The field of educational technology as reflected through its definitions

Abstract

... Definitions, however, are arbitrary conveniences--neither true or false--it is the privilege of any theorist to establish his own definitions hopeful that his readers will find them not discordant with their own thinking and of equal convenience.-- Berrien, 1976 [] Definitions are required to give a consistent meaning to a word or term. This consistency provides a common referent that permits a universe of discourse among users and would-be users. A well-defined term facilitates communication. It is shorthand for individuals who share a common meaning.When a field is defined, practitioners gain the benefits of a precise statement about their dayto-day operations. Such definitions help to indicate who is "in" and who is "out." The purpose of such a distinction in a broad field such as education is an aid to relating one area to another. Definitions do not create a field but, rather, help to explain its purposes, functions and roles to those within and those outside the field. This article reviews the major definitions of the field of educational technology from the early 1900s to 1994. It begins with a brief exploration of the field's earliest audiovisual roots and extends to prospects for future definitions. The basic theme is how, over time, the definitions of the field have reflected changes in the field itself.The term, educational technology, is used as a generic descriptor and is intended to include other terms such as instructional technology, educational media, learning technology and other such variants. It is not the purpose of this article to argue for one term over another, as important as such a term might be to establish identity. However, we believe that of the terms

What is educational technology and how is it being used to support teaching and learning in the early years?

“…This broad interpretation of 'educational technology' may have enabled them to focus more on how the technology could be used. 'Educational technology' has been seen as the broadest term and most appropriate when discussing the field as a whole (Reiser and Ely 1997), however, potential problems have been identified with making terms too broad or in discussing 'technology' as a whole. It has been suggested that this could mean that the wide range of activities it can support are less obvious (Burnett 2010), this is not the case here.…”

A history of instructional design and technology: Part I: A history of instructional media

“…Because in spite of the many efforts to clearly define the broad meaning of the latter term (Reiser & Ely, 1997), most individuals outside of the profession, as well as many inside it, when asked to define the term instructional technology mention computers, videos, CDROMs, overhead and slide projectors, and other types of hardware and software typically associated with the term instructional media. In other words, most individuals equate the term instructional technology with the term instructional media.…”

Capitalizing on the Overlap between Instructional Technology and Human Resource Development: A Potential Opportunity

“…Over a period of 40 plus years, multiple formal definitions have been offered. In the 1920s, visual instruction evolved into audiovisual instruction as the advancement of audio technology allowed sound recordings to be integrated with images and illustrations (Reiser & Ely, 1997). The early stages of the field have been attributed to the visual instruction movement and can be dated as far back as the 1600s when Johann Comenius advocated learning through the senses by teaching using "real objects and illustrations" (Reiser, 1987, pp.…”

“…The label ascribed to the field also changed frequently, denoting the core emphases and concerns of the different periods. In the 1950s, the field incorporated communication theories and models and saw itself as the field of audiovisual communication (Reiser & Ely, 1997;Seels, 1995). 12-13).…”