The Problem, part 1

All research has to start with a problem. Here's how I came up with mine (near as I can remember). In my Comprehensive Exam, the first question referenced a Dr. Zane Berge of the University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus, with regard to the types of research done on instructional design. He noted that about 70% of research in ID is descriptive in nature, i.e., they send out a survey (or some other instrument), gather the data, and then do a qualitative study on the results. Less than 10% of research is done on each of the following three types: correlative, experimental, and case study.

I needed to see the articles that referenced this information, but the link on the website for the online periodical where it was located was broken, and none of my library database sources referenced it. However, I did a Google search for Dr. Berge and found his curriculum vitae, including his address, phone number, and email address. I selected email and sent him one on a Friday night, asking if he could direct me to the location of a copy of the articles. Instead, he sent me pre-publication copies that he had at home (he wasn't able to get to his office right then) which I was able to use.

The articles were from 1999, but I wanted to see if he had anything more current than that. I did a library search and found an article from the Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education (that's his primary field) in 2008 that he collaborated on with Rachel D. Echard, an employee with the US Air Force, titled "Quality Management Builds Solid eTraining." (TOJDE, 9(1), July 2008). The title seemed intriguing, especially since my employer has completed ISO 9001:2000 registration within the last two years and our partner company is currently in preparation for the ISO 9001:2008 audit. I work as an Instructional Designer for a defense contractor; we develop and implement CAI (Computer Assisted Instruction) and ICW (Interactive Courseware) lessons for the US Marine Corps for training pilots, aircrew, and mechanics on the V-22 Osprey Tiltrotor aircraft.

My concern is this: ISO 9000 standards, Six Sigma, and Deming's Total Quality Management (TQM) are all manufacturing production models designed to cut down the cost of production, improve the quality of the product (in terms of defects), and increase profitability of the business. As defense contractors, we are engaged in building and selling a product: training. However, the effect of the training is supposed to be learning. Yet, everyone who is involved in instructional design seems to be getting on the quality management bandwagon, in my opinion in rather willy-nilly fashion without stopping to analyze the true impact on instructional design principles. My next post will address this more specifically.