Instructional designers have been charged with “translating principles of learning and instruction into specifi cations for instructional materials and activities” (Smith & Ragan, 1993, p. 12). To achieve this goal, two sets of skills and knowledge are needed. First, the designer must understand the position of the practitio- ner. In this regard, the following questions would be relevant: What are the situational and contextual constraints of the application? What is the degree of individual diff erences among the learners? What form of solu- tions will or will not be accepted by the learners as well as by those actu- ally teaching the materials? Th e designer must have the ability to diagnose and analyze practical learning problems. Just as a doctor cannot pre- scribe an eff ective remedy without a proper diagnosis, the instructional designer cannot properly recommend an eff ective prescriptive solution without an accurate analysis of the instructional problem.