print copy of course policies.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
COM 535: Instructional Design addresses the theories, principles, and practices of designing instructional materials for a variety of learners in a variety of contexts—students in an educational setting, professionals in a workplace setting, or adult learners in a non-workplace, non-school setting. Throughout the course, we will go through the entire process of conceptualizing, planning, designing, revising, and evaluating instructional materials for this broad group of learners, and the hands-on experience you will receive in this class will provide you the resources and practice needed to produce these kinds of materials in your future professional life as teachers, trainers, technical writers, IT professionals, or instructional designers.
The course is designed to be practical in nature, but the focus will be on the educational and learning principles that should give shape to good instruction rather than the technologies used to deliver such instruction. While we will discuss the ways that technology influences what we can and should deliver to our intended audience, the focus of the course will not be learning these technologies. Instead, we’ll pay attention to how technology and usability influence the overall effectiveness of instructional goals.
COURSE GOALS
After completing this course, students will have:
- Developed an understanding of the key issues and concepts within the field of instructional design.
- Produced an instructional module following best practices within the field of instructional design.
- Applied theoretical principles of instructional design to practical issues of instructional delivery such as cost management, content management, and delivery methods.
- Explored how issues within the field of instructional design are related to issues and concepts within Technical Communication.
REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS
The Systematic Design of Instruction, 6th Ed., by Dick, Carey, and Carey (referred to as SDOI in calendar). Available at IIT Bookstore or online.
Additional readings will be provided online in the resources section.
Access to a computer with the following software:
- An e-mail account that you check frequently for course updates and communications from class members.
- Microsoft Office XP (or some comparable word processing platform)
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
ASSIGNMENTS
Assignments are due on the date specified on the course calendar. Because each component of the course builds on work previously done, it is important to stay on top of deadlines; therefore, late assignments will not be accepted unless previous arrangements have been made. The assignments for this class include:
Instructional Module, 200 total points
Your primary project for this class is to design an instructional module following the theories, process, and best practices discussed throughout the semester. The topic of your instruction is up to you—it can be something related to your work, a personal interest, or something you would feel comfortable teaching—but your subject matter should be something that is deliverable through an electronic medium.
This major project will be divided into three components, each of which will be graded separately and discussed in more detail throughout the semester. Broadly speaking, you will be responsible for three smaller projects that lead to your final instructional module.
Project One: Instructional Goals and Learner Analysis, 25 points
This assignment requires you to identify your instructional goals for your module, identify characteristics of your intended learner(s), and describe the educational context in which your module will be presented. Assignment details can be found here.
Project Two: Instructional Methods Proposal, 50 points
The second assignment will require you to build on the work you did for your first project as you further development your instruction. This project should include documentation for your performance objectives, assessment instruments, instructional strategies, and instruction instruments, as well as any revisions you have made to your instructional goal(s) and steps/substeps as a result of the instructional design process. Assignment details can be found here.
Project Three: Evaluation and Assessment report, 50 points
The third and final stage of the instructional module assignment will report on the status of your project and your evaluation of its usability among your intended users. Assignment details can be found here.
Instructional Module Portfolio, 75 points
At the end of the semester, you will have completed your instructional module, following the process we discuss in class. Your portfolio should clearly organize and present the materials you developed at all stages of the class so that someone viewing the portfolio can see how your ideas developed from the beginning stages to the final product you present. Your Portfolio should also include a reflection essay that explores how the module developed and what you learned in the process.
Article/Book Review and Presentation, 50 points
Each student will review three articles or one book related to the field of Instructional Design and his/her own interests to supplement the reading that we will do in class. You will be responsible for writing a 3-5-page review of the text that analyzes how the material covered in the text relates to the course material, and you will also be expected to deliver a 10 minute presentation on your review to the entire class. Text recommendations and schedules will be discussed during the second week of class.
For resources on writing effective book reviews, check out Purdue's Online Writing Lab.
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
Your success in this course is dependent on your active attendance and participation in class. Moreover, much of the work we will do depends on the honest, constructive feedback we receive from each other, so I expect you to provide (and receive) this feedback in the spirit of learning and collegiality that will help us all grow as teachers and learners.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
You will be expected to uphold the Code of Academic Honesty. In short, all work should be your own, including instructional materials, its technological implementation, and supporting documentation.
SPECIAL NEEDS STATEMENT
Students who have any difficulty (either permanent or temporary) that might affect their ability to perform in class should contact me privately, either in person or via email, at the start of the semester. Methods, materials, or testing will be adapted as required for equitable participation.