Beginning research in instructional design

Beginning a research journey into instructional design is a lot more complex than I have anticipated. I had read several articles by researchers or individuals who had completed research as part of their degrees, and many said it can be both "exciting" and "frustrating."  However, I did not anticipate the complexity of the research process or the length of time the research process can consume.

I am currently researching the fundamentals of the research process and everything that it entails, from the meaning of key terms, such as epistemology, axiology, and ontology, to how to use the APA referencing system accurately in my research papers. I had some familiarity with the concepts prior to research and did know how to use APA but not to the level that is required at postgraduate level. This is the "dryest" part of the research process, or so I have heard, and something that is necessary to go through in order to understand the factors that influence the research process and how to do it properly.

From what I surmise so far, research in instructional design will entail looking into the new technologies within the field, and the importance of design thinking when designing instructional materials. There are numerous programs and tools that can be used in instruction, from using Learning Management Systems, such as Blackboard, to using Adobe's Captivate or Illustrator, to create course materials. Although the major tool for producing instructional materials is the computer, there is also the video camera, microphone, and tablet device that I have dabbled with so far to create my learning materials.

As I am still fairly new to the world of instructional design within the adult learning context, there is so much research to be done. I need to understand what issues are there in the field, and how can my research contribute to the field. This would entail, no doubt, speaking to instructional designers who have been in the field for many years. Although I have years of experience of designing instructional materials, I have been mostly confined to the K-12 area.  My experience teaching with a university now has allowed me to use these skills to create some very engaging materials.

The creation of Youtube videos and powerpoints to teach course materials has been met with positive reviews by my students. They say that they are concise, easy to listen to and really make the content of the course easy to understand. I know that this is the key to effective teaching and course design.  The old adage says that if you can explain complex concepts with simple language, you not only know the material really well but you also enable others to understand the content. Therefore, my students reaction to my videos is pleasing and confirms my findings.

As I am moving forward in my research journey my pivotal concern is ensuring that I know what area I am going to research and how it will contribute to the instructional design community. At the moment there are so many ideas bouncing around in my head but I am still vague on whether they are appropriate for vigorous research. There are not only the research factors but also the strategic factors, such as gaining access to instructional designers who are willing to talk about their experiences in the field. I think this will all sort itself out with time, I'm just hoping it does before I get to the stage of writing a research proposal.