The Settings > World at Large > What its Like...

What its Like...

In this chapter, two authors present to the reader the diversity of Instructional Design practice in two settings other than the United States. The two settings are a “developing nation” and Japan. Historically, professional literature of the instructional design field comes from the development and application of ID in the United States. This chapter reminds the reader that there is a broader context to which instructional design is relevant and diverse outside the U.S. and the many challenges for the discipline as an instructional designer.

Defining a “developing nation” is left up to the reader of the chapter. The reader can perceive it as a non-industrialized nation. This general term can apply to any of the international areas outside the U.S. where the perceived acceptable standard of development economically, politically and technologically has yet to be reached. These areas are where the designer will meet many challenges.

The challenges that face a designer are personal as well as instructional. One must have qualities in their personality to meet these challenges head on. One will find that outside the U.S., illiteracy can be found in higher percentages in “developing nations”.

It is not uncommon to find that the educational thinking and patterns of educational practice are often influenced by political and traditional ways of doing things. Economically the resources available are limited. Creativity of the designers will often provide solutions to the need for technical resources. Technology must be reinvented in the context in which it will be used. One cannot use the industrialized world’s technology as a standard.

The Case of Japan allowed the reader to see IDT in an industrialized nation other than the U.S. In Japan, the Asian culture intertwines with the westernization of Japan post WWII. Japan became a leading industrial country after the war. The emphasis was strictly placed on production in the business and industry sector of Japan. The author describes accounts of daily work life for a worker and the course one may take thru their career. Human Resource development was not an integral part of the production.

It wasn’t until 2000 that IDT captured the interests of the HRD sector of the business and industry sector of Japan. This started with e-learning in Japan, the use of technology to teach. IDT was seen as a new technique to improve and assure quality and effectiveness of e-learning. The only concept at that time was that IDT contributed to the usability design and visual design of the e-learning programs. It was not until 2003, that the ADDIE model and the essential steps of IDT were offered as training programs.

The Japanese culture on education and industry are deep rooted still today. IDT has slowly come into acceptance because of the need to have better quality HRD, higher effectiveness training and the need to prepare companies for the diversity of the global market. Economic growth has declined in Japan over the past decade. The Government has supported the role as an instructional designer in Japan. Courses are now being taught for teachers. The concept and techniques of IDT should be expected to start playing a more vital role in the complexities of the Japanese educational system.

Both authors presented two distinct settings of the use of instructional design and technology outside of the United States. However, the message received was that diversity presents exciting challenges for the designers and teachers in the international settings. The model concepts that originated here in the U.S. are still the core for IDT. It is up to the designer or teacher to incorporate the essential steps of IDT successfully to meet the diverse needs of the international recipient.