AUTOMATION STRATEGIES AND PROJECT LIFE CYCLE DOCUMENTATION IN THE INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEM DESIGN PROCESS

This paper will highlight the importance of developing a framework for Instructional System Design prior to implementation of automation strategies. This framework will be based on educational and industry standards of instructional system development. The framework will serve as a guide to help instructional designers, information technologists, system analysts, and project managers, evaluate existing instructional design systems as well as development of future instructional design systems. Development of an instructional system framework helps all users of the instructional system better analyze ways to improve the development process for time, quality, and cost efficiencies. By strategically grouping and documenting phases of the instructional development process, system designers can create agile systems that be easily modified to meet the ever evolving needs of organizations and learners. Proper project documentation of all phases of instructional design is essential to the success of any instructional design system. The proposed framework of discussed in this paper will help identify which phases of the instructional design process lend themselves most appropriate for automated data collection. Business, Education, and Military often change their instructional strategies, visions, and direction as it relates to instructional development. For example, organizations my employ multiple instructional strategies such as asynchronous web based training, synchronous web based training, Instructor lead training, mobile learning, etc. Regardless of which instructional strategy or combination of strategies are used the ability to analyze the current system, identify gaps, and plan a change strategy is essential to the success of any organization that operates in todays ever evolving education climate. At the base of system analysis is documentation. We propose that utilization of computer and software based automation strategies aiding developers in documentation of procedures will allow for reallocation of human capital. The pace in which instructional strategies evolve is much faster than in years past, therefore, organizations are better served to use their human capital for analysis and process evaluation. With this strategy, of human resources re-allocation, time spent on data collection and data entry will be minimized.