In these days of economic cutbacks, instructional institutions of all levels and with all funding sources are forced to re-assess how they operate, what services they offer their constituents, and which programs and services must be continued, shelved, or stopped. Public institutions of higher learning must find ways to continue to offer excellence in education while abiding by state mandated budget cuts.
Once in the domain of educational luxury, instructional designers came into fashion in higher education in the first decade of the 21st century. In the current economic climate, however, it is not unusual to find, instead of a staff of instructional designers, a single instructional designer or instructional technologist who serves an entire college. For universities, it is essential that these instructional designers and technologists be retained so that they can provide necessary training in instructional technology to faculty members.
Necessary faculty training includes the proper use of technology to assist in providing effective learning experiences to students and sometimes, in collaboration with information technology departments, training on the use of institutional services. Because most institutions of higher learning have goals involving excellence in education, necessary training also includes sessions in which faculty are encouraged to brainstorm innovative ways of instructing students. Furthermore, necessary training also consists of providing opportunities for peer sharing among faculty members regarding methods of instruction involving technology that they have found to be effective with their students.
Additionally, instructional designers and technologists make the critical "techno-bridge" between faculty and student that is too often missing. Although this author certainly did not grow up with the Internet, computers, or even the celebrated Pong, these days it is almost pointless to talk about "today's technology-oriented students." Students have been oriented toward technology for more than two decades and have grown up with the ability to research online in one form or another. This student mindset of expecting technology is not something that undergoes a sudden change between using technology and not using technology every three or four years. In other words, students do not leave their technological expectations at the door.
What does change is the way students interact with different technologies, and for what purposes they utilize the technologies. Faculty typically are not experts in this area, but instructional designers and technologists are indeed experts, and serve to provide faculty with the impetus to make the venue and enrichment of their teaching more innovative and worthy of note. In turn, colleges and universities with technology-rich learning environments that are instructionally appropriate will win over increasing numbers of students looking for a solid education using normal, everyday technologies such as the various technologies of mobile learning and Second Life. Increased enrollment can mean additional expenditures for student support, but it also means additional revenue with which to provide such support.
For universities, there must be at least one point person who directs the college-level instructional designers and technologists, provides support and professional development opportunities for them, as well as provides university-wide training opportunities. One point person with one full-time staffer and perhaps a student worker or two can provide the foundation for integrated, cohesive and coherent instructional technology services for an entire university.
As sister organizations, information technology departments typically are concerned with the critical mission of providing infrastructure and technology support services. Information technology therefore should be a powerful partner with instructional technology to provide the synergistic environment faculty need to use technology to make their work flow and teaching more efficient and effective. With this healthy partnership in place, institutions of higher learning have the wherewithal to offer their constituents the very best in effective teaching and learning.
Not only do the constituents of the institutions benefit from graduates of rigorous programs buttressed by sound instructional technology practices, the citizens or the state as well as the nation benefit from the contributions of those graduates to the overall capabilities of the public. Instructional technology is here to stay, and the most effective institutions will utilize directors, instructional designers, and technologists to enrich teaching and learning experiences for faculty, staff, and students.
