Types and Benefits of Innovation in Learning Design

Innovation in instructional design generally revolves around three major areas: Technology, Process, and Theory.

Technology - innovations in technology for learning typically yield several benefits:

1. learning enhancement - appropriately used current and emerging technology can significantly increase learning
2. tracking - quality technologies enable us to (a) monitor and measure student learning and progress, (b) manage learning experiences, and (c) manage the processes of creating and evaluating learning more effectively.
3. delivery - technologies enable us to deliver learning experiences quickly and efficiently to broader audiences quickly and at relatively low cost
4. management - technologies allow learners and others to manage their learning more effectively

Process - innovations in instructional design process should yield the following benefits:

1. efficiency to reduce cost and time to produce instruction
2. checkpoints and controls for creating quality instruction
3. empowerment to the instructional design team to be creative and innovative

Theory - innovations in instructional theory, or how to design what the learning experience actually looks like, yield several benefits including (but not limited to):

1. increased efficiency in the student learning experience
2. improvements in meeting the defined learning outcomes and goals
3. increased student motivation in learning
4. increased ability for students to transfer their learning to the real world

New Blog Name: Reflections on Learning Success

In the past my blog has been titled Reflections on Instructional Design. I have written a lot about instructional design and other education-related topics over the past year and I have really enjoyed it. However, I have noticed that many of my posts revolve around different subjects, and I am not sure that the blog title fits all of the things I enjoy writing about. Therefore, I am changing the name of my blog to

Reflections on Learning Success

The title is purposefully ambiguous - it could mean that I am reflecting on successful learning experiences. It could also mean that I am writing about how to learn to succeed. I will likely write about both of these, so I think the new title is appropriate.

I'm sure I will continue to write about instructional design and technology; after all, it is my area of expertise and I really enjoy the field and the practice. But I will also write more about other topics of interest, including motivation, habit change, goal setting, and personal achievement, among other things. These topics all clearly relate to the field of education and instructional design, and they also reflect some of my current interests more fully.

I wonder what I will revise my blog's name to next year...