Overview of IST

What We Do

The Department of Instructional Systems Technology prepares practitioners and researchers to build and test processes, products, systems and services for use in education and training settings. Graduates of our master’s degree program typically assume design/development roles in public or private organizations -- about half in corporations. Graduates of our doctoral program teach and conduct research in instructional technology -- most often in institutions of higher education, but also in business, industry, government and ministries of education in other countries.

What Is IST?

We consider technology to be much broader than hardware and software development. IST includes analysis, design, development, evaluation, and implementation/management of instructional systems and other learning environments. Our theoretical research is interdisciplinary, encompassing: instructional design theories and models; learning and cognition; instructional strategies and tactics; visual design, media design, and interaction design; usability testing and evaluation; educational systems design; production and management systems; and human performance improvement.

IST considers settings for learning to be broader than K-12 and higher education. These contexts include adult learning in business, industry, government, health institutions, and the like.

In short, our emphasis is: to improve human learning and performance in diverse contexts. 

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Ted Frick, Chairperson
Department of Instructional Systems Technology
W. W. Wright Education Building, Room 2276
201 North Rose Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405-1006, USA

(812) 856-8450
Send us e-mail.