Research in Instructional Design Blogs

     When looking for information to answer a question, where is the place you look first? Many of us look to the internet for information, and my latest class on learning theories and instruction has me searching for information about instructional design presented in blogs. As I searched and looked through a variety of blogs, I have discovered a wealth of information that I hope will continue to provide resources as I learn more about instructional design. For the blog today, my list had to be narrowed to three top blog site choices, and the task was not as simple as I believed it would be before I began my search.

     The first blog site that I found is one created by Cathy Moore, an instructional designer with an extensive background in the field. Her blog site is found at http://blog.cathy-moore.com/  I chose this site because I find that the blog contains information about a variety of instructional design topics, there is a wheel graphic on the home page that links to subject matter, and the blog is tag connected so that topics are easier to find. I am also interested in the site because it is geared toward providing help with developing training for working adults, which is an area of interest where I have the least experience in instructional design.

     The second blog site that I found was one by Connie Malamed, author of Visual Language for Designers and owner of her own consulting company. Her blog site is found at http://theelearningcoach.com/ and contains a variety of information about learning, instructional design, and a good list of resources in links. Posts are not arranged by date but rather through grouping into areas of topic, making it easier to find topical information within the blog. One of my favorite areas on the website was the links to common terminology used in instructional design. I also appreciated her blog insight into the design thinking process and information about ADDIE.

     The third and final site that I am including today is the blog by Cammy Bean, the VP of Learning Design for Kineo US. Her site can be found at http://cammybean.kineo.com/  I like the site because it has easy to find resources and Ms. Bean encourages interaction through comments. I believe this is a blog site with which I can not only learn from the blog articles and resources about instructional design but also through the interaction on the site. I appreciate the unique and interesting slideshare presentations that are also included as a regular part of the blog. Ms. Bean also provides content links and blog articles about current professional conferences such as DevLearn.

     All of the sites share good resource links and information for instructional designers. I am already learning from posts, comments, and links provided at these sites. I am excited about following these sites and gaining insight into the field of instructional design. I am also excited about how this course and blog research will help me in my current position as an online instructor. As Ferriter (2009) said, "No longer do teachers have to sit unsatisfied, wishing that we had more influence over our profession. Blogging has made it possible for all of us to be publishers and to elevate our voices to improve classroom practice" (p. 38).

Resources

Ferriter, B. (2009). Learning with blogs and wikis. Educational Leadership, 66(5), 34-38.