I found your post very interesting. I am currently writing an online course for a university on Workplace Learning. I too am a constructivist learner and participated (in a limited fashion) in the CCK08 course.

I am trying to design my online course so that the students do get to interact with each other (at least) and share their thoughts on the readings and to try and actively involve them in learning the material.

An outline of what my course currently looks like is posted here…
http://jennip.edublogs.org/2009/01/20/a-constructivist-approach/

Note: The course is still under construction and subject to change!

I think a person’s philosophy on education will always affect the way they design – even if it differs from the organization’s philosophy! Deep down you will still be guided by what you consider to be “effective adult learning”. The tricky part is when your philosophies clash with that of your ogranisation..that’s when you start producing work you don’t really feel a connection to..and the quality suffers…

You may want to check out Schaverien’s (2007) work on Generative Theory of learning – she says that when people learn they generate ideas, test them for their value and keep those ideas that survive these tests – and she applies this well in an e-learning environment. Worth a look if you are interested in creating authentic online learning environments.

I agree with you that organizational forces, not the instructional designer’s individual philosophy, have a heavy influence on how learning is designed. I’m using the word “forces” instead of “philosophy” because corporate culture also plays an important role.

The effectiveness of even the best corporate education philosophy is diminished if it is disconnected from the organization’s culture, values, work norms and so on. So, part of the trick is striking and maintaining a good balance between what’s practical and what’s effective.