Elements of Educational Technology

Below is a link to my brief paper, Elements of Educational Technology. This project was an interesting evaluation of which three of the elements of the definition of educational technology that I think are most important. The definition was produced by the Members of the Definition and Terminology Committee of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), representing a conception that is temporary, a “snapshot in time” (Januszewski, 2008). The definition is stated, Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources. The three elements I will discuss are ethical practice, improving and creating.

Unsurprisingly, what struck me most as I read this chapter, and as I read further in the book, was how nuanced the topic is and how very little I know about much of it. Reading a chapter that lists 14 elements, and each subsequent chapter that details each element in more detail, is the tip of the proverbial iceberg. It makes me want to understand more because it bothers me how little I know about so much of it. A great example is the element of creating. Creating focuses on systems approaches, which naturally spotlights ADDIE. Many of those who hold a doctoral in instructional design devote their lives to studying this one element. It's well understood that such is the way of academia, but reviewing this chapter presented me with a raw reminder of this, and left me very curious to learn and understand more.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wo1LodIkjHaLWW_fjL5AK6NHnv6GrMEnHsOk9cUh3h8/edit?usp=sharing