Domain of Management

Management is the planning, organizing, coordinating, and supervising of Instructional Technology (Seels and Richey, 1994). In every aspect of instructional technology you will find the need for detailed and precise management. It is a required component from the very beginning of any new development, change, or improvement. Management in instructional technology is a necessary component that ensures that all the domains are working synergistically. It ensures that tasks are accomplished on time, within a budget, and to technical specification (Pinto, 1998).

The instructional technologist must be a manager of an organization, budget and resources, design and development, and personnel (AECT, 2001).

Project Management

Project Management requires instructional technologists to be involved in the planning, monitoring, and controlling instructional design and development projects. Michael Greer’s ID Project Management Model is recommended for instructional design projects. Instructional technologist should only use this model if a thorough front-end analysis conducted shows that there is a need for training and instructional development. It involves three major phases (Greer, 1992): Project Planning, Instructional Development, and Follow Up.

Resource Management

The resource management is more specific to support systems and services. Such services can include supplies, facilities, personnel, and time. It may also include any media that has been developed for the project. Project managers must be able to determine cost effectiveness of any resource needed. Project managers must also know how to motivate and manage the workers to ensure high quality of work is the result. A primary task as a leader is to include a plan to continuously motivate throughout the project. Managers may use situational leadership, which means that leadership is in terms of the amount of direction and of support that the leader distributes (Blanchard and Hersey, 1970). Situational leadership means that managers know exactly when to direct, support, coach, or delegate to the workers.

Delivery System

An instructional technologist must also manage delivery or distribution of instructional materials. Within the delivery system there may be hardware or software issues that require technical support. Choices made concerning delivery systems are dependent upon the resource management details. Advances in technology cause many changes in this area of the management domain. Project managers must be able to consider options and plan for the control of delivery systems ranging from print materials to web conferencing and online media.

Information Management

Information management has its roots in Information Science. It involves more planning, monitoring, and controlling. This sub domain is specific to storage, transfer, or processing of information. Security has become a critical issue with the rapid expansion of information stored on networks. Management of this area is needed in macro level environments that are used to dealing with a large amount of information.

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