What is Instructional Technology, anyway?

Instructional technology can mean many different things, depending on whom you talk to. One of the more famous definitions came from AECT in 1994, defining instructional technology as “the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management and evaluation of processes and resources for learning”.

So, what does this mean?

To me, instructional technology is an art form. It is applying theories and principles, which were all based in extensive research, to the design and development of educational and training materials. Instructional technology is used in many different areas, including public and private school systems, higher education, corporate and government agencies. There will always be students or employees who need some type of training or continuing education, therefore, there will always be a need for instructional technologists and the work we create.

Instructional technology is an emerging field, with connections to many other fields, including information technology and computer programming, graphic design, human performance technology, psychology and many others. I am very excited to be in such a growing field, and look forward to the opportunities that it will bring!