It covers the historical roots, the relevant theoretical foundation, and the current landscape of the field of IDT.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
Very accurate. This book has been written by a diverse group of esteemed scholars who are currently active in the field.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
Extremely relevant. I am writing this review in 2023. While the book was published in 2018, I'd say the vast majority, if not all of the content still applies.
Clarity rating: 5
The book is written in a clear and concise manner.
Consistency rating: 5
Despite being authored by multiple individuals, the book exhibits remarkable consistency throughout.
Modularity rating: 5
Each of the chapters can be readily downloadable as reading materials for a course as they each focus on a specific domain area in the field.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The book is structured in a coherent and meaningful manner. The 55 chapters are well-organized and easy to understand.
Interface rating: 5
Interface is clean, simplistic, distraction-free, and easy to maneuver.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
No grammatical issues can be found.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
Not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.
Overall, this book is a commendable addition to the field of IDT. It is well-written, making it easily understandable for readers. The comprehensive coverage of its contents is praiseworthy, and its validation by numerous notable scholars in the field adds credibility. I am considering it as a main textbook for the IDT foundational course that I currently teach.
Reviewed by Gregory Zobel, Associate Professor, Western Oregon University on 12/5/22
Robust sections with multiple chapters on the the field's history, main emphases, professionalization and career. Diverse and helpful collection of multiple perspectives, voices, and backgrounds. read more
Reviewed by Gregory Zobel, Associate Professor, Western Oregon University on 12/5/22
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
Robust sections with multiple chapters on the the field's history, main emphases, professionalization and career. Diverse and helpful collection of multiple perspectives, voices, and backgrounds.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
Plentiful selection and use of professional and scholarly citations drawn from recent and relevant historical articles. Clearly contextualized content.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
Incredibly relevant for someone entering the field; very helpful for pre-professional and early career LIDT folks as well as providing useful reference articles for mentors wanting to provide content for their classes or mentees.
Clarity rating: 5
Style and voice vary from article to article (natural in an edited collection), but overall the writing is pretty accessible and jargon is relevant to the field and topics discussed.
Consistency rating: 5
Overall the collection is quite consistent and any confusion is minimized. Overall very strong.
Modularity rating: 5
Definite potential for use to select single or multiple chapters for classes, professional development sessions, or inclusion in a training course. Great collection here.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
Very well organized into six clear sections--and each section has five or more chapters. This type of focused development per section is particularly helpful when identifying good class readings.
Interface rating: 5
I had no issues with either the PDF or online version of the text. Excellent.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
High level editing and production values.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
Seemed quite accessible and inclusive. I identified no concerns through my readings.
Great text to use in and of itself or to harvest/employ chapters from for a variety of courses related to EdTech and Instructional Design.
Reviewed by Samantha Blevins, Instructional Designer & Learning Architect, Radford University on 6/25/21
I can't seem to think of a more comprehensive book on LIDT than this one. All facets of LIDT are covered in this texts, with many of the "IDT greats" authoring chapters within this text. read more
Reviewed by Samantha Blevins, Instructional Designer & Learning Architect, Radford University on 6/25/21
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
I can't seem to think of a more comprehensive book on LIDT than this one. All facets of LIDT are covered in this texts, with many of the "IDT greats" authoring chapters within this text.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
This book reflects an accurate picture of today's LIDT landscape.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
The book is absolutely relevant for those interested or working within LIDT. A multitude of topics that continue to be relevant are included.
Clarity rating: 5
The chapter authors do an excellent job at ensuring each chapter is clear and consistent. Those familiar with or entering the field of IDT will be comfortable using this text.
Consistency rating: 5
The book is extremely consistent in terms of the terminology used throughout, helping the reader feel they are part of the IDT community.
Modularity rating: 5
This book can absolutely be used in a modular way. It could be used as a text spanning multiple course, within one singular course or as a resource for an IDT program.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The topics and chapters within this book are logically organized, within everything easy to find or revisit as needed.
Interface rating: 5
I had an easy time navigating this book, both in the PDF and online version.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
Correct grammar and formatting are used in this text.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
This text is culturally inclusive and the authors represent a variety of races, ethnicities, identities and backgrounds.
This book received the 2018 AECT Outstanding Book Award!
"What is this field?" "Where have we come from as a discipline, and where are we going?" "What do I want to study?" These and other questions are typical for new students in the field of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. This textbook is designed to help answer these questions and provide the quickest route to understanding the history and current trends in the field. After surveying classic theories and writings, as well as more recent applications of theory and practice, students will be better prepared to chart their own course and careers within the discipline. This book is designed to support foundations courses common in departments, as well as seminars on current trends and issues.
Dr. Richard E. West is an associate professor of Instructional Psychology and Technology at Brigham Young University. He teaches courses in instructional design, academic writing, qualitative research methods, program/product evaluation, psychology, creativity and innovation, technology integration skills for preservice teachers, and the foundations of the field of learning and instructional design technology.
Dr. West’s research focuses on developing educational institutions that support 21st century learning. This includes teaching interdisciplinary and collaborative creativity and design thinking skills, personalizing learning through open badges, increasing access through open education, and developing social learning communities in online and blended environments. He has published over 90 articles, co-authoring with over 80 different graduate and undergraduate students, and received scholarship awards from the American Educational Research Association, Association for Educational Communications and Technology, and Brigham Young University.
