Formal instructional design (ID) theories, intended to guide instructional designers' decision-making and design practices, have grown in abundance in recent years. These ID theories are based on learning theories that form the foundation for applied work in the field. However, researchers are concerned that these theories may not be applicable to the day-to-day practice of instructional designers. While some studies investigate the application of ID process models, studies of learning theory and ID theory in practice are rare. Consequently, there is little information about the nature and extent of the gap between our field's theory and its practice. This qualitative study investigated whether theory is actually being used by practicing instructional designers and why. Researchers interviewed seven practitioners on three occasions and examined the artifacts of their work. Drawing upon hermeneutic, phenomenological, and ethnographic traditions of inquiry, results were analyzed, generating eight themes and four suggestions. These themes highlighted that these practitioners generally valued learning and ID theory, but also found theoretical ideas from other disciplines applicable. Few referenced theory regularly and most did not spend much time updating themselves on the theory of the field. Most said they rely on intuition to make design decisions in their work, and that theory is one among several significant influences that impact their decisions. Most said that their training in theory would have been more useful if it was more practice oriented. The four suggestions were (a) to create reference implementations of new theories in multiple context via industry partnerships, (b) to create theories that adapt to practical pressures, (c) to allocate significant time for learners in ID training programs to apply theory in practical settings under expert theoretical guidance, and (d) to expand professional development opportunities for practitioners that focus on exemplary implementations of theory in practical settings. The overarching implication of this study is that the relevance of theoretical work to practitioners is directly impacted by the practicality of the theory in the hands of typical practitioners and that more measures can be readily implemented by theorists and by those who train and mentor practitioners to bring this about.

This study was conducted to explore the processes educators in higher education used to ground their design of online instruction using scientific-based research and theory. Literature reviewed suggested reasons educators fail to ground the design of instruction were a lack of formal training in instructional methods, skills, support, and research understanding. The rationale for the study was to (a) increase understanding of how educators use scientific research and theory as a basis in decision-making during design and creation of online instruction,(b)identify best practices, and (c) add to the conversation in the instructional design field. A qualitative case study research design was utilized to interview, review course, and review documents of four participants to capture their viewpoints as to the (a) meaning of; (b) evidence; (c) step by step processes; and (d) problems associated with the processes of grounding the design of online instruction in scientific-based research and theory. Data obtained were analyzed through detailed case description, direct interpretation, cross-case analysis, pattern establishment, and naturalistic generalization. Pedagogy, instructional design, instructional technology, support, and problems emerged as key thematic issues. Findings suggested that although educators were consistent in defining meaning, followed step-by-step processes, and had evidence to support their decisions, they encountered logistical challenges of time, technology and design in the process of using scientific-based research and theory to ground the design of online instruction. The implications for practice from this research were similar to recommendations of other researchers. For this process to be smoother, regular training, peer professional interactions, and support must be present.

This multi-article dissertation focuses on the role of narrative distance in instructional design. Narrative distance is defined œas the cognitive or emotional space afforded by indirect communication that invites listeners to make sense of content (Taeger, 2018, p. 6). Whereas fields associated with the arts have long used the indirect nature of story to create powerful experiences, instructional design has not examined how this aspect of narrative might be used in instruction. The first article in this dissertation explores the literature related to narrative distance and how designing for this phenomenon meets many of Wilson and Parrishs (2011) key indicators for transformative learning experiences. This article also suggests six principles for incorporating narrative distance into instructional design. The second article is a qualitative study of six experts from a variety of fields who design narrative distance into their work. Professionals in film, theatre, writing, art, and homiletics were interviewed three times over a period of several months using Fleming, Gaidys, and Robbs (2003) Gadamerian-based hermeneutic approach. The findings from this study discuss further principles and practices for integrating narrative distance into instructional design, especially as it relates to facilitating transformative learning experiences. These principles and practices are organized under four themes: cognitive space, emotional space, invite change, and meaningful content. Further research possibilities related to narrative distance are also briefly mentioned. The third article builds on the findings discussed in article two by offering examples of narrative distance in instruction. In addition, specific design steps are presented to help practitioners create narrative distance in a way that can lead to transformative learning experiences.

No description available.

This research is a formative evaluation of personal learning networks to determine their applicability for professional development in the architecture and design industry. The researcher seeks to find a catalyst toward discipline-wide realization of integrated design practices. This research initiative was spurred by leaders in the field who indicate that a swift transformation to integrated design practice is required in the discipline in order for the practice of architecture to remain effective in today's global economy. The AIA knowledge community has designated this issue a primary focus for professional development, yet innovative solutions for timely and effective knowledge transfer at a discipline-wide scale do not currently exist. Concurrently, there is active research in computer-based organizational learning within the social sciences, education and the human computer interaction disciplines, indicating its potential as an effective method for the dissemination of knowledge. The research strategy draws upon the human computer interaction discipline's user-centered design philosophy to harness the disciplines knowledge by actively engaging experts in a formative evaluation of personal learning networks using the Delphi method. / Ph. D.

This thesis explores how the practice and profession of architecture was increasingly understood and discussed in terms of the public in the first half of the twentieth century through six case studies. In the age of universal suffrage, architects began to recognise that, in order for the profession to flourish, the built environment would have to respond to the demands of public opinion and publicity, and that design would need to appeal to the 'man in the street' if the profession was to establish its position in the new culture of democracy. 'Architecture and the Public in Interwar Britain' thus challenges the view that the mainstream of interwar British architecture was parochial and backward looking, and seeks to reintegrate the stories of many well-known but academically neglected projects and controversies into twentieth century architectural history, which remains dominated by attempts to nuance the privileged narrative of the growth and 'triumph' of Modernism and the International Style. Instead, I argue that architecture is better conceived as a broad discourse involving a number of agents of diverse positions and attitudes struggling with common critical and professional challenges. The first section of the thesis considers architecture in the Imperial Metropolis. After offering a re-reading of 66 Portland Place, the headquarters of the RIBA, through the lens of professional anxieties in the interwar years, it considers two controversial rebuilding projects: Regent Street and Waterloo Bridge. The thesis then considers architecture and publicity in the suburbs, offering close readings of factories along the new arterial roads out of London, in particular the Guinness Brewery and Gillette Factory amongst others. The final section of the thesis unpicks the idea of the civic centre in interwar Britain through the contrasting examples of Southampton Civic Centre and lastly Norwich City Hall.

More and more people are using the internet to access various societal functions. In recent years, municipalities and private enterprises have increasingly begun to explore and develop internet-based services to support public health in general and to disseminate health information in particular. This compilation thesis consists of four articles that explore and provide different perspectives on the design and implementation of new online youth counselling services for public organisations and social services, working with counselling and health information for young people. Ethnographic methods, and materials from two empirical settings, have been used to investigate how aspects of design and participation can serve to empower both potential young users and counsellors as stakeholders in the design projects. An important secondary focus is how mechanisms of empowerment play out in the design of online counselling services targeting young people. The notion of empowerment is addressed in terms of empowerment through design, focusing on normative expectations regarding young people as users of online youth counselling, as well as how to work with norms and norm-critical perspectives in the design and development of user interfaces. Another aspect of empowerment concerns participation, here seeking an increased understanding of the processes, practices and shifting roles involved in engaging professionals and young users as participants in a design project. In order to address these interrelated areas of inquiry, an eclectic theoretical and methodological approach has been used to study design in practice. An ethnomethodological approach unpacks how the participants relate to and reflect upon the design projects under study, highlighting aspects of empowerment and user agency. In addition, a sociocultural perspective on communities of practice and participation is used to increase the understanding of what it means to be a participant in participatory design projects. The findings show how embedded social norms and values have implications for users’ identities as presented in the digital design of online youth counselling services. The findings also reveal ways in which user empowerment is facilitated but also restricted by the design of youth counselling e-services, including not only the designed multimodal features of such services, but also the norms that guide usage. The studies also address the outcomes of technological change and the implementation of sociotechnical systems and services for the professionals involved in design projects. Here the studies provide knowledge about the forms of practical reasoning the counsellors engage in when anticipating work-related issues associated with the new technology and how they might deal with potential challenges. Finally, the findings show how participation in a design project may enable the development of new forms of communities of practice in which the participants and their roles and participation status change as the organisation changes.

The increasing prevalence of digital fabrication technologies and the emergence of a novel materiality in contemporary craft practice have created the need to redefine the critical context of digital jewellery and wearable futures. Previous research in this area, such as that presented by Sarah Kettley (2007a) and Jayne Wallace (2007), has provided the foundations for further enquiry but has not been advanced significantly since its inception. The artistic research presented in this thesis focuses on how smart materials and microelectronic components could be used to create synergetic digital jewellery objects and wearable futures that reflect changes in the body of their wearer and their environment through dynamic responses. Laying the foundations for a theory of <i>Interactive</i> <i>Craft</i> through evaluating different aspects of creative practice that relate to responsive objects with a close relationship to the human body is at the centre of this enquiry. Through identifying four distinct categories of wearable object, the <i>Taxonomy of the Wearable Object</i> is formulated and clearly delineates the current existing conceptual, technological and material perspectives that govern the relationships between different types of wearable objects. A particular focus is placed on exploring the concept of <i>Digital Enchantment</i> and how it could be utilised to progress towards developing the <i>Uncanny Object</i> that appears to possess biological characteristics and apparent agency, yet is a fully artificial construct. The potential for the practical application of a design methodology guided by playful engagement with novel materials, microelectronics and digital fabrication technologies is analysed, taking into account Ingold’s concept of the <i>textility of making </i>(Ingold, 2011). Through exploring the notion of the <i>Polymorphic</i> <i>Practitioner</i> in the context of <i>Alchemical Practice</i>, a model for experiential knowledge generation through engaging in cross-disciplinary collaboration is developed. This is supported by a qualitative survey of European materials libraries, including accounts of site visits that evaluate the usefulness of materials libraries for creative practitioners invested in novel materiality as well as visually documenting a selection of the visited libraries’ most intriguing material holdings. Utilising a scientific testing protocol, a practical body of work that centres on conducting extensive experiments with smart materials is developed, with a particular focus on testing the compatibility and colour outcomes of chromic pigments in silicone. The resulting chromic silicone samples are collated, together with sourced smart materials, in a customised materials library. Investigational prototypes and the <i>Microjewels</i> collection of digital jewellery and wearable futures that responds to external and bodily stimuli whilst engaging the wearer through playful interaction are presented as another outcome of this body of research.

The thesis aims to observe the industrial design profession and to study the role of industrial designer in Turkish industry. Through an electronic questionnaire investigating the manufacturers&rsquo / and designers&rsquo / opinions about how industrial design practice is perceived and how industrial designers are utilized in Turkey it was possible to examine the current roles of industrial designers and to evaluate the status of industrial design profession. The survey also investigated how the industrial designer or the design team is situated in new product development process, and in the corporate hierarchy, what kind of investments have been made in the last decades by manufacturers in Turkey on industrial design.

Transformable products (or transformers), those with two or more functional states, are increasingly utilized by our society. As the mobility and complexity of life increases, so must the adaptability of the products which we use. We need new design techniques to develop more adaptable devices, such as transformers. The purpose of this study is to propose a response to the question “When is it preferable to implement a design approach focused on developing transformable products over an approach focused on developing primary function, non transforming products?” Our response to this question comes in the form of a method. The method helps a designer or design team consider the benefits of developing a transformer at an early stage in the design process. Research includes a deductive and an inductive study which are used to identify transformation indicators or context properties and usage factors that identify when it is preferable to build a transformable device. Static function-state indicators are also presented. These are contrary to transformation indicators in that they identify contexts suitable for developing non-transforming devices. Our technique seeks to improve the outcome of a design project by encouraging the consideration of transformable solutions and aiding in the selection of an appropriate design process. This method for testing the presence of these indicators in exemplary design contexts is presented. One such application is the design of an autonomous bridge-health monitoring system. / text