the color palette of a web site.
• COLOURlovers is a self-proclaimed “resource that monitors and influences color trends” — it’s a good place to visit to generate ideas.

Definitions of Instructional Design

Instructional Design as a Process:

Instructional Design is the systematic development of instructional specifications using learning and instructional theory to ensure the quality of instruction. It is the entire process of analysis of learning needs and goals and the development of a delivery system to meet those needs. It includes development of instructional materials and activities; and tryout and evaluation of all instruction and learner activities. 

Instructional Design as a Discipline:

Instructional Design is that branch of knowledge concerned with research and theory about instructional strategies and the process for developing and implementing those strategies. 

Instructional Design as a Science:

Instructional design is the science of creating detailed specifications for the development, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance of situations that facilitate the learning of both large and small units of subject matter at all levels of complexity. 

Instructional Design as Reality:

Instructional design can start at any point in the design process. Often a glimmer of an idea is developed to give the core of an instruction situation. By the time the entire process is done the designer looks back and she or he checks to see that all parts of the “science” have been taken into account. Then the entire process is written up as if it occurred in a systematic fashion. 

Instructional System:

An instructional system is an arrangement of resources and procedures to promote learning. Instructional design is the systematic process of developing instructional systems and instructional development is the process of implementing the system or plan. 

Instructional Technology:

Instructional technology is the systemic and systematic application of strategies and techniques derived from behavioral, cognitive, and constructivist theories to the solution of instructional problems. 

Instructional technology is the systematic application of theory and other organized knowledge to the task of instructional design and development. 

Instructional Technology = Instructional Design + Instructional Development 

Instructional Development:

The process of implementing the design plans.