Confronting Instructional Design Myths (Online Forum eLearning Guild)

This was the opening session for this month’s online forum Advanced e-Learning Instructional Design: New Techniques and Strategies (or WWKBD – what would Kevin Bacon Do a great joke if you were part of the session). Our presenter was Frank Nguyen, PhD. It was a really great presentation. Most participants knew if the myths were fact or fiction, but there was lots of great bits of information shared and was a good kick off to the day.

I’m going to try something new here (for me) and blog as the forum progresses, trying to capture interesting points of the talk.

Instructional design tends to be passed down from one practitioner to another. Key to design is evidence-based practices: Case studies, evaluation studies, empirical research,and meta analyses.

Myth 1:
Using technology for training can significantly increase learning (participants voted 50:50 fact/fiction)
Research Says:
All types of instructional media (cbt, film, radio, virtual, etc) no significant difference from a learning stand point. However, instructional methods can have a significant effect on the learning of the student. Instructional Media means less then the methods we use (see Christy Tucker’s post on Online Networking in Courses) Point from participant “methods can be increased my the media available.”
FICTION

Myth 2 (Field of Dreams – if we build it will they come):
When provided with information sharing technology, learners will naturally contribute (participants voted 92% Fiction)
Research Says(based on learning 2.o):
Little solid research here.
In regards to Distance Learning: Poll to participants: What do you think of discussion boards? Participants voted: 66% Tolerate them, 27% Love them, rest hate them
Research Says: Learners post no more then needed, participation declined on boards Success comes from managing class discussions, and keeping the discussions focused.
In regards to Knowledge Management side:
Challenges with KM tend to be…
Cultural – convincing people to volunteer knowledge, and share.
Managerial – change management, metrics of value.
Information -avoid overloading users, ensure data is correct.
FICTION

Myth 3:
Creating a learning environment that closely mimics a real work environment promotes performance (participants voted 86% Fact 9% Fiction)
comes from Adult Learning theory.Practice of this has effecting medical schools greatly. Two types of training here, one is traditional medical school and another following a problem based learning style. 35 different studies across 19 institutions. traditional vs pbl environments. With factual knowledge and exams the traditional method came out higher. As far as student attitudes towards training and on the job training, the PBL students were significantly higher (Veron & Blake 1993)
FACT

Myth 4: Developing training to cater to individual learning styles (poll stats, missed)
Research says:
Research is scatted here.There are so many different types of learning styles covered through many different theories ie: dunn and dunn, gardner, hill, kolb, etc.
FICTION

Myth 5:
Developing training to cater to different age groups can significantly increase learning (participants voted 73% Fact, 17% Fiction, 11% Don’t know)
Mostly in the work force now Baby Boomers and Generations X & Y.Little research here in this space. (I would like to reference a great chart here on What People Are Doing?
DON’T KNOW

Myth 6:
Developing training to cater to different levels of expertise can significantly increase learning. (Participants voted 94% Fact)
Research Says:
Australia Unv of New South Wales (2003) Kalyuga et al, as you increase the instructional methods and material the novice gets better learning, the expert has a learning reversal effect. If instructing to a novice user, new to a certain piece of content, we should expend more effort on the content/invested time in ID. Expert users of the same material may only need a resource tool from the instructor/training.
FACT

Myth 7:
By providing learners with more on-the-job performance support, upfront training can be reduced (Participants voted 75% Fact, 22% Fiction)
Research says:
Gloria Gery (1995) states if the performance support is really well done then the employee can often begin performing really well on day one of a new job.Nguyen & Klein (2007) – Used 3 groups of people those that were trained, those that had Employee Support Systems, and those that had both. Those that had both had better attitudes and performance. Those with EPSS were slightly higher then those that only had training.
*FACT (somewhat true)