Most of us have been lucky enough to have had at least one great teacher enter our lives who somehow resonates with us and who changes the way that we look at ourselves and the world – awakening us from a sleep we did not know we were in.
Dr. Dillon K. Inouye, who passed away a couple days ago, was that kind of a teacher, mentor, and friend for me – literally changing the course of my life through the things I learned in his classes and from his example. Whenever I had a tough professional or personal question I could go to him and was constantly inspired and uplifted by his insight and perspective.
In honor of this great man, and also good teachers and friends everywhere (regardless of your profession), I wanted to pass on this link. It is to an article Dr. Inouye authored on Indiana University’s IDT Record concerning his perspective and invitation on what the central role of Instructional Design and Technology could be, and I think it also applies to all service oriented professions (as well as life more generally).
“Help: Toward a New Ethics-Centered Paradigm for Instructional Design and Technology”
“How should we define Instructional Design and Technology (IDT)? What is the meaning of our discipline? What is the meaning of our profession? A first step toward answering this question would be to determine which of our many goals and purposes is our central, or ultimate, end. What is our central mission and toward what should our efforts be directed? Until we could agree on a central concern, defining our field would be impossible. An inability to define IDT would be unfortunate, indeed, for no other success could compensate for a discipline’s failure to understand its fundamental nature and reason for existing. “If one does not know to which port one is sailing,” said Seneca, “no wind is favorable (1969).”
This article invites the discipline and its profession to consider a new alternative for the central concern of IDT. To establish a context, it first reviews three traditional centers of concern. It then proposes a fourth alternative so apt and so obvious that it is almost invisible. The article then uses Aristotle’s categories of the rational intellect to highlight the principled differences among the four centers; and finally, it explores some general and specific implications of the shift in focus for the discipline, the profession, and the constituent subfields of both.” http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eidt/articles/documents/ethics.htm
Although my friend and mentor Dr. Inouye is now gone, I know I will continue to learn from and be inspired by the things he has taught me in the many years to come (as well as laugh at the memory of his corny jokes). I’m sure I will also pass on the best things I learned from him to those that I am lucky enough to teach. Perhaps that is at least one mark of a great teacher – which Dillon Inouye truly was.
I was not familiar with Dr Inouye, but in reading his works I wish I had been. Have blogged here. I’m now involved in ICT to support citizen deliberation, so no wonder this strikes a cord with me. Thank your for your very fine post.
You should also mention that Dr. Inouye’s parent were Japanese internees during WWII. Dillon went on to become his class president at Richfield High School (shattering all sorts of ethnic stereotypes), heavily influenced the work of many prominent psychologists at Stanford, and then settled into his role of opening students’ eyes at BYU. He will be missed.
I just got back from Dr. Inouye’s funeral.
It was really beautiful and touching – he definitely lived an inspiring life, full of conviction, wit, genuine love for others, and an unconventional and fresh approach to solving the problems of life.
One sadness I had as I walked away was wishing I would have made it to visit him in the hospital before he passed away. Perhaps it is selfish of me to have wanted to spend some of those moments with him, and I did go to the ICU and wrote him a letter during a period when he was unconscious. But at the same time, I wonder what kinds of deep things he might have been able to teach me in those moments he was awake and in that situation when everything was so rich in meaning. Now I can only wonder about it, and be grateful for my memory of some of the profound thing he did teach me (e.g. laws of exponential growth and learning, invisible barriers to happiness, keys for unlocking human potential, etc). After all, so much of his daily life was rich in meaning, that just being around him had an impact on making me feel more intelligent and like I wanted to be a better person.
It sounds like in those last moments as people visited him, he would perk up and often ask for forgiveness for anything and to express a love and appreciation for them. So much of his life was spent in service, and perhaps that is why he was able to love so deeply.
I definitely didn’t comprehend everything in his classes or conversations with me, as much of it was so deep and frequently went over my head – but the intent behind his teaching and life was unmistakable – most of what he did was out of his passionate search for finding and teaching truth and his deep, sincere care for others.
Hi Clint,
Dillon was my committee chair. I learned about his passing away on Friday. Over the weekend, I cried whenever I thought about him and recalled those times spent with him when I was in the then Instructional Science program. I last saw him in August 2000 when I was in Utah. I have not kept in touch with him but often thought about him. A few months ago, when I learn from the IP&T web site that he was on leave from BYU, I had thought that his failing health might be the reason. Now, I regret not phoning him to find out how he was doing.
I wished I could be at his funeral.(I live in Ottawa, Canada) I am sure it was very inspiring and touching.
Do you know how long was he in the hospital? Did he die from kidney complications?
Like you, I am also one of the many people, whose life was touched by Dillon. I joined the church at BYU 23 years ago. I was there for 10 years, and of all the people I have met, Dillon is the most influential LDS. I will never forget him.
Regards,
Mei
I was sorry to hear of Dillon’s passing. I knew he was sick for many years. My wife donated a kidney to a co-worker a few years ago, and we were thinking of Dillon at that time.
Dillon served on my dissertation committee and guided much of my work as a doctoral student. But his impression was more on my personal life than professional.
I remember visiting the department several years ago and finding Dillon in his office. We visited and caught up a bit. Even at that time he served as a Father Confessor and confidant – never judging but showing compassion and interest in the trials I was going through at the time. Dillon had a kind of wisdom or depth that I think came at least partly through suffering and submission. It may have related to his Asian heritage and his family’s strong values. Whatever it was, I appreciated his gifts and will remember him always.
Avec amour, mon ami.
I was only in the IDT program for a short time, but I loved his classes. I still have a quote of his framed in my home, “What is God, if he’s not an Instructional Designer?” He was an intense man that was maddening at times, but his questions were profound. I learned of his passing only recently while on the BYU Education website.