Instructional Designers, Scholar or Practice

I just read a fascinating discussion that Cammy Bean and John H. Curry had on the Effective Design blog. They raised a number of great issues about instructional design and how the academic approach to it does not always match the work in practice.

Ahh, how I love when the gap between research and practice becomes so apparent. As a self-described scholar-practitioner in the area of human resource development (an a professional instructional designer), I found their conversation engaging and respectful, while also raising countless issues about the field of ID / ISD:

• should there be professional certification?
• are the certifications already out there not doing their jobs well enough?
• who should decide?
• does Corporate America care?
• what will gap(s) will this type of certification fill?
• who will make money from the certification process?
• how if at all will universities change or even become part of this process?
• is there enough of a market for this?
• is there enough research to actually have a body of knowledge, or is it only best practice?
• is research needed outside of best practice at all?
• how have related fields, such as training, OD, HRD, workplace learning and performance, and what have you addressed this and to what success?

These are just my first thoughts from a conversation that occurred in the recent past. I wonder what can be next to consider with this?