Handbook of Educational Technology and Communications
“Automating Instructional Design: Approaches and Limitations”
J. Michael Spector and Celestia Ohrazda
http://www.aect.org/edtech/26.pdf

Historically it has been noted that there is a generation delay between the development of instructional computing and the introduction of the software that has been engineered. This fact would make sense when one considers the horse must come before the cart to function efficiently. The development of the software program will be after the development of the program. Programmers are programmers; instructional designers receive the final product and create the mode of communicating the usefulness of the software to the user.

Users are frequently people. People are unpredictable. This is where the data and evidence in the article makes a point to imply that systems can be created; yet not all systems will serve all men. Sometimes the development of instruction has been with the use of job aids. Some intelligent support systems are where computers are able to provide humanlike knowledge or performance. But in the end, the human factor must be taken into account and that is where the computer has its shortcoming. The computer can act as a tutor, but with limited capabilities. The art of teaching is very complex and if one is to expect a computer to replace a human, it must be with limited expectations.

Can computer aided instructional design occur? Yes, however it is still in the early stages of development. One conclusion of the authors is that it “would be wrong to expect computers to replace human expertise in crucial areas of Instructional Design and development.” As more automated instructional design processes are automated, there is something to be learned regarding the amount of human involvement needed. The instructional design environment is evolving and continues to change. Today many learners use the Internet or other multimedia environments. Change is constant and our learning process is as well.