Historically, there are three main instructional design approaches. They are often presented as very distinct, with little common ground between them. Here's a brief summary of each one:
1. Behaviourism. The behaviourist view of the world is relatively simple: we can teach effectively by having learners practice and giving positive rewards for correct answers. The behaviourist theory of learning was developed in the early part of the 20th century and was really the first modern theory of learning.
As alternative theories (described below) developed, they were considered more modern and forward-thinking. Behaviourism got a bad name and became associated with learning that was dry and boring.
2. Cognitivism. The cognitive view of the world is interested in modelling and analysing mental structures to help explain human behaviour. Cognitivists belief we learn better when new knowledge is well structured and in context; they also suggest it is easier to recall newly learned knowledge and information if we can link it something we understand already. Finally, cognitivists believe that learner perception, attention and motivation are critical factors in successful learning.
3. Constructivism. The constructivist view of the world is (as the name suggests) that we construct our own view of the world and, therefore, learn better if we do things for ourselves. Because constructivists believe knowledge is constructed, not transmitted, this construction can only result from activity because knowledge is anchored in the context in which the learning activity happens. Interestingly, though, the more you look in detail at each of these approaches, the more you realise there is a good deal of overlap between each of them.
For starters, they all share a common purpose: finding ways to engage learners and, thus, help them learn more effectively. They share many other characteristics, too. All three theories accept that practice is critical to successful learning. None would argue with giving learners positive reinforcement or rewards for correct answers (although cognitivists and constructivists would argue this alone is not enough).
Both cognitivists and constructivists believe context makes a massive impact on the effectiveness of learning. Both believe the way an individual models or constructs his/her understanding of something is unique. The list could go on.
So instead of thinking about a particular theory as the 'best' or only way to apply instructional design, perhaps it would be better to strive for a success-based approach to instructional design which incorporates elements of all these theories.
This way, rather than obsessing about the effectiveness of a specific theory or approach, you can put the needs and success of your learner at the heart of what you do and apply a variety of methods from all of the theories as and when they are appropriate to the specific needs of your learners.
Creating learning is all about achieving successful outcomes for your learners. A pragmatic, pick and mix approach to applying instructional design approaches will almost certainly lead to a better result for your learners than dogmatically applying a single one.
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Andrew Jackson is co-founder of Pacific Blue, which provides a popular instructional design training programme for individuals and organisations. Learn more or receive regular instructional design hints and tips at:
http://www.pacificblue.co.uk/instructional-design-training-programme
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