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The rational-technical perspective in educational technology is the belief that we can help solve society’s problems through technology, with technology being a neutral tool. According to Randall Nichols, a rational-technical way of life indicates “an over-extended reason that is distant from affective, tacit, intuitive, contextualized, and discourse or conversation-based processes and forms;” as well as…

Throughout the (albeit short) history of instructional technology, there have been several paradigm shifts.  Timothy Koschmann describes a paradigm as a “compelling set of researchable questions [that] attracts a following of workers intent on pursuing those questions (1996, p. 1).  He continues, a paradigm “supplies its practitioners with a set of topics, tools, methodologies, and…

To address the limitations of traditional instructional design models, instructional designers have been turning to newer alternative methods. During class, we discussed three of these alternative methods: Chaos Theory (You, 1993), Rapid Prototyping (Tripp & Bichelmeyer, 1990), and the R2D2 Model (Willis & Wright, 2000). There are several correlations between these models, but I would…

Tripp and Bichelmeyer argue that rapid prototyping represents a paradigm shift in the nature and purpose of instructional design (40).  They argue that rapid prototyping is more than simply an alternative approach to instructional design, but rather describes how design takes place and how designers can create learning environments.  Tripp and Bichelmeyer identify four assumptions…

This week’s assignment was to analyze various instructional technology associations. We were to identify the specific focus of the organization and its conferences & publications, its mission, the audience it serves; and the needs/problems it addresses. We were to explore AECT, ISTE, AACE, and ISLS. In addition to these four associations, I also explored SITE…

Efficiency. The guiding force that drives progress, success, and growth. The discovery and development of methods to increase efficiency impacted the world in ways never imaginable. The concept of efficiency infiltrates all sectors of life—the fast food industry, manufacturing, communication, design, and education, to name a few. I’m particularly interested in its impact on education…

This week’s assignment was to reflect on the fit between the various philosophies of education and the theories we discussed in class.  To recap, we discussed the philosophies of Perennialism, Essentialism, Progressivism, and Reconstructionism; as well as the following theories: Constructivism, Behaviorism, Communications Theory, and Systems Theory. To begin, I would like to state that…

The term “technology” has a wide variety of definitions. It is broadly defined as “a systematic process of solving problems by scientific means” (Ely). Maloy et al. describe it as the “use of tools and materials by humans to solve problems and manage the environment” (2001, p. 334).  Through our class discussion, we concluded that…