“Learning theory is the study of how people learn. Instructional Design Theory (IDT) is the study of how to best design instruction so that learning will take place. Instructional design theory, then, is drawn from learning theory.” (Smith, 2010)
The Theory Into Practice database summarizes 50 major theories of learning and instruction. (Kearsley, 2010) Instructional designers (IDs) should familiarize themselves with some of these theories as IDT is a subset of learning theory. An example of one theory is noted by Robert Gagne. Gagne, an american educational pyschologist, believed that people can reason with higher-level concepts if they have learned all the prerequisite lower-level information. This is a definition of knowledge hiearchary. In other words, if you don’t know the alphabet, you cannot recognize words and thus you cannot reasonably comprehend the written language. Since prior knowledge is essential for the comprehension of new information, instructional designers should ensure that learners have built the prerequisite knowledge, or remind them of what they already know before introducing new material.
IDs should also have a familairity with how the human brain processes information. Classroom Compass was a newsletter produced from 1994 to 2005, Each issue presents instructional ideas, activities, and resources that help teachers illustrate important concepts related to relevant topics in science and mathematics. One article in particular summarized brain research and suggested teaching methods related to that research.
For example:
Research suggests that the brain is designed to perceive and generate patterrns. The suggested teaching method would be to present information in context so the learned can identify patterns and connect with prior experiences. (“How can research on the brain inform education,” Winter 1997).
Smith, K. (2010). Instructional Design Theory, Retrieved May 12, 2010 from http://www.ic.arizona.edu/ic/edp511/isd1.html
Kearsley, G. (2010). The Theory Into Practice Database. Retrieved May 14, 2010 from http://tip.psychology.org
How can researech on the brain inform education. (Winter 1997), Classroom Compass, Retrieved May 14, 2010, from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/classroom-compass/cc_v3n2.pdf
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