42.5 Conclusions

The history of developmental research, in spite of frequent misunderstanding of the concept, nonetheless parallels the past growth of instructional technology, and it is likely that this trend will continue in the future. Findings from past research provide a record of the technological development of the field, as well as a record of the development of the instructional design movement. The impetus for further developmental research undoubtedly will originate from the current concerns of the field at any point in time. For example, presently the field is grappling with ways of reducing design and development cycle time while maintaining quality standards; issues such as these give rise to new research.

The obstacles to disciplinary growth are not typically those of problem identification and definition. Rather, the obstacles are more likely to be created by the daily pressures within education and training environments which prevent us from the systematic construction and testing of solutions to our problems. Developmental research methodologies facilitate the study of new models, tools, and procedures so that we can reliably anticipate their effectiveness and efficiency. In this way, we can determine the relevance of context-specific findings for other teaching and learning environments, as well as identify new general principles of design, development, and evaluation.

The recognition and encouragement of developmental research techniques not only expands the empirical methodologies of the field but also expands the substance of instructional technology research. In this respect, developmental research differs from other research methodologies that are totally process oriented and devoid of content in and of themselves. Consequently, the proliferation of developmental research projects, as well as the subsequent publication and dissemination of their findings (in the same manner as we disseminate other research findings), can be important vehicles in our field's efforts to promote effective design and, in turn, effective learning.