Have you ever seen the claim: "built using proven Instructional Design." (I just saw it. Some website. Ain't saying where. But I could equally have found it on the back of a cereal box.)
Do you ever wonder how they proved it? Did they prove it?
What are they actually talking about? It's one of those buzzword bingo terms people use.
Needs to be added to Jane Bozarth's E-Learning Buzzword Bingo Card.
Photo credit: Bingo Sign by CarbonNYC
9 comments:
I have read something similar on websites of 'certain' rapid authoring tools describing their templates to be supported by proven ID. Not sure what does that mean though.
Yes - another buzzword, but let's get on and actually demonstrate the importance of these poor, over-used terms. See my blog entry at http://patrickdunn.squarespace.com/occasional-rants/2009/12/21/the-most-over-used-buzzword-of-all-e-learning.html, for more...
Hi Cammy. Going a step further, or maybe off in a different direction, I question (see my response here - http://tinyurl.com/yb3gqxp) whether it is the overuse of the words that are bad or bad instructional design that is contributing to the problem.
I avoid any company, vendor, or freelancer who uses words like "proven" "guru," "effortless," or "hassle-free." Usually they're full of hot air. If they're that good, just give samples and let the work speak for itself.
Eliezer Yudkowsy calls (from Less Wrong: refining the art of human rationality) these 'applause light' phrases.
http://lesswrong.com/lw/jb/applause_lights/
I'm in Japan at the moment on a trip. And it's easy to laugh at the engrish that you see on the signs (my nephew has a T-Shirt which says 'Estranged Relation' on the front, for example). But it's no different from all the stuff you see on marketing blurb everywhere you go.
Nancy and Patrick both making similar points -- the buzzwords falls down when people start applying them to poorly designed eLearning. *Applause Lights* go on now for the buzzword rant.
Kia ora e Cammy
It is well known (and probably well established) that learning resource success is rarely monitored.
Of course, the best time to check out effectiveness is immediately after development and before implementation.
Best of the season to you, Cammy!
Catchya after Christmas
Love your blog - I've learnt so much. I'm encouraged by the many backgrounds instructional designers are drawn from - makes for a very creative interlinking.
I'm just starting as an instructional designer after over 20 years as a teacher! and loving every minute. The highlight so far is hearing and seeing Cathy Moore at a conference in Sydney Australia.
Thanks again.
kaz
Ken -- Thanks for sharing your post here. Once again proving that it takes a lot of work to prove anything!
Kaz -- Thanks for stopping by and good luck to you as you transition to the ID world. Be good to hear your insights as you make your way.
To all -- Happy New Year!
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