As the reader is led on an evolutionary journey of instructional technology in Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology by Reiser and Dempsey, a common theme develops. Each established definition, especially those by formal professional organizations, are greatly influenced by current society. In the first half of the 20th Century, the significant technological developments that influenced society all centered around multimedia. There is the development of sound recording with moving pictures. From there color is introduced to those moving pictures. The early definitions as developed by academia were simply reflections of how technology influenced society.
Moving into the middle to late 20th century, the perspective of instructional technology is greatly influenced by a significant event during that time period: The Space Race. NASA was the leader in technology innovation; they captured the general population’s attention with the wonder and amazement of space travel. NASA has a process-driven system of development, so naturally instructional technology would follow the path blazed by its technological leader.
AECT, Association for Educational Communication and Technology, definitions from 1994 to 2008 reflect the development of society’s Information Age. With such a girth of knowledge available, it becomes essential to view instructional technology from an ethical perspective. Through this ethical lens In the classroom, digital citizenship and facilitation become common buzzwords. The 2008 definition is also the first to include those key words. Even ISTE, the International Society for Technology in Education, in their 2007 Standards Release describes instructional technology in this way:
Effective teachers model and apply the ISTE Standards for Students (Standards•S) as they design, implement, and assess learning experiences to engage students and improve learning; enrich professional practice; and provide positive models for students, colleagues, and the community.
My current job has a significant influence on my perspective of instructional technology. In my school district, I am a Learning Technology Coach. Simply put, I teach teachers how to integrate technology effectively and seamlessly into their curriculum. I eat, breathe, tweet, and sleep instructional technology. By combining technosocietal development with my personal perspective, I define instructional technology in this way:
Instructional technology is the ethical and effective integration of curriculum and tools to enhance learning for the student.
My definition is intentionally vague. Education is 2015 is significantly different than education in 2008, let alone in 1994. Student learning, in and out of the classroom, is more personalized than ever. How many of us have watched YouTube to learn how to do something new? Our learning path has never been more winding so our definition for instructional technology must mirror the societal shift, as it has for the last one hundred years. My definition also chooses not to be specific with technological tools. Yes a tablet or an iPad is a technological tool, but so is a pencil. A tool is any object that allows the user to complete a task more efficiently. Just because you CAN use electronic technology doesn’t mean you SHOULD use it. Finally, I use the terms curriculum and student because industry should model education for effective learning strategies. Curriculum is whatever the learner is trying to learn. We are all students in one form or another, just on different sections of the learning spectrum.
Instructional Design by Don Becker 