Instructional Design Blog Resources: Dummy Proof?

Instructional Design Blog Resources: Dummy Proof or Expert Only?

As a novice in the area of instructional design and technology, locating tools to aid in the development of skills in this area is of great importance. Also, being a beginner, my opinions in the area of whether or not a blog, newsletter, or other related tool for seeking information is sufficiently “dummy proof”.

The first site, WordPress.com, offered significant amounts of informational blogs (offered by various authors) related to instructional design. In my exploration of several posted blogs/articles, I found content related to everything from making movie trailers and instructional design tips, to learning theory discussions and using specific programs to design computer based training. This site can be accessed through the following link: http://en.wordpress.com/tag/instructional-design/

This site is seems very useful when one is simply looking to read up on instructional design opinions/articles, without a specific focus. In this case, the information available can seem limitless. However, it can be time consuming and a bit like finding a needle in a haystack, if you are looking for information in a particular area of instructional design. I found the organization to be much like exploring internet search engines without a specific enough topics to narrow down your search results.

Next, I explored the Internet Time Blog through the following link: http://www.internettime.com/blog/archives/001083.html

This blog seemed a lot more simplistic in its layout/organization and also offered a large amount of insight into instructional design. In this blog design principles, history, effectiveness, types of designs, designing tips, and much more was offered.  The blog ordered instructional design information in sections, by title (Instructional,  User Interface, Learning Objects, Graphic, Web, Information Architecture, Visual Thinking, Software, Industrial). I found the organization to be very useful and it will serve as a definite reference tool and or guide when developing my instructional design program.  

Lastly, the Instructional Design for eLearning approaches blog, where one person offers insight into instructional technology and eLearning, at http://ideas.blogs.com/ is another very useful tool. In this blog, there is a brief discussion of instructional design learning objectives, planning and management, and online learning benefits.  Then, there are chapters offered on faculty development. There were categories with alternate links to varying topics of use as well.  I see this blog as a development tool for pushing for eLearning within departments/learning institutions. However, I wouldn’t rely on it solely for the purpose of learning about instructional design.

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