Instructional designer's use of theory when designing instruction

Instructional design theories are the foundation upon which instructional design is built. Instructional designers must understand instructional design theory and how it applies to assisting with answering their learning problems. Advancements in technology have grown to be the focus of educational programs as well as titles used for instructional design programs and in job fields. The purpose of this study was to determine if instructional designers are using theory and reasons they choose to apply or not apply theory. This study was quantitative and used members of professional instructional design organizations as participants. Participants were also asked to volunteer for an interview in order to strive to understand the reasons they are using or not using theory. The findings of this study revealed that while the majority of instructional designers are using theory, they are not clear on the differences between instructional design theory, learning theory, and instructional design models. Instructional designers rely on their experiences and instincts to design instruction when time does not allow for theory to be incorporated into their designs. The results of this study may bring attention to the lack of theory being used when instructional designers design instruction as well as the confusion that exists with the terminology in the field of instructional design.