The methodologies and systematic procedures which involve the transfer of instructions to the subject, by means of technology is termed as Instructional Technology. Instructional Technology is different from educational technology, in the sense that the former deals only with learning and different techniques of transferring instructions. The main purpose of using educational technology is to develop overall human capabilities. The e-learning courses and distance education programs of today are the best examples of the effective use of Instructional Technology. The Information Technology sector has contributed a lot to the development of Instructional Technology.
Definition of Instructional Technology
Instructional Technology, as defined by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), is “the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning.”
History
There are many theories behind the origin of the concept of Instructional Technology. Some theories date back to the 1600s, while others to the 1900s. The main reason behind the varying opinions about the origin, are the different bases on which the concept of industrial technology is defined.
Instructional Technology was extensively used by the US military during the World War II. The military made use of the audio and visual technology available at that time, owing to the shortage of skilled labor.
Present Status
Instructional Technology is feared by many faculty members and administrators, as an alternative to human resource. However, the technology is just to aid the efforts of human beings. Thus, the human element will always retain its importance, no matter how developed the technology is. In fact, many e-learning tools facilitate the interaction between students and experts, even if they are geographically distant from each other. Continue reading
