ID2
Second Generation Instructional Design

Two papers on this web site define what we mean by second generation instructional design. These papers were awarded the 1991 Outstanding Journal Article in Instructional Design by the Division of Instructional Development, Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

• "Limitations of First Generation Instructional Design"
• "Second Generation Instructional Design."

Instructional Design Tools

For some time we pursued the development of tools for automated instructional design. Our initial effort was to design a comprehensive automated authoring system. The prototype for this system is described in a paper on this web site.

• "IDExpert: A Second Generation Instructional Development System."

Two commercially available authoring systems IDXelerator and IDVisualizer were developed under this program of research. These tool are currently being distributed by Mindware Creative Inc. More information is available from this company at www.Mindware1.com.

These tools are described in a couple of papers on this web site:

• "The IDXelerator: Learning-Centered Instructional Design."
• "Instructional Transaction Theory (ITT): Instructional Design Based on Knowledge Objects." (This paper describes the IDVisualizer authoring tool.)

Knowledge Objects

Our research efforts also led to the development of a technology for knowledge objects. Since our initial efforts there has been a significant increase of interest in this area especially the work of IMS and IEEE in defining metadata for learning objects and the efforts of a number of commercial companies promoting reusable learning objects.

Knowledge objects are differentiated from learning objects by several important factors:

• Learning objects are usually defined as an objective, some instructional information, and assessment.
• Learning Objects combine the knowledge to be learned with the strategy for presenting, practicing, or assessing this knowledge. Learning Objects are small modules of instruction.

• Knowledge objects are not complete modules of instruction.
• Knowledge objects include only the content to be learned but not an objective, presentation, or assessment.
• Knowledge objects are knowledge components that can be combined in presentation, practice, and/or assessment.
• Knowledge objects can also be used in visualizations and experiential environments.
• Knowledge objects are uncoupled from the instructional or information strategies used to present them.
• Knowledge objects are uncoupled from the practice or assessment strategies used for evaluation.
• Knowledge objects are uncoupled from the simulation engine necessary for a visualization or experiential environment.

Several papers on this web site describe some of our work on knowledge objects.

• "Instructional Transaction Theory: Knowledge Relationships among Processes, Entities, and Activities."
• "Instructional Transaction Theory: Instructional Design based on Knowledge Objects."
• "Knowledge Objects"
• "Components of Instruction: Toward a Theoretical Tool for Instructional Design."
• "A Knowledge Object and Mental Model Approach to a Physics Lesson."
• "Knowledge Objects and Mental Models."

Instructional Transactions

ID2 also defines instructional transactions which are the instructional strategies required to present the components of knowledge contained in knowledge objects to the student, to provide these knowledge components for practice, to provide these knowledge components for assessment, and to combine these knowledge components into visualizations and experiential environments.

The following papers describe some of our work on Instructional Transactions.

• "Instructional Transaction Theory: An Introduction."
• "Instructional Transaction Shells: Responsibilities, Methods, and Parameters."
• "Instructional Transaction Theory: Classes of Transactions."

First Principles of Instruction

Our work on ID2 has led us to conclude that there are some fundamental principles of instructional design that are true regardless of the philosophical, theoretical, or learning theory position one adopts. There are a host of different instructional models and learning theories vying for attention. However, it is our conviction that nested within these various positions are a set of principles that if implemented will result in effective and and efficient learning but if violated will result in a decrement in learning.

Over the next few months and years we will attempt to identify and describe these first principles of instruction.

Our first attempt is to identify some everyday rules that can be used by practitioners who are designing instruction in the real world. This work is being compiled in a book "Does Your Instruction Rate 5 Stars?" and in a work shop by the same name. This work is also described on this web site.

Thanks for your interest in our work. We would love to hear from you. Please feel free to send your observations and comments to me at merrill@cc.usu.edu.

M. David Merrill

Professor, Utah State University

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