IDE 621 - Principles of Instruction & Learning
This course was where theory met action. Students explored the fundamentals of how people learn and how to design instruction that actually works, not just in theory, but in real-world settings. Learning theories were treated as the whybehind how individuals process information. Instructional design theories provided the how, practical, research-based strategies that shaped instructional choices.
The course wasn’t about memorizing frameworks. It was about understanding how to use them. Students examined each concept through the lens of application, learning how to identify what worked, when it worked, and why. Because outside the classroom, abstract definitions don’t cut it, real instructional problems need real answers.
Like most intro-level courses, this one came with the risk of feeling disjointed. There were many ideas to cover, and without structure, those ideas could easily feel scattered. To prevent that, students developed their own models. They created personalized knowledge bases that mapped out the theories, what they meant, how they connected, and how they could be applied. It wasn’t just an assignment. It became a working tool they could return to long after the course ended.
Course Overall Grade: A
Purpose and Direction
My e-portfolio on Liela Shadmani’s IDE-621 page presents a cohesive progression from foundational learning theories to their practical application in instructional design, highlighting how behaviorism, cognitivism, and social learning theories shape meaningful instruction. Each artifact reflects not just theoretical understanding, but an intentional integration of these principles into real-world learning scenarios, grounded in critical thinking and professional reflection.
Outlining The Purpose For Each Section
Thought Paper
In this paper, I didn’t just talk about learning theory, I challenged what works and what doesn’t, especially in real environments like the U.S. Army. I made the case for Social Learning Theory (SLT) because it bridges the gap that behaviorism and cognitivism leave wide open. It’s not just about watching behaviors or processing information in isolation. It’s about the messy, human side of learning, observing, modeling, interacting, and adapting in real time.
I aligned SLT with Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction because both emphasize practical, applied learning, not theory for theory’s sake. I’ve seen firsthand how Soldiers don’t just learn from PowerPoints or checklists. They learn by watching their leaders, working alongside their peers, and reflecting on what works and what doesn’t after the fact. That’s what SLT supports. It’s already woven into Army culture. I didn’t write this to summarize research, I wrote it to show why this theory makes sense when lives, leadership, and operational success depend on more than just theory.
Deliverables
IDE 621 wasn’t just about studying learning theories, it was about making sense of how people actually learn when the stakes are high, the environments are unpredictable, and the learners don’t have time for fluff. The deliverables in this course, three knowledge base builds and one final thought paper, aren’t just academic exercises. They’re the foundation of how I’ve come to think, design, and lead as an instructional designer who works in high-pressure, high-impact spaces like the U.S. Army.
Each knowledge base page, Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Social Learning Theory, dives deep into the mechanics of learning and then pulls that theory out of the textbook and into the field. I mapped out what learning looks like when it’s driven by external reinforcement, internal cognitive structure, and most powerfully, social interaction. I broke each one down with infographics, real-world scenarios, observation checklists, and reflections that pushed me to ask: how do these theories show up in my world, with my learners, under real constraints?
The final thought paper tied it all together. I made a case for why Social Learning Theory rises above the rest, not because the others don’t matter, but because SLT is what makes sense when you’re training people who learn from each other, model leadership, and solve problems in teams. These deliverables aren’t about theory for theory’s sake. They’re about applying the right framework, at the right time, to build learning that’s not only effective but human. That’s what IDE 621 taught me, and that’s what this portfolio proves.
