Defining Instructional Technology: Moving from Hardware & Software to Pedagogy and Process

How do professors match learning outcomes to technologies that not only deliver content, but enhance those outcomes?  Although Instructional Technology is often seen as a collection of software and hardware tools to deliver educational content and assess student progress, the term has been steadily evolving to include more than just delivery.  While the Learning Management Systems (LMS), authoring tools, hardware components, and presentation software are crucially important in the educational space, pedagogy and process in the use of these technologies are beginning to gain even more prominence.  It is incumbent on the Educational Technologist to not only be well aware of technologies, but to match technologies with the goals of the instructor and the needs of the students.  Gone is the day when learning outcomes were independent of the technology used to deliver content.  How learners engage with the content, instructor, and each other is vitally important to creating a positive outcome.
In this session, we will discuss Instructional Technology as a process and framework for successfully incorporating technology in the classroom, regardless of modality.  Our conversation will focus primarily on the creative process of aligning technology with educational goals.  In addition, we will discuss the importance of the relationship between the faculty and educational technologists in creating a positive learning environment for students.

Slides: 

Defining Instructional Technology.pdf