1940

=1940-1959= toc

Overview
Major changes began to take shape in Instructional Design during the 1940's and 1950's due in large part to World War II. The military had a number of educators and psychologists conducting research and creating learning material during this time leading many to call this time period the birth of Instructional Design. The 1940's and 1950's also gave Instructional Design some its main theorists and practitioners. Technology will also continue to be advanced, especially in television media.

World War II
Although World War II slowed the advancement of the Audiovisual Movement in schools, it was greatly increased in the military. Many instructional films and filmstrips were shown to train American military personnel.

Division of Visual Aids for War Training
Between the year of **1941 and 1945**, throughout the U.S. involvment in WWII, the Department of Visual Aids for War Training created hundreds of training films.

Robert Gagné
Robert Gagné was one of the main psychologists involved in improving training materials for the military **during WWII.** His theories and research on learning, instruction, and human behavior continue to be driving force in Instructional Design.

B.F. Skinner
B.F. Skinner published his book "//Science and Human Behavior//" in **1953**, emphasizing the importance of reinforcement in changing human behavior. This form of behaviorism has had major impacts on learning theory in American education.

Television
In **1949**, network television begins to broadcast in the United States. The Federal Communications Commission set aside 242 channels to be used for educational or instructional purposes in **1952**.

Sputnik
In **1957**, the Soviet Union launched the first orbiting satellite, Sputnik, during the Cold War. This sparked a renewed, and largely funded, interest in the fields of science and math education. Through trail and error, this will help lead to the practice of formative and summative evaluation.