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INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY  DEFINITION

As advancements in technology and media occur, new definitions as to what exactly defines the field of instructional technology continue to emerge. The definition will definitely continue to evolve, as modern methods of teaching and learning are created to accommodate the needs of both students and teachers. Robert A. Reiser and John V. Dempsey summarize the changes throughout the decades as a transition from instructional technology viewed as media to instructional technology viewed as a process. Today, instructional technology seems to be a combination of both, since it is necessary to go through a process in order to guide the development and utilization of certain media to produce effective instruction. The assigned textbook for ETEC 500 also provides many definitions for instructional technology, but the one that I thought truly defined it was the following,

“Instructional Technology is the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning. (p.1)” (Reiser and Dempsey 3).

Out of all the definitions, I believed this explained the concept of instructional technology well, because it is concise, yet it covers many aspects of the process. Practicing design, development, utilization, management and evaluation involves taking into consideration the content, student and instructor. These three key factors in a classroom directly affect the type of technology that will be utilized and how the technology and media will be incorporated to maximize learning. For example, whether or not the students prefer to learn through the use of videos can guide the entire design process in instructional technology. Overall, the above definition is well constructed, however I would add that the main purpose of Instructional Technology is to improve the quality and efficacy of learning and teaching.

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY HISTORY

KEY SCHOLARS

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B.F. Skinner

Reinforcement Theory:

Proposes that behavior can be modified by controlling the consequences that follow the behavior. 

Behavior can be modified through positive and negative reinforcement, punishment and extinction.

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Benjamin Bloom

Bloom's Taxonomy:

A hierarchy of learning objectives, with levels of difficulty. There are three domains of learning, Cognitive, Affective and  Psychomotor. The most commonly used in education is the cognitive domain which includes, knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. It has been revised to remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluation and creating.

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Robert M. Gagné

Nine events of instruction:

  1. Gain attention

  2. Inform of the objective 

  3. Activate prior knowledge

  4. Present the material

  5. Provide learner guidance

  6. Elicit performance

  7. Provide feedback

  8. Assess performance

  9. Retention and Transfer

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Robert Glaser

Instructional Systems:

A 1962 instructional system that consists of five components:

  1. Instructional Goals 

  2. Entering Behavior

  3. Instructional Procedures

  4. Performance Assessments

  5. Research and Development Logistics 

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

In the 21st century the use of the internet grew because everyone wanted to become actively involved. The internet gave many the opportunity to learn anything, anywhere and at any time. Online learning increased in businesses, industries, military, K-12 and higher education, which meant more job opportunities in the IT field. With the existence of the internet, more individuals opted to informal methods of learning. Today a popular informal method is learning from others through social media. I believe social media is part of many aspects of our lives, we are able to share knowledge at the speed of light. It is for this reason that the future of IT field will continue to grow by implementing social media in both online courses and offline courses. Social media is here to facilitate communication, so might as well put it to good use. The internet and social media have already created a world wide connection, so I see the future of the IT field expanding to third world countries, in order to make education accessible in inexpensive ways.

LEARNING THEORIES

Behaviorism

  • Major advocate and contributor was B. F. Skinner

  • Supported the idea of learning that is centered around behavior

  • Behaviorism is based on Skinner's belief that learning can be completely understood, explained, and predicted through observable events. 

  • Observable events refer to the learner's behavior that is shaped by environmental antecedents and consequences.

  • Contributed to the creation of formative evaluation, behavioral objectives and instructional feedback.

Cognitivism

  • Focus on learning as a process, where the mind receives, organizes, stores and retrieves information. 

  • Environment affects learning

  • Cognitivism emphasizes the importance of meaningful learning where learners can create a connection between new knowledge and previously existing knowledge.

  • Learner is actively involved in the learning process 

Constructivism

  • Knowledge is constructed and shaped by the meaning found in experiences 

  • The mind is the source of all meaning

  • Learning does not occur from the external world to the inside of the mind. 

  • Learning occurs from the inside of the mind to the interpretations made of the external world.

  • Knowledge is not acquired it is created

  • Less structure

  • Learner controlled 

MY EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY

At first, after reading the discussion topic I was stumped. I thought to myself, how can I explain my philosophy of education without having any experience as an educator? In an attempt to answer this discussion post, I opted to my personal experience as a student and what I have learned so far in this program of Instructional Technology. As a student, I noticed that the majority of my teachers just taught a lesson and gave us busy work, and only a few of my teachers actually prepared engaging lesson plans with activities. Which is why I believe that people learn best when they are motivated and can connect the material being taught to real life. This is true for any subject, but even more for mathematics, I would always hear classmates complain and ask why they had to bother learning the material if they were never going to use it in real life. In this course we have covered various learning theories that could resolve these type of issues, however, in my opinion one of the best ways to do so is by applying the constructivism approach. This is because constructivism provides a learning environment that is engaging to learners, provides opportunity for collaboration, allows learners to set and regulate goals and gives students a voice by allowing them to reflect. In a constructivism learning environment a student is more involved and hands on, rather than just sitting or sleeping on a desk receiving information from the instructor. I also believe that we reap what we sow, so as a future educator I plan to give the best of me to provide students with a safe, motivational, engaging and overall effective learning experience, in order for my students to succeed. If an educator does not dedicate the time and effort to meet the needs of the students, then the result will most likely be students who lack the motivation and effort to learn.

REFERENCES

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