What is Instructional Technology?

(text from my final essay for 6100)

Instructional technologists (designers, developers, etc.) are at the forefront of the new information age. They are seeking, developing, and promoting new ways for people to learn and communicate in educational and community settings. Instructional designers wax poetic over the idea of equity and seek solutions to bring all of America's learners to the same technological baseline.

Instructional designers employ design models to create instructional products. These are usually based on some sort of input -> process -> output diagram. A design model, like ADDIE, can serve as a template to produce very specific instructional products. However, models are not one-size-fits-all; processes should be well-fit to best achieve the expected outcome. Models exist for single episodes of learning to the creation of an entire training curriculum.

Instructional designers recognize that there are as many different ways to deliver learning episodes as there are ways for people to gain from them. Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction seek to activate, deliver, and assess learning, as well as encourage learner retention of new information. Bloom's Taxonomy outlines the levels of learning, from simple comprehension of facts to thinking at a higher-order with analysis and synthesis. Additionally, humans learn in a variety of ways. Instruction must be sensitive to the needs of aural, visual, and kinesthetic learners, as well as the culture, beliefs, experiences, personalities, abilities, attitudes, and motivations that make them unique.

Instructional technology has constructivist intents. In a constructivist classroom, knowledge is negotiated between the learner and teacher. The teacher becomes a facilitator or coach in helping the learner achieve new knowledge. Scaffolding is employed to start students on the right path and is slowly removed as they become deeper entrenched in a situation. Furthermore, a constructivist classroom empowers students with the ability to solve problems. Knowledge is connected and accessible as it exists in the world -- not necessarily partitioned into specific and discrete subject areas. There are many different learning theories that can be considered constructivist. Of interest is situated learning, where a learner seeks to become a member of a community of experts. On this path, the learner will use actual tools from the community of practice, participate in simulated situations, and ideally become a practicing expert.

Instructional technology challenges the old guards of education. A competitive, fact-based, industrial classroom may no longer fit in a world of collaborators, problem-solvers, and information services. There is a responsibility that rests on the shoulders of instructional designers to bring new knowledge of technological capabilities to the public. As innovators, it is easy to be burnt by nay-sayers, late-adopters, and the grinding mechanisms of educational bureaucracy.

Instructional design is under rapid fire from the public for ill-fitted solutions to America's educational problems. Assuming that technology means "computer", bureaucrats desire that all schools be technology-equipped. The questions of what to do with computers, who will run them, and who will keep them updated seem to be lost in the shuffle. An instructional designer knows that access to a computer will not better educate America's children, but meaningful content that bolsters a student's sense of accomplishment and a productive role in society will.

Instructional designers argue over the importance of media in education. At best, an instructional designer should choose appropriate media for instructional situations and have the ability to tell a client when a desired delivery is not realistic to the desired outcome.

From a historical perspective, instructional technology is the perpetuation of technological innovation in a classroom setting. This was Thomas Edison predicting the use of moving pictures to be a new educational delivery method. These were housewives learning to cook from Julia Childs in their own kitchens across America. These are students communicating with space station astronauts in an online chat room. This is a child learning how to read with educational software. Instructional technology attempts to bring new innovations to the field of education and find methods that best fit the problems at hand. At the root of said innovation is the ability of humans to communicate with each other. As technology progresses, we become better equipped to communicate at greater distances and lightening fast speeds. The impact of this on education is and can be enormous. Learners can access information that only experts in the field could access as little as ten years ago. If technology (re: computers) were fully embraced, today’s students could get farther faster than ever before.

Instructional technologists are change agents.

Week 14: Reading 1

Kathleen Tyner's description of current issues with technology integration in U.S. classrooms is realistic and honest in The Media Education Elephant. Notable quotes to follow. . .

To sum up all the problems with technology, Tyner puts it best: "Technology education as it is practiced in the United States is clean, convenient and non-controversial--a plus in the traditional U.S. classroom--but too often it misses the opportunity to address the reason these machines were invented in the first place and that is to further human communication."

On self-esteem: "At best, the esteem accrued through media production is a result of completing a project from beginning to end with adults who care. At its worst, the good feeling produced by working in an endeavor that approximates broadcast media simply is a borrowed esteem that defers true empowerment in order to keep students busy in activities that are self-absorbing and that keep them out of trouble in class. True self-esteem that enables students to give back to their communities, grows out of a mastery of skills, but also out of identifying, analyzing and overcoming the daily erosion of human dignity in an unjust society."

On adopting foreign educational models: "There is also a pervasive Yankee disinclination to look critically at U.S. culture, a first step in media education. Although U.S. media educators could learn much from our international colleagues, Americans have typically exhibited a xenophobia about incorporating educational ideas from outside the country."

Week 13: Reading 4

Media Comparison Research

Looks like Joseph Herman McCall has revived ye olde Clark vs. Kozma debate. I propose a Clarke vs. Kozma Instructional Death Match to solve it once and for all! I'm sure if it were to solve anything this would have already been done. . . .

High points of this article: a definition of media, basics of media research, and recaps of media comparison studies.

Week 13: Reading 3

The Attack on ISD is a very interesting article. To me, as an official newcomer to the field, ADDIE serves as a good idea to follow. I can dot my i's and cross my t's and be sure that I'm following an instructional design process. Perhaps as I learn more about instructional design I will be exposed to more models of similar and contrasting natures. As my experience expands, I can make better choices about what models to use, when to adapt them and when to abandon them completely.

At this moment, I think ADDIE is a great model to follow. I've worked as a instructional designer/developer on too many projects without a clue to any process that was or should have been followed. As I learned early in drawing and design: don't break the rules until you know the rules. I'd advocate the same for instructional design.

Week 13: Reading 2

Does computer use at a very young age limit cognitive abilities? Do employers want highly trained computer workers or multifaceted problem solvers?

Week 13: Reading 1

Wow, this is a very alarmist article. What I want to know, is what has become of this notion seven years later? Are faculty still afraid of losing their positions/status because of infringing online/distance education? Is this still a threat, or have we simply absorbed this into our everyday expectations?

Week 12: Reading 2

Storm Clouds on the Digital Education Horizon

Dr. Reeves outlines major issues with digital post-secondary education, such as the time commitment of online faculty and students, assessing student performance, accreditation of non-brick-and-mortar institutions, and lack of diversity in educational research. His ultimate call is for more development research.

Of interest: Time involved in teaching and attending class seems to increase with online delivery, however this may be due to a mismanagement of tasks on an individual basis. Assessment could be more authentic: instead of offering credits based on hours in class, a student would earn merit based on tasks accomplished or experiences gained.

Week 12: Reading 1

Chris Dede presents Six Challenges for Educational Technology which touch on such topics as availability of capable computers for every 2-3 students, affordability of computers and telecommunications, motivating non-tech educators to adopt new tech-based models, proving tech-based models are better, increasing equity, and expected student performance.

Of particular interest was the idea of bringing technology out of the classroom and into the homes of the learners via video game consoles, thus saving school funds and using physical class as a discussion time.

Dede predicts that the following outcomes of learning with technology would prove that tech-based models are better than traditional models: increased learner motivation, advanced topics mastered, students acting as experts do, better outcomes on standardized tests.

He concludes that student performance would exceed our current expectations if students were simply allowed to learn with computers and embrace new knowledge.

Week 11: Reading 3

Interesting article -- I find it incredibly short-sighted to punish schools for the intellectual performance of the children, especially when the punishment is to decrease funding. Unless all schools were at the same baseline at the onset of this educational initiative, it appears that this logic bolsters the success of previously well-established and well-performing schools.

As well, if no child is left behind -- why should children academically ready to move forward be held back (educational opportunities) because of another child? All hail the status quo. How can we expect children trained to jump through educational hoops to become full-fledged, collaborative members of our society?

Week 11: Reading 2

I found this article fascinating. I think it's very accurate as we find our culture on this cusp between the Industrial and Knowledge (Information) Age. Having chosen a career path in the service (of knowledge) industry, I'm torn between excitement for others to learn these same skills and fear of becoming obsolete due to increased competition. I think it is accepted that my generation will be engaged in lifelong learning. Perhaps generational issues are better observed based on the coming of a new age.

It's accurate to portray such a shift in paradigms. Having been educated in "Industrial Age" Classrooms my entire life, by the time I entered the workforce I've found myself operating in a very different environment than my teachers and parents prepared me for. One must quickly adapt and seek their own knowledge -- collaboration is such a big thing that was never encouraged in school. Having studied in Germany, I found their school system to be quite unlike my own. Students were far more responsible for their own learning, while students here seemed more forced into the same path.

I like the author's description of a Knowledge Age classroom. It seems like a more relevant and fun way to learn.

Week 11: Reading 1

Adoption of innovation. . . . There are so many factors involved in one's adopting an innovation -- socio-economic status, ability, education, time, skepticism, risk-taking. I questioned the idea of only upper-class being early adopters (based on money) because it seems that so many poorer people are also embracers of new technology. The explanation of fads and trends clarified this, a low to middle class person may adopt a new innovation because it will give the appearance of being of the upper class. Pretty interesting. Outside of the realm of technology, it seems like fashion really takes to this too.

Personally, I can appreciate this s-curve in relations to cell phones. I've yet to join that band-wagon, and I've been watching the whole thing unfold over the past x years. It's not distrust of the innovation but rejection of what impact the innovation may have on my life. As it stands, not adopting it has impacted my life as pay-phones disappear.

Week 10: Reading 1

A Model to Guide the Integration of the WWW as a Cognitive Tool in K-12

Dr. Reeves introduces this text with an overview of the Carroll model of school learning which has six components comprising a input -> process -> output model: aptitude; opportunity to learn, ability to understand instruction, quality of instruction, and perseverance; and academic achievement. Dr. Reeves then explains a new model to integrate learning with computers via the WWW. Like Carroll's model, the new model is based on input -> process -> outcome. Input being: aptitude and individual differences, cultural habits of mind, and origin and strength of motivation. Processes being: opportunity to construct learning, task ownership, sense of audience, quality and structure of web resources, instructor support, collaborative support, and metacognitive support. Outcomes being: knowledge and skills, robust mental models, and higher order outcomes.

This article disspells the idea of computers being educational lifesavers, advocates learning with computers in well-fitting situations, and encourages educational outcomes to adapt to this changing environ (i.e. allowing computers to handle rote cognitive tasks and allowing students to concentrate on problem-solving not recall).

Week 9: Reading 4

The role of the trainer is evolving as education moves from on-site to on-line delivery methods. Key in this evolution are trainers who are able to select appropriate tools for delivery; define measures to evaluate participation, retention, and success; and accommodate for learners encompassing many different cultures, expectations, and experiences at a global level.

Week 9: Reading 3

So many advances in technology and communications have been made since 1997. While a discrepancy still exists between those who are able to access the web and those who are not, the speed of access and price to obtain it is on a steady decline.

While the idea of distance learning granting a greater "access to learning" is genuinely beneficial -- it is not sufficient. The word "access" should not simply be applied to the learner who can't travel 3 hours to a training site. Printed words on a computer screen do not guarantee any greater access to learning for a student with cognitive disabilities, poor eyesight, or low-literacy skills. However, the integration of different kinds of media can stimulate learning to people of various abilities. Concentrating on engaging different kinds of learners online instead of lecturing from a book is a giant step for learner-centered education.

Week 9: Reading 2

The web is an excellent tool used to gather resources for teaching or to direct learners gathering and producing their own resources. While the web is a living resource (constantly evolving, updating, changing) where some of the newest ideas on a subject may be found, information gathered online is yet to be entirely trusted. This document lists excellent questions to ask when considering the validity and accuracy of an online resource.

It would be interesting to study the opinion of "web trustworthiness" based on generational experiences. For instance, is a child today better equipped to discern between accurate and inaccurate sites than a person first exposed to the web in early adulthood?

Week 9: Reading 1

Before the widespread use of the internet, distance learning consisted of correspondence courses by mail or media like audio, video, radio, or TV. As distance learning moves to a new stage, benefits of the previous media options combined with advantages of the internet can produce a more meaningful learning experience. A sense of community can be added to the distance learning environment as students and teachers can interact more fully in synchronous and asynchronous environments.

Drawbacks to online learning are availability of technological resources (i.e. computer, modems, software, etc.) and impact on preconceived ideas of classroom learning.