The Tech Trio Test

Instructional Design and Technology

The field concerned with designing and developing solutions that help people learn and perform better. [Example: A company hires an expert in this field to completely overhaul their employee onboarding program using interactive online modules.]

Instructional Design

A systematic process used to plan, create, implement, and evaluate instruction. [Example: A teacher sits down to map out a new curriculum, creating learning objectives, building assessments, and planning daily activities step-by-step.]

Instructional Technology

The field/practice of using processes, resources, and technology to support teaching and learning. [Example: A school district introduces virtual reality headsets and educational software into science classes to help students visualize complex molecular structures.]

AECT (Association for Educational Communication and Technology)

Association for Educational Communications and Technology; a professional organization associated with the field of educational/Instructional technology. [Example: An instructional design professor attends the annual conference held by this organization to read the latest research on digital learning trends.]

Learning Theory

A concept that describes how individuals receive, process, retain and apply knowledge when learning. Different theories exist, each describing the learning process differently. [Example: When trying to figure out why students are struggling with calculus, the design team reviews different frameworks to see if changing the delivery method would help.]

E-Learning

General term used for online based learning platforms, delivered via an electronic device. [Example: Millions of people use platforms like Duolingo, Coursera, or corporate compliance portals on their laptops every day to build new skills.]

Formative Evaluation

A practice where a designer tests early drafts of a learning product with real students to find weaknesses and fix them during development. (Analogy: When the chef tastes the soup). [Example: The developer has three students test a prototype of an educational video game to see if the interface is confusing before launching it widely.]

Summative Evaluation

A testing method used to judge the overall effectiveness and success of instruction after it has been fully rolled out. (Analogy: When the customer tastes the soup). [Example: At the end of the school semester, the university analyzes final exam scores and student surveys to determine if the new textbook actually improved grades.]

Instructional Media

The physical, tangible tools such as videos, slides, and computers used to offer learning activities to students, without a teacher's direct instruction or the use of textbooks. [Example: A medical training program uses a high-tech anatomical mannequin and instructional podcasts to teach students how to perform CPR.]

ADDIE Model

The classic, five-step framework used by professionals to design any training course: Analyze the problem, Design the blueprint, Develop the materials, Implement the lesson, Evaluate the results. [Example: A team uses this framework by first researching what employees don't know, planning the lessons, filming the training videos, launching the course, and then reviewing the quiz data.]

Behaviorism (You do it)

The process of learning from our actions and their consequences. We may be motivated to repeat an activity for rewards. [Example: A language app awards digital coins and a '10-day streak' badge to users every time they complete a daily vocabulary lesson, encouraging them to return tomorrow.]

Cognitivism (Think about it)

The idea that we learn by thinking, comprehending, and remembering information. [Example: An instructor uses graphic organizers, concept maps, and analogies to help students mentally categorize and connect new historical events to things they already know.]

Constructivism (building knowledge)

Constructivism is the process of learning something new by using our previous experiences and knowledge. [Example: In a physics class, the teacher lets students build their own model bridges out of toothpicks so they can discover engineering principles firsthand through trial and error.]

Scaffolding

Providing temporary help and guidance to a student while they learn a new skill, and slowly pulling that support away as they become independent. This also includes modeling, prompts, and feedback that transfer responsibility to the learner. [Example: A driving instructor first models how to parallel park, then talks the student through it step-by-step, and eventually sits quietly while the student does it completely alone.]

Job Aid (Cheat sheet)

A simple visual guide, checklist, or poster placed right in front of a learner to give them quick instructions on a task so they don't have to memorize what to do. [Example: A laminated poster showing the 5 exact steps to safely clear a paper jam is taped directly above the office copy machine.]

Pedagogical Expert (Teaching Method)

An instructional designer or specialist who possesses a deep, evidence-based understanding of teaching methods, learning theories, and educational strategies required to make learning effective. [Example: The university hired a consultant to guide professors on how to transition their traditional lectures into highly engaging, collaborative workshops.]

B.F. Skinner (Burrhus Fredrick Skinner)

Influential American psychologist who developed the theory of operant conditioning, demonstrating how behavior can be shaped through reinforcement and penalties. His research is fundamental in the development of behaviorism. [Example: Educators designing a classroom management app rely on this psychologist's theories when creating a point system that rewards good behavior.]

Bloom's Taxonomy

A framework that categorizes learning goals into a six level hierarchy: 1. Creating, 2. Evaluating, 3. Analyzing, 4. Applying, 5. Understanding, 6. Remembering. [Example: Instead of just asking students to recite dates (remembering), the history teacher asks them to critique a historical document's bias (evaluating).]

Instructional Design Models

Blueprints for building effective learning experiences. Guides instructors from problem identification to instruction development and evaluation. Several models exist, though some of the most common models are: ADDIE, Dick and Carey, SAM, Bloom's Taxonomy, Gagne's 9 Events of Instruction, Merril's Principles of Instruction. [Example: When building an emergency training program for a hospital, the team selects the SAM model because they need to build and iterate prototypes rapidly.]

Online Learning

Instruction, including study materials and assignments, are delivered through the internet. Seeks to replace the physical learning environment with a virtual one. [Example: A student living in a rural area is able to complete their master's degree online through a university located thousands of miles away.]