Application of an instructional systems design approach by teachers in higher education: individual versus team design

The differential effects of teachers’ individual and collaborative performance on the application of an Instructional Systems Design (ISD) approach were investigated. Forty-two higher education teachers were trained in an ISD approach and subsequently had to apply the approach both individually and as a member of a design team. The main hypothesis that the resulting collaborative designs would be better than individual designs was confirmed for low individual achievers but not for high individual achievers. In addition, a negative relationship between attitude towards the ISD approach and the attitude towards collaborative design was found. The implications of these results for a new role of the teacher as a designer are discussed.