If we can't contextualize it,should we teach it?

Constructivists often present their ideas as the solution to most ills in education. Sometimes explicitly, but often implicitly, instructional systems design (ISD) is blamed for these ills. There is some irony to this as ISD advocates often lament the dearth of ISD in education. Be that as it may, ISD does have limitations and there is much to be learned from constructivism. However, is a paradigm switch the answer? This paper will take a different approach as it will indicate how ISD can help those who want to develop constructivist instruction. The ISD procedures involved in task/learning analyses and formative evaluation are presented as particularly beneficial.