| This dissertation examined the problem-solving activities of instructional designers in two corporate settings. The study looked at the tools and processes that the instructional designers used to reach across organizational boundaries to solve problems with clients from other disciplines working in other areas of their organizations. The intent was to understand how the tools and processes affected the instructional designers' understanding of the problems and the solutions that they proposed. Activity theory and activity systems analysis provided a way to focus on the interactions in the problem-solving activities in a holistic fashion that took into account the complexities in the workplace.;The findings indicated that the tools that were most commonly used during problem-solving activities were the instructional designers' own background and experiences, the background and experiences of the broader practice community, as embedded in standard templates and instructional design processes, and qualitative research techniques, such as interviews and observations. Building strong relationships with the clients resulted in environments that facilitated successful problem-solving. |
