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Monday, June 1, 2020

Preparing Instructional Objectives - Robert Mager

Photo by Anne from StockSnap
If you’re not sure where you are going, you’re liable to end up some place else. – Robert F Mager

In May 2020, we lost one of the pioneers in the area of improving human performance: Robert (Bob) Frank Mager (June 10, 1923 - May 23, 2020). To us, in the field of instructional design, he is well-known for developing a framework for preparing #instructional objectives. His work on criterion referenced instruction (CRI) continues to influence my own work related to defining occupational standards, developing competencies, designing assessments and recommending Recognition of Prior Learning models.

"The origins of Instructional Design dated back as early as World War II with the need for creating training programs. Mager had firsthand experience with these training regimes. However, he found that they were not meeting the goals that they were set out to meet. From this phenomenon, Mager went about seeking ways to improve training delivery. These experiences led Mager to publish his work in a book later titled, Preparing Instructional Objectives: A Critical Tool in the Development of Effective Instruction." (Wikipedia)

I always recommend his foundational book to people who are new to the instructional design world. 

Preparing instructional objectives by Robert F. Mager.
(Available in Public Domain, Google-digitized).

If you are an instructional design veteran, what book do you recommend to folks new to the field?

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