About the Journal

For this special issue, we are interested in presenting current research in applied instructional design methods for utilizing VR, AR, MR, and other immersive technologies to foster authentic learning experiences. We are inviting articles that will provide readers with practical ideas, strategies, methods, and techniques on topics related to designing, implementing, and evaluating instruction using XR for authentic learning experiences. Furthermore, we seek contributions that provide evidence about the efficacy of XR technologies, including the challenges encountered during their application in authentic settings. The articles should inform the study and practice of immersive learning in preschool, K-12, higher education, or work-based contexts. We invite scholar-practitioner perspectives to disseminate and develop new ideas in instructional design. We aim to share expertise, success stories, and lessons learned from failure.

An Association of Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) Publication

The Journal of Applied Instructional Design(JAID) is a refereed online journal that publishes articles at the intersection of instructional design research and practice. From the early days of the field until the mid-1980’s, the theory and practice of instructional design was almost exclusively influenced by the academic community. Yet with the growth of instructional designers in a variety of professional sectors, the theory and practice of the field is now defined by both academics and practitioners. There is a need for greater communication between these groups in a scholarly journal that supports innovation and growth of our knowledge base.

JAID aims to publish innovative scholarship in both traditional and non-traditional formats. Our aim is to help researchers and practitioners start conversations and ask better questions, more than provide definitive and finalized solutions. The journal accepts both quantitative and qualitative reports of research; however, typically we look for articles based on actual design and development as opposed to pure research projects. We also prioritize research that typifies what Yanchar and Faulconer (2011) called "facilitative" reports, meaning that rather than articles that "describe natural phenomena [or] describe what instructional design 'should be like'," we prefer articles that lay out "what design could be like under various circumstances" (p. 26). In a practical sense, this means that rather than simple comparative studies (e.g., comparing a technology intervention with so-called traditional teaching), or experimental/quasi-experimental work, we seek articles that are "tentative, pliable, and open-ended," so they can be "borrowed from, extended, refined, transformed, and used in a variety of distinct ways by practitioners" (p. 28). In addition, we accept theoretical articles, exploratory ideas, speculative futures, provocative manifestos, and other works meant to push our thinking about the intersection of research and practice.

A secondary goal of this journal is to encourage and nurture the development of the reflective practitioner in the field of instructional design. This journal encourages the practitioner as well as collaborations between academics and practitioners as a means of disseminating and developing new ideas in instructional design. The resulting articles inform both the study and practice of instructional design.

Yanchar, S. C., & Faulconer, J. E. (2011). Toward a concept of facilitative theorizing: An alternative to prescriptive and descriptive theory in educational technology.Educational Technology, 51(3), 26–31.

ISSN: 2160-5289

Sponsoring Organization

JAID is a publication of theAssociation for Educational Communications and Technology(AECT).

JAID is an online open-access journal and is offered without cost to users.

Journal Staff

Editorial Board

About AECT

TheAssociation for Educational Communications and Technology(AECT) is a professional association of instructional designers, educators and professionals who provide leadership and advise policy makers in order to sustain a continuous effort to enrich teaching and learning. Seizing opportunities to raise awareness and leverage technology, our members may be found around the world in colleges and universities, in the Armed Forces and industry, in museums, libraries, and hospitals, and in the many places where educational change is underway. Our research and scholarly activity contribute to the knowledge base in the field of Learning. We are on the cutting edge of new developments and innovations in research and application.

AECT is the premier organization for those actively involved in the design of instruction and a systematic approach to learning. We provide an international forum for the exchange and dissemination of ideas for our members and for target audiences. We are the national and international voice for improvement of instruction and the most recognized association of information concerning a wide range of instructional and educational technology. We have 24 state and six International Affiliates all passionate about finding better ways to help people learn.

Since 1923, AECT has been the professional home for this field of interest and has continuously maintained a central position in the field, promoting high standards, in both scholarship and practice with nine Divisions and a Graduate Student Assembly that represent the breadth and depth of the field. Other journals sponsored by AECT includeEducational Technology Research and DevelopmentandTechTrends.