For the second half of the week I chose three different articles in hopes to familiarize myself with the Instructional Technology field a bit more. I was happy with the articles I chose, "What Field Did You Say You In?"(Reiser), "Theoretical Foundations"(Spector), and "Flexible Learning in a Digital World"(Collis & Moonen).
Since R511 and R711 are my first two IST courses (taking both this fall), I thought it would be good to read Reiser's article to figure out what exactly I got myself into ;) I enjoyed the history of the instructional technology terminology and definitions. Through each definition, you could see the evolvement of not only technology, but also pedagogy practices. Having instructional tech include the 'process' now is an important attribute for learners and educators. One of my biggest questions is, how many more times has the definition of instructional technology changed since this article was written, 15 years ago? I would be interested in comparing the 'recent' definition from the article to our current definition, with all of the tech and media advancements, not to mention pandemic practices, that have changed our instructional systems.
Moving to Spector's article, I was interested in the theories surrounding this field, plus one of our guest speakers mentioned working with Spector, so thought that was a good connection. I really appreciated how this article was set up, and was hooked with one of the first sentences, "a fundamental aspect of educational communications and technology is change." How progressive and ever-evolving! I feel educators often get stuck in ruts, they find something that works for them and never change/adapt/evolve with the times or their students. Something that caught my eye was a section about educational technologists focusing on improving learning and performance, but I couldn't help but wonder about interaction, as well? Sometimes I feel with more tech components, the less interaction and human engagement occurs, so why wouldn't interaction be of focus, too? The closing of the article was a refreshing view of never being done with the ever-changing technologies, processes, research that awaits.
Lastly, I read Collis and Moonen's article about Flexible Learning, which, after I started reading, I realized I did not have a full understanding of to begin with. I really like to concept of Flexible Learning and actually related a lot of it to this course. We have the flexibility for readings, for due dates, for tasks-there is so much choice! It's really nice! As I read through the article, I began thinking of ways I could incorporate Flexible Learning into my own courses, to allow for not only the freedom of choice, but the engagement and experiential learning that comes with it!
Although I didn't necessarily find an over-arching theme across all three articles, I believe they all brought value to the beginning of my IST journey!
Collis, B., & Moonen, J. (2002). Flexible learning in a digital world. Open Learning: The Journal of Open and Distance Learning, 17(2). 217-230.
Reiser, R. A. (2018). What field did you say you were in? Defining and naming our field. In R.A. Reiser & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (4th Ed.), (pp. 1-7). New York, NY: Pearson Education.
Spector, M. (2008). Theoretical foundations. In J. M. Spector, M. D. Merrill, J. V. Merriënboer, & M. P. Driscoll (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (3rd ed.) (pp. 21-28). New York: Taylor & Francis Group.
Hi Rebecca,
I like the different points you touched upon in this post. I am particularly intrigued by your second point about interaction and technology. To me, many of the technology tools were created to enhance existing interaction or to make possible the interactions that were not possible before, but what's important is for us to think about how and when to use them to promote the kind of interaction that improves learning outcome. I am very interested in hearing more about the context you had in mind and how online teaching is done in that context. What are some of the basic components you have observed in the course context where interaction is lacking?
-Renee
Hey Rebecca,
Nice selection of articles! That is a good question you pose regarding how many more times the definition of the IST has changed since the article was written. Especially after the pandemic, I agree with you that there are probably a lot of new terms, practices, and axioms that ought to be included in the newer definitions.
You make a good point about how oftentimes educators may get stuck in a rut and continue to use the same technology over and over. This may be possible until technology ages and new practices are warranted. Actually when I was applying to programs in IST I recall reaching out to IU asking how much technology I would be learning in…
Hi Rebecca,
You raise an excellent question about a current definition, especially in light of how the world has shifted over the last 18+ months. We read some of the same articles and I also really appreciated the shift away from the physical tools themselves and toward process and pedagogy. I think that focus on the purpose and the why is so important.
Your thoughts on interaction brought me to thinking about my own class throughout the pandemic. Since March 2020, we have either been fully virtual or blended. It was fascinating to me, at the end of last year, that MOST of my students preferred the fully virtual sessions to the blended sessions. They loved seeing everyone together …
Rebecca,
It would be interesting to see a new definition written and I wonder if we will see a new definition in the next few years. Furthermore, I am sure that what leaders in the field thought was the definition pre-pandemic is not the same as what they believe now. Technology may be changing too fast for there to be a perfect time to write a definition. By the time a panel determines the new definition, it may become obsolete.
Also, your point about improving interactions intrigues me. I can’t help but wonder if enhancing student interaction in distance learning and online learning is an emerging sector in the IST field. I have to wonder how distance learning and online…
Hi Rebecca,
I have the same curiosity as you about our “current” definition of educational technology after the COVID-19 pandemic practices. As you mentioned in your reflection, Spector maintained that educational technology focuses on improving learning and performance, but since the pandemic, interaction has seems to have become another important factor in the use of these technologies by instructors and learners. It is necessary to interact with others during the learning process because of education as a community (see John Dewey’s “My Pedagogic Creed”). When people are forced to stay at home, they use Zoom or Google Meet to take courses not only in learning and passing the classes, but also in contacting their teachers and classmates, who can help…