Customer Reviews

Designing Effective Instruction

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have had to read this text for a doctoral level curriculum class. Frankly, it is a very dry, uninteresting presentation of curriculum theory and models. This is a serious flaw, considering this is a textbook designed to instruct learners how to design effective and stimulating curriculum. In addition, the authors do not seem to understand their audience. They appear to be directing their instruction toward business, industry and technology. However, there is an occasional reference toward educators, hardly recognizing that curriculum instruction is directly related to context of area concentration. The shifting back and forth between learning theories and characteristics in list format is distracting. A good text should act as a tool for guidance. This one totally misses the mark.

I have used this text in several editions, both as a reference in my work as an Instructional Developer and as a one of several suggested ID texts I've used in teaching this subject.

It is one of the most comprehensive basic texts for the entire ID process, providing information not available in other more simplified texts. For this reason, you do not tend to read it as you would a novel. You read it in sections, to learn and apply, and you return to it later to validate your work and learn more.

One of its biggest benefits is that it presents situations and examples that can easily be applied to training in the "real world" of work, that is, in on-the-job training. It is not solely oriented toward K-12 and above educators, although it does have applicable examples for this area too.

As an ID practitioner and instructor for many, many years, I recommend this book as a basic and reference text for anyone truly interested in learning and using Instructional Design.

Extremely dry. Since this book is on effective instruction, it seems odd that it is so dry. Also, considering it is about design, there seems to be a lack of color, pictures, or illustrations. If this wasn't a textbook, I would have stopped reading at chapter 1. Chapter 14 should really be at the beginning, not the end of the book.

This book came as a recommendation for work and is almost like required reading. But it has been a useful book with some helpful tips. It is written for those not already in the workplace, but can be adapted to fit a current professional's needs. Written mostly like a text book so skimming it was best for me.

This book is nice because it explains it's information in real world terms. I needed it for a graduate class and it served as a huge resource. I would recommend it for future use.

This book has a unique way of presenting the information full of informative tables and figures. I really liked it because it gives a new dimension for the ID. Although, it is my second book I have read about this filed, I am feeling confident of my understanding of it.

This is my college textbook and I hate it. I find that I have to take notes to make sense of the text. Sometimes I find that I have to back track in my notes & add content that seems misplaced in order.

I have other books I like better.

Carol P., Doctoral Student