World War II began an incredibly high need for effective and quick training programs to prepare the populace for war, and thus the war was a catalyst for the field of instructional design and technology. Psychologists and educators were called in to design effective training for potential soldiers. Psychologists designed assessments and subsequent instruction based on attributes that made candidates successful. 

After the war, there was a widespread adoption and application of the most effective media at the time – namely, film, slides, television, and audio. The goal of the instructional design and media was the quick dissemination of information to targeted audience members to train them in very specific skills of war, but after the war, the focus on instruction shifted to civilian needs.

The mid-50s until the 1970s saw a proliferation of various instructional design models ranging from the Programed Instruction Movement of the mid-50s to the mid-60s, the advent of Behavioral Objectives starting in the mid-60s, and the first academic journal - the Journal of Instructional Development - in the 70s.

This period bore the fruit of the ideas about instructional design seeded back during the 40s and early 50s, and an explosion of innumerable theories (and theorists) contributed to the field. Some of the more well-known scholars from this time included Benjamin Bloom and his taxonomy of educational objectives for knowledge-based goals, Robert Gagne and his 9 events of instruction, and Robert Glaser and his notion of Criterion-Referenced Testing.

From this proliferation of ideas came the widespread adoption and professionalization of the field in multiple sectors, including the military, academia, education and the private sector. Moreover, many nations also began using instructional design as a means to address any of their instructional needs.  

The explosive growth of the field may have slowed in the 80s but did not stop by any means. The 1980s is still marked by a growth in adoption across many sectors but a shift had begun away from the Behaviorist theories of Skinner and Pavlov and more towards the emerging theory of Cognitivism. Furthermore, the advent of personal computers inspired designers to turn their attention to creating instruction using this new technology. The 80s were marked by some growing pains - learning how to navigate new technologies and learning theories.

During the 1990s, whereas the focus prior had been on learning objectives, designers started to focus on an emphasis of authentic tasks as markers of successful instruction. These tasks should focus on issues a learner would realistically face on the job. Additionally, the 90s were marked by the rise in a new learning theory - Constructivism. Like with the 80s, instructional designers were learning how to navigate ever more novel technology and learning theories. 

The start of the new millennium ushered in the revolutionary and widespread rise of the internet in the early 2000s and its evolution to the "Web 2.0". During the 00s and 10s, the internet played a vital role in the development of online learning, distance learning, and other web-enabled forms of education. This provided struggles to instructional designers and figuring out the best ways of delivering online instruction. 

During this time (and continuing to the present) the concept of informal learning also became something for instructional designers to consider. With this, the rise of a new learning theory was added to the mix - Connectivism: a learning theory for digital learning. Instructional designers will need to see how the use of social media, smartphones, virtual/augmented reality, and other emerging technologies impact the field of Instructional Design.  

In 15 short weeks, we have covered an immense amount of material and applications of that knowledge. We began with an introduction to the history of the field, the many iterations of the purpose of the field, and the evolution of the field as successive waves of new technology entered our world. We absorbed essential fundamental learning theories and integrated them into hypothetical lessons. We navigated a fascinating maze of academic journals to professionalize us into the field of IDT. We tackled HTML coding and development tools for creating our own websites from scratch and mastered various industry vocabulary necessary to enter the field prepared. We researched industry trends and interviewed professionals. And lastly, we created a website to document our knowledge, and we contemplated and constructed our educational philosophy. 

 I have learned so much about a field that last year I wasn't aware even existed. As a teacher, I knew some of the theoretical approaches, but to apply those theoretical approaches using technology was incredibly rewarding. I felt like I could finally funnel my theoretical knowledge into real-world technical applications. I found coding to be the most challenging and rewarding component of my foundational class. To see my code work, even in its infancy, is very satisfying. 

I am not sure in what direction I want to take my new skills - do I apply them to the classroom, or should I move into the public sector? Despite my uncertainty, I am glad I have options as I once thought teaching in a classroom was the end of my educational journey. I am happily mistaken. I look forward to learning all I can about the field and the future of education via technology. I feel as though the future of education is bright and I have goals towards which I can travel.