Open instructional design

Without prudent application of instructional design, the process of learning simply boils down to an optimistic experimentation rather than an enlightened guidance. Predominantly, learners are not exposed to the instructional design process that the instructor followed to rationalize the resultant pedagogy. In fact, learners are led to believe that learning is a by-product of effective exposure to instructional material and instructional activities. We challenge the utility and sustainability of such a belief and advance that learners be allowed to inspect the instructional design processes adapted by the course designer and the chosen instructional design product, and use them as a guideline for a better understanding of their learning. First, we discuss arguments in favour of opening up the instructional design process to learners and outline results obtained from a study that allowed learners to investigate the theory of self-regulated learning as the underlying instructional design. Second, we present a consultative process that engages learners and instructors to collaborate in the construction of the instructional design.