It follows that the only viable way to make decisions about instructional strategies that meshes with cognitive theory is to do so during instruction using a system that is in constant dialogue with the student and is capable of continuously updating information about the student's progress, attitude, expectations, and so on. The new paradigm of ISD will, I believe, allow for such diversity of means, as well as a diversity of ends, for learners. This user-based approach recognizes the need to put better design tools and knowledge in the hands of those who generally create and deliver the instruction anyway. In order for this to occur, we believe a new paradigm of ISD is needed that will empower the users to play a greater role in designing their instruction than our current conception of ISD allows. This empowerment is particularly critical in the case of teachers.
Teachers are a unique type of clientele for instructional designers.
Teachers also have been empowered, both through formal preparation and classroom practice, to feel a great deal of ownership regarding the instruction they create and deliver. Also, teachers are the ones closest to the learners. Rather than using pre-constructed instructional products, teachers use and create a wide variety of materials that support their own instructional activities. Other than perhaps novice teachers, most teachers tend to take pre-constructed instructional products, deconstruct them, and then use the resulting resources in unique ways during instruction. We propose that in fact we, as a field, have not fully recognized the need to support trainers, and particularly teachers, in designing their own instruction.