Educational+and+Instructional+Technology

The terms educational technology and instructional technology may seem interchangable, but they in fact have important important subtle differences, when understood can make the differences to an educator(s) planning and inplementation of instruction. The analysis between educational technology and instruction technology are in fact found at the roots of their definitions.
 * Distinguishing Between Educational Technology and Instruction**

Education is defined as the "activities and resources that support learning" (AECT, 2004, p.1). This refers to all activities and resources both planned and unplanned that contribute to a students' learning regardless of whether the learning is intentional or unintentional. On the other hand, instruction refers to " activites structured by someone other than the learner and oriented toward specific ends"(AECT, 2004,p.1). Instruction is part of the education as a whole but instruction, unlike education, is carefully mapped out in every detail.

Educational technolgy is defined as "the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating using, and managing, appropriate technological processes and resources" (AECT. 2004. p.3).

Instructional Technology is defined as "the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning" (Seels and Richey, 1994, p.1).


 * Contrast the characteristics of educational technology and Instructional technology**


 * < Educational ||< Instructional ||
 * < Teaches about technology as a content area ||< Teaches with technology (uses technology as a tool) ||
 * < Key words: integration and education ||< Key words: learning environments, instructional systems and process ||
 * < Shape curriculum or solve performance ||< Focus more on the development and creating of the learning system that involve some type of technology ||
 * Primary Goal: Technological literacy for everyone || Primary Goal: To enhance the teaching and learning process ||
 * Concerned with the broad spectrum of technology (How humans have designed and innovated the natural world ) || Primarily concerned with the narrow spectrum of information and communication technologies ||

In discussing this problem sceanario with my group members it was agree that is very difficult to differenitate between the two terms. We agreed that if we were to describe a term at this point of our lives it would be a mixture of educational and instructional technology.We feel that we have all tried to incorporate technology into our teachings, but we are not sure that we had the proper theory behind our technology integration. We hope to have a better understanding during this course of how to incorporate technology into the classroom to ensure that it is meaningful.

Sources:

Association for Educational Communications and Technology. (2004). The meaning of educational technology. Retrieved from [|www.indiana.edu/-molepage/Meaning%20of%20ET_4.0pdt] on May 14, 2011.

Dugger, W; & Nalik, N. (2001). Clarifying misconceptions between technology education and education technology. Retrieved from [] on May 14, 2011. This article provides clarification about the purpose and direction of technology education and educational technology as well as standards ised in both educational areas.

Seels, B; & Richey, R. (1994). Retreived from [|www.aect.org./standard/knowlesgebase.html] on May 14, 2011. This site defines the field of instructional technology and also describes each multiple domain of the field.

Technology Education vs. Educational Technology. Retreived from [] on May 14, 2011. This powerPoint slide helps explain the differences betwen technology education and educational technology.