Defining Instructional Design

Well, I am going to be quite brave here. I really have no idea what Instructional design entails. I have often heard the term thrown about, but have merely taken it in the context of the rest of the coversation. So it will be very interesting to see how my level of understanding deepens over the course of this subject. But, hey, that is what learning is all about!
So, to define Instructional Design...

Braking it down into its main parts we come up with Instruction and Design. Relating this to education, I would assume that Instructional design pertains to the processes we use to instruct and the way we design these processes in the first place.
I have always linked instructional design to the use of technology, therefore I would say that it also deals with how the design process we use to instruct must constantly be updated, scrutinised and modified to incorporate new advances in technology, the changing environment which learners inhabit and indeed the variable nature of the learner.

Now, I am going to read up on Instructional Design and find out how far off I am!