ID Activities and Project Success: Perceptions of Practitioners

Instructional development (ID) models are intended to serve as guides to successful ID practice. There is increasing evidence, however, that most practicing instructional designers do not strictly adhere to the prescriptions found in typical ID models. Rather, ID practice seems to be characterized by selective use of the design activities contained in the models. This study examined the relationship between the inclusion of various ID activities and the perceived success of ID projects. Based on face-to-face and telephone interviews with 40 practicing designers involved in 77 ID projects, it appears that designers' perceptions of project success are a function of neither how many ID activities (derived from typical ID models) are completed, nor how thoroughly the activities are completed.