However, it was only recently that we have attempted to name this process, and even today there is still no agreed upon nomenclature.  Some call this field instructional design, some call it education technology, and others call it instructional technology.  Regardless of the name, the goal is the same, to improve the instructional process, to solve educational problems, and help students learn more effectively and efficiently.  

 

Most scholars agree that the instructional design movement began at the start of the 20th century when researchers started to attempt to improve the learning process with visuals and audio-visuals.  As time passed, this field began to incorporate radio and television into educational environments as well.  Once the 1980’s arrived, the field began to take on a more formal shape, and the focus shifted towards instructional design as a whole, incorporating the technologies from the past and present, but also taking on a broader perspective as well (Molenda 2008).

 

During this time period we also began to see the first theoretical models for instructional design.  The most well known of these, the ADDIE model, has become synonymous with the field over the past 30 years.  While many other instructional design models exist (Dick & Carey, Kemp ISD, etc.), they all share many of the same characteristics, chief among them being that they are all iterative, systematic processes.  In other words, all of these models feed back upon themselves and use data gathered from their implementation to improve upon the process as a whole (Molenda 2008).  

 

In addition to the development of theories, models, and practical applications, the field of instructional technology has also grown over the past 3 decades.  Businesses, governmental organizations, and of course, classrooms, have begun to embrace the instructional design ideology, seeing the benefit in developing instruction in a more scientific and rigorous manner.  Corporations stand to save thousands, if not millions of dollars by implementing instruction and training more effectively, and schools can more effectively meet the diverse needs of their learners by applying the lessons of the field.  In short, while this field still has a long way to go on the road towards becoming a discipline the likes of mathematics or physics, instructional technology has made giant strides in the past 30 years, and is well on its way towards become an established, respected, and organized institution that effectively and ethically improves learning in all manner of environments.