Resources for Instructional Design

I have explored a number of web resources that are new to me, but maybe not so new to others. Prior to this week I used Google Bookmarks for all of my internet research, but this week I am testing a social bookmarking site, delicious.com. The difference between an internet bookmark and a social bookmark is the ability to share favorites with others, and the ability to use popularity ratings with bookmarks.

This week I bookmarked three resources for instructional design. Here is what I found:

The Innovative Educator reviews how technological change provides new opportunities in education. Social Books Unlock Reader’s Voice and Provide Opportunity for Conversation is an article on how eBooks and software like the free Micrsoft Reader put a library of free books or inexpensive books in the hands. (I installed the program on my computer). The article highlights BookGlutton, a “social” book site that adds a social dimension to eBooks, enabling readers to share comments, discuss books and rate them. (Friday, January 8) Don't be illTwitterate or aTextual discusses educational applications for social networking. The author suggests allowing students to “tweet” on a field trip. (Wednesday, January 6)

Meredith’s Musings appears strikingly similar to this blog. It even starts with an entry titled Hello World. The similarity is obviously no accident. I’m creating my blog in fulfillment of a project for a class in instructional design. I did not notice the obvious similarity when I skimmed it and found fascinating topics like The Doorway to Professional Learning Communities, Neuroscience and Information Processing - Evaluating and Identifying Online Resources, and Connectivism. The last article, Reflection should have been an adequate clue to make me aware, but I did not realize the “coincidence” until I read the article that parallels my own! Regardless, the blog is well done, professional, and is an excellent plce to find articles on instructional design.

I was most impressed with the original ideas in The Usable Learning Blog. The first article that caught my attention was Best e-Learning Blog that isn’t an e-Learning Blog. The article discussed several blogs that were not published from an e-Learning perspective which have significant importance to e-learning and instructional design. One entry had a great video named BJ Fogg on Simplicity. The author defines simplicity as the minimally satisfying solution that you can give with the lowest cost. (2009) This principle is the key to writing good software also. The great temptation for software developers is to “show off” what cool things can be done, or to anticipate the features that will be requested and add them “now.” The mantra I repeat as I design software is “you aren’t gonna need it!” (Wikipedia, 2009) I repeat this to myself every time I’m tempted to make a project more complex than it needs to be. The same principle applies in all writing. The first “rule” of good grammar is “clear and concise.” The first rule of instructional design, is the same, but in this context, it means “make it easy and obvious.” “Simple” refers to the user’s experience not the developer’s experience!

References

Don't be illTwitterate or aTextual [blog]. (Wednesday, January 6, 2010). Retrieved from http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/

Social books unlock reader’s voice and provide opportunity for conversation [blog]. (Friday, January 8, 2010). Retrieved from http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/

Malvin, M. (2009, November 7). The doorway to professional learning communities [blog]. (2009). Retrieved from http://mmalvin.wordpress.com/

Wikipedia contributors, (2009). You ain't gonna need it (7 September 2009 ed.). Wikipedia, The free encylopedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_ain%27t_gonna_need_it

Fogg, B.J. (2009, December 6). B.J. Fogg on simplicity [Video file]. Retrieved from http://usablelearning.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/bj-fogg-on-simplicity/