-
500 BCE
The Practical Sophists
Many in education are familiar with Socrates and his influence on teaching and learning, but very few have heard of the Sophist! Made up of five Elders, one of which was actually referred to in Plato's writings. This group of early educators were pioneers of mass education and valued technology more than Socrates did. Technology during this time was considered things made by the hand as well as the mind. -
The Great Comenius
Johann Amos Comenius lived during a tumultuous time when the Thirty Years War was taking place between Protestants and Catholics. Living during crisis can sometimes bring out the best in humans and Johann is no different. He wanted to broaden the focus of education to include scientific research and would go on to have a huge impact on education and the field of educational technology in particular. One of his most influential works was the Orbus Pictus a children's picture book. -
Psychologizing of Education
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi began building experimental schools in 1774 in order to discover the natural order of instruction. His goal was to find the natural way to education others and broke down education into subject areas. Additionally, he utilized a scaffolding methodology to grow in difficulty as the learner progressed. -
The Pony Express
I've included this day because of its importance in delivering courses by mail within the United States. Communication and its ability to get to point A to point B in a quicker pace created the reality of distance education. This form of education heavily relies on educational technology and its practices. -
Can We Just Have a Movie Day?
This is a question that I heard often when I went to school, and this always meant a passive experience where us the students can just hang back and enjoy educational entertainment. At it turns out the first time videos made their debut in American Schools was in 1910. -
Radio GaGa (New Addition)
The Golden Age of the Radio during the 1930's brought this technology inside of many living rooms in American society. Specifically Chester Allen & Charles Wedemeyer piloted correspondence courses which combined both postal service and radio for classes at a distance.
Chester Allen and Charles A. Wedemeyer, “Extending to the People” The Story of Correspondence Study at the University of Wisconsin (Madison: The University of Wisconsin Extension Division, 1957) 26. -
"You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months."
When the United States finally decided to enter World War II, the still young country, faced immense challenges. One of which included training soldiers and a new crop of workforce labor to supply the soldiers in battle. The two dynamic problems presented an experimental need to push the possibilities of learning and many of the great educational psychologist of the time helped fill this void. -
WOI-TV (New Addition)
In 1950 Iowa State University began the world's first educational owned TV station. Beginning a trend for the next few decades of universities offering Tele-Courses to students. This point showcases the next level of evolution for educational technology.
(n.d.). Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://www.tecweb.org/eddevel/telecon/de92.html -
The Science of Learning and the Art of Teaching
In 1954 B.F. Skinner wrote an article entitled the Science of Learning and the Art of Teaching, following a long tradition of educators who desired to structure the process of instruction for optimal results. Viewing learning as the development of a desired behavior, grew a movement of other psychologist who followed in this behaviorist tradition. -
What is the Objective Here?
Working as an instructional designer in higher education, there is no tool utilized or mentioned more often than that of Bloom's Taxonomy. Originally published in 1956 by Benjamin Bloom, and a team of other researchers came up with measurable objectives that were able to classify educational goals. Once again adding a new process of structure that organized education to become more effective. -
More Money, More Problems
The Ford Foundation is a well known philanthropic organization originally created by Henry Ford that gives to a number of causes. One of which is education and in 1963 threw its support towards public television. This investment would go on to produce many beloved children's shows like Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street. As any kid can attest who has watched those shows, learning can occur through a technological medium, when done right. -
Conditions of Learning
As Education became increasingly structured from its early Grecco days, an opportunity emerged to perfect the "system" of instruction. For Robert Gagne this meant connecting the optimal form of instruction for what is to be learned. In his seminal work on the Conditions of Learning, Gagne was able to identify 8 kinds of learning with 9 forms of instruction. -
Theory of Transactional Distance (New Addition)
Realizing the promise of technology and its ability to communicate from a distance, compelled Michael G. Moore to publish the Theory of Transactional Distance originally published in 1972. Michael Moor would go on to pioneer the field of Distance Education which relies heavily on educational technology. (Luis Alvarado)
Moore, M. "Theory of transactional distance." Keegan, D., ed. "Theoretical Principles of Distance Education (1997),
Routledge, pp. 22-38. -
Learning at the Back Door: Reflections on Non-Traditional Learning in the Lifespan (New Addition)
Charles Wedemeyer researches learning as a natural human train that can be renewed continually through life long learning. His seminal work published in 1981, viewed learning in both traditional and non-traditional environments. (Luis Alvarado)
Wedemeyer, C.A. (1981). Learning at the Back Door: Reflections on Non-Traditional Learning in the Lifespan. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. -
Computer Age
This is the year that you can really begin to see a rapid increase in computer specific technology within classrooms. This would go on to open up an entirely new modality of learning, through online classes. Some of these early computers in class provided a foundational experience for an entire generation that would grow up to be consumed by them. -
Human Performance Technology
A term that emerged from educational technology that started within the instructional design/technology movement was Human Performance Technology. The desire became for many industries to leverage technology to help humans perform better. Leaving the possibility of having less human instruction and more technology based interaction to increase learning on the field. In 1995 this subset field became the International Society for Performance Improvement. -
What is Ed Tech?
The 2007 definition of educational technology was as follows (The Latest Update): Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources. -
Culture and Online Learning (New Addition)
Fascinated by the opportunity of distance education Charlotte "Lani" Gunawardena focused her research on instructional technology and will witness the evolution of different technologies in education, Lani became a pioneer of investigating cultural implications within distance learning. Her book published in 2014 provides a good summary. (Luis Alvarado)
Jung, I. & Gunawardena, C. N. (Eds.), (2014). Culture and Online Learning: Global Perspectives and Research Sterling, VA: Stylus.
