Comments on article "Reclaiming Instructional Design"

As I read through this article, I couldn't help but keep thinking in the back of my mind about the contrast in two characters on the TV show 'Lost'. Jack, the doctor, is considered a man of science, while Locke, a guy who before the plane crashed was paralyzed but now can walk, is considered a man of faith. Throughout the episodes, they approach each situation from very different perspectives. At times I feel myself relating more to Jack, and other times more to Locke, based on each circumstance.

In regards to instruction, I have no doubt where I stand, and that is in agreement to this article, that it truly is a science that can be studied empirically. However, there is one specific point made that I had hoped would be explained further in the article, but it wasn't. On the first page, the writers compare the science of aerodynamics to the science of instructional strategies. The problem with this is that aerodynamics is based on a number of scientific laws, and laws in the scientific sense is not a term used lightly. Aerodynamics is based on laws such as the Perfect Gas Law, Bernoulli's Law, Newton's Laws, etc (http://wings.avkids.com/Tennis/Book/laws-01.html). Unfortunately, when it comes to the science of instruction, we do not have a repertoire of laws about learning from which the science of instruction is based on. I believe this is the reason that there is such a range of opinions of what instruction should look like. But that does not mean that there is not a wealth of research into what makes instruction effective, and that is what I'm interested in, knowing what the research says is sound instruction. Not the pseudoscience "Reader's Digest" version, but real, empirical research.

One other note about this article that I thought of is that since instructional design is a technology, then by that definition it is also susceptible to the problems all other technologies face. All technologies can be used in ways that are helpful or harmful. It does not mean the technology is good or bad, it is how the technology is used. Something for us all to keep in mind!