Assignment 4: Reading: Learning Architect an ITFORUM discussion

I found this discussion interesting although it raised the question of what is meant by learning vs. instruction vs. education.
Also, learning to me seems to be something that can not really be constructed, which seems to be implied in the term "architect".

Assignment 2: Reading: The Field of Educational Technology: Update 2000. A Dozen Frequently Asked Questions. ERIC Digest.

Article Link:
http://www.arches.uga.edu/~noah/ely_article.htm
This "digest" covers 12 fundamental questions (FAQs) relating to the field of educational technology, from the definition of educational technology (theory and practice of all means and mechanisms of learning and the tools which make it possible), the history (World War II, primarily AV media), research findings (Thompson & Jonassen), brief overview of work of an educational technologist (type of work: instructional design, managing learning resources; location of work: schools, training centers, most everywhere), degree requirements and education of educational technologists, and professional interests (organizations, reading material including textbooks) and cited resources.

The terms educational technology and instructional technology are used interchangeably (e.g., the definition cited for educational technology is a definition for instructional technology), although the author points out in the introduction that educational technology has many different definitions.

Each answer is well cited and gives a good brief answer without delving into anything too deeply. However, I am a little surprised that the FAQs were not proofread better.

:)

Assignment 3: Reading: The Proper Way to Become an Instructional Technologist

Article Link: http://it.coe.uga.edu/~lrieber/pdean/

Written as an essay prior to the author's lecture at the 1998 AECT convention, it describes his insights into the Peter Dean Lecture and the contents of that lecture. The Peter Dean Lecture is designed to give a designated speaker the opportunity to give his views on the challenges, future, and vision of Educational Technology.

Motivated by an article he read entitled, "The Proper study of Educational Technology", he began to think of a different question: "What is the proper way to become an instructional technologist?"

The first component he presents (and to a certain extent, disvows) is formal education as a means to becoming an instructional technologist. While he agrees that education is important, he raises the question of the importance of context and applied learning. Presenting his life as just one example of a pathway to instructional technology, he demostrates how context and applied learning fit in with the foundations of instructional technology.

The second method presented as a pathway to instructional technology is that of "computer scientist." Comparing two different carpenters (one pro-technology; one not), he emphasizes the importance of technological tools in instructional technology.

Philosophy and its role within instructional technology are explored as well scientific study and research through physics and mathematics, which finally circles back to formal education.

The author brings these somewhat diverse and competing "pathways" together as theory, research, and practice. How best to prepare students for the real world? In discussing changes in UGA's IT program towards a studio based program , he points out that research remains an issue.

Concluding that there is no ONE way to become an Instructional Technology, the author provides a list of statements which complete a definition for an Instructional Technologist, a list of "suggested" tasks to become an Instructional Technologist, and a list of questions to find out more about those who are Instructional Technologists.

The list of statements posted in "I'm an Instructional Technologist..." gives a much clearer image of what it means to be an Instructional Technologist than a brief definition could; additionally, the various pathways explored provide an insight into the various components which comprise Instructional Technology.

Assignment I: Reaction: Definition of IT (preliminary)

robin's definition of instructional technology (which I wrote on my notepad, during a class exercise): merges the fields of education and technology to better facilitate learning in various environments. Instructional Technology provides multimedia tools and new learning methodologies to achieve better knowledge transfer and fundamental learning.

Welcome...

Hi there. just testing.
the class syllabus is located at http://www.arches.uga.edu/~noah/syllabus.htm