Links to IT Resources...

EDIT 6100 Home Page

Continuing Education Links...

ACHE Home Page
ACHE Professional Development Network

In our first week of Introduction to Instructional Technology, the small group I participated in came up with this definition of Instructional Technology: 

"The use of technological tools and strategies to design a learner-centered educative experience" 

Instructional Technology (IT) is a field of research and practice unlike most academic disciplines because there must be affinity for not one but many instructional environments. These environments are not defined strictly by one criteria -- for example age of student. They can include the home, places of worship, schools, continuing education, corporate training, civic organizations, government, non-profit charities and many others settings.

The field of IT must keep up with constantly changing and new technologies. This requires flexibility, creativity and vision for how learning can unfold. Plus reflection and evaluation are both integral to improving upon past experiences. With the advent of new technology, existing technologies should not be forgotten because they may provide excellent compatibility with diverse instructional settings and the availability, or lack of, resources. Technology itself can include new learning theory. By definition, quality IT professionals must be lifelong learners, lifelong improvers and often self directed.

IT seems quite different from Educational Technology (ET). Both IT and ET are similar in that technology is used to communicate ideas for sharing perspective and facilitating learning. ET, however, functions within prescribed pedagogical environments. For example, there is an art and science to teaching in the K-12 classrooms at government schools. Integrating technology will vary significantly depending upon the stakeholders, content type & complexity and the setting. 

To illustrate this point, the next page contains an example of a non-traditional use of technology:  Little Mr. Firecracker example.

In summary, I believe IT has made its own mark as a discipline born as a result of the computer age. Albeit a large component, computer technology is not the only technological tool that IT utilizes to enhance communication and understanding. From what we know of learning styles, physical and social technology are also important aspects for learning. Rather, IT requires understanding of diverse instructional settings and wisdom to apply appropriate tools to these settings to enhance the learning experience.

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