Task Analysis is just that.

Today my project group did two presentations. We first presented on Online Learning. Then we led a class discussion on our assigned article about Task Analysis. I have to admit that the presentation on Online Learning was most enjoyable to study and prepare for. The article however was a snoozer to read and we really wondered if we would have any thing intelligent to say about it, let alone interesting. As we prepared our discussion and talked about what the article was trying to say, we concluded that a bunch of "Average Joe" Instructional Designers wanted to be quoted for their profound model on task analysis. However, no matter how you state it, the essential goal of task analysis is the the same - to gather information about a process that will lead to an outcome. How this information is gathered differs slightly from guru to guru, but in my opinion it was nothing to write about as profound discovery of the latest and greatest ID theory.

Online Overkill

This week I am preparing for my group's two presentations this Tuesday which both just happen to be on the same night. I will call it the Ashley, Jenn, and Laura hour. Our Instructional Media presentation is about online learning. We could spend the entire class period presenting on that topic. All of us have had experience with online learning to some degree or another. I feel like I am constantly online working or learning. I use to waste a lot of time browsing but I no longer have that luxury. Sometimes I feel like my life is online overkill. There is a reason I chose the face to face program at the U of U and not the online program at Utah State. There is something to be said for "human interaction".

Is instruction always the answer?

Is instruction always the answer? We learned in class today that if you are an instructional designer by profession, then the answer to that question is always YES. But in reality, no, not always.

After answering this question, I then ask myself these questions:

• Where are we going?
• How are we going to get there?
• How do we know if we've arrived?

These are good questions not only for an instructional design plan, but for any quandary in life. It seems that sometimes I take on too many life pursuits with out a clear goal as to what I want the outcome to be. I am honest in saying that this IDET program was well thought through with a measurable and obtainable goal in mind. However, this is not necessarily the case for many of the other busy purtsuits I take on which make interesting conversation at a social event, but do not lead to an accomplished end.

Now about that ADDIE. She is becoming a friend (or possibly a foe). Whenever a well designed plan of action is needed, I find myself saying "This sound like we need ADDIE."

Sweet ADDIE line

The subject of class today was the systems approach of Instructional Design and what on earth is an ADDIE. I can tell you what an ADDIE stands for, but I think it is going to take me the whole semester to explain this concept of systems approach.

As you might deduce, a systems approach refers to a systematic approach. This term made sense and seemed straightforward and logical to me. However, we have an entire textbook devoted to the phrase and this simple idea became involved and multi-faceted (I wouldn't call it complex).

Some thoughts from class are this:

• The application of technological solutions to one problem may create other problems which may be more serious than the original problems (straight from our notes and so true).

• Expertise - An expert can't tell you how to do something that comes totally natural to them. They can say some common things, but they don't know how non-experts think.
  

This idea of expertise brings a memory to mind of a 7th grade Algebra student I had. She was a conscientious and ambitious student and her parents expected and supported her hard work. She came to me almost in tears one day asking for help with her Algebra homework. She said she asked here father, an Engineer, for help the night before and he started scribbling formulas on her paper and then wondered what her problem was that she couldn't understand something so "straightforward". He said, "You just do this, this, and then this! What don't you get about that?" This describes one difference between an engineer and a math teacher. It's sort of and example of why experts really can't explain the way their minds grasp their subject of expertise.

Incedentally - ADDIE stands for
A - Analyze
D - Design
D- Develop
I - Implement
E - Evaluate