Learning and Instruction
Many instructional designers are anxious to begin doing the “real work” of design in context of solving a problem. However, quality instructional design derives from a sound understanding of learning and instructional theory. Thus, it is essential for every professional in the field to continually study theory, and seek to understand its implications for their work. There are too many theories to be fully discussed in this book, and there are many great books available that discuss learning/instructional theory at greater lengths. The theories presented here are some key ones to be aware of because of their foundational relevance to understanding other theories, or because of their recent prominence in our field.
I encourage you to make studying theory a lifelong pursuit, and the following resources can be a good place to begin your journey.
Supplemental Readings on Learning & Instructional Theory
- Psychology of Learning for Instruction by Marci Driscoll
- How People Learn — grant-funded summary of learning theories by leading learning scientists
- Learning-theories.com — brief summaries of many different theories
- Seminal Papers in Educational Psychology: https://3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2017/02/28/seminal-papers-in-educational-psychology/
