When I think about Educational Technology, I feel like it is such a broad term. So let’s start with a definition. “In today’s concept, educational technology can be defined as an abstract concept or as a field of practice” (Mishra, 2009). Mishra’s idea of it being “today’s conception” really stuck out to me (Mishra, 2009). Technology is a quickly changing industry and it’s very difficult to try and say what educational technology is because we don’t know where it is going or where it will be tomorrow. Looking at the goals of educational technology can help with defining it: cost savings, increases in production, improving accessibility, adapting to different learning styles, and more. The impact and reasoning for educational technology, is quite vast. Since we can’t look at what it is today or will be tomorrow, let’s look at the history.
Nicholson states that e-learning goes as far back as the 1960’s. Education, Business, Training and the Military all used computers in some form to support and enhance learning (Nicholson, 2007). There’s other documentation mentioning educational technology going back as far as the 1700’s. “Some early educators recognize that a technology of instruction must consider the development stages of the learner” (Saettler, 2005). In order to implement instruction, the appropriate technology for each stage of learning must be developed (Saettler, 2005). The history and where educational technology comes from, seems quite controversial between educators. I, personally, didn’t think of educational technology going so far back, but that just shows you how vast the definition of educational technology really is.
When I think of educational technology I think of the big box Apple computers that we used in school for typing class. There was a cotton tea towel that was placed over our hands, which were placed on the keyboards and this was to stop us from peaking at the keys. Then we had to type. ASDF JKL;. The lessons continued into sentences and paragraphs. From the time that I started learning on computers to now, about two decades, there has been extreme advancements within technology. With these advancements, education has also developed and grown. It has to adapt with the changes in technology. For example, using screen casting, lesson plans, teaching and communication apps, online homework and textbook options, as well as full office style programming. The changes have been vast in such a short amount of time; it is truly incredible what we now can do with technology. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.
References:
Mishra, S. (2009). Educational technology: A definition with commentary – By Alan Januszewski & Michael
Molenda. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(1), 187–187. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-
8535.2008.00925_4.x
Nicholson P. (2007) A History of E-Learning. In: Fernández-Manjón B., Sánchez-Pérez J.M., Gómez-Pulido J.A.,
Vega-Rodríguez M.A., Bravo-Rodríguez J. (eds) Computers and Education. Springer, Dordrecht
Saettler, L. P. (2005). The evolution of American educational technology. Mahwah, NJ: L. Erlbaum Associates.