Designing Instruction in the Face of Technology Transience

As we strive to provide quality and sustainable online learning experiences, we must frame instructional design decisions around learners’ current needs and interaction with technology. This article explores the implications of technology transience on instructional design. We provide numerous examples of programs assuming a purposeful approach to creating quality online learning opportunities, while straddling the myriad of issues that arise with transience of technologies. The impact on quality, currency, and effectiveness in the design of learning experiences needs to be considered in relationship to the ways technology changes the learning environment. Recommended practices and standards will be shared as considerations for instructional designers working in various sectors, including corporate and higher education.