10 Emerging Educational Technologies & How

They Are Being Used Across the Globe

1. Cloud Computing (12 Months or Less)

In 2011, cloud computing was listed in the 12-month-or-less category of the report, primarily because of
the way it had become an essential part of collaboration in both schools and the workplace. This year,
the placement of cloud computing on the near-term horizon for a second time underscores the fact that
the impact of this technology continues to unfold in new and expanding ways.
Language: The cloud-based Brazilian Electronic Learning Organizer helps language teachers produce
and share digital learning objects and activities for their students. The learning objects are created by the
teacher or assembled from a resource repository created by other teachers in the network.
Science: California State University Northridge launched the Computer Supported Collaborative Science
initiative to help science teachers in high-need Los Angeles-area schools to engage students in authentic
research experiences through the use of cloud-based tools.
Social Studies: Powered by cloud computing, the Global Curriculum Project allows students to
participate in a virtual exchange program with school across five different countries. Students select and
explore their own topics, including cuisine and ambitions.

2. Mobile Learning (12 Months or Less)

By the end of this year, the mobile market is expected to consist of over 7 billion accounts (equating to
about 3.4 billion users, or one in every two people on the planet); mobile traffic on the Internet is
expected to surpass desktop traffic; and mobile users will have downloaded 70 billion apps across
smartphones and tablets. Educational apps are the second-most downloaded in iTunes of all categories,
surpassing both entertainment and business apps in popularity.
Mathematics: Year four students at St. Leonard’s College, a primary school in Australia, are using
tablets loaded with math apps and e-textbooks to access information, receive instruction, record
measurements, and conduct research.
Music: Students at Institut International de Lancy in Switzerland use their tablets to create music in the
school’s first iPad Orchestra. The iPads have provided opportunities for students with little to no training
to create their own music with classmates.
Storytelling: Ringwood North Primary School in Australia participated in “The Epic Citadel Challenge,”
wherein students and teachers collaborated to write a digital story based on the Epic Citadel environment
and turn it into an app accessible via iOS mobile devices.

3. Tablet Computing (12 Months or Less)

It is so easy for students to carry tablets from class to class, using them to seamlessly access textbook
and other course material as needed, that schools and universities are rethinking the need for computer
labs or even personal laptops. A student’s choice of apps makes it easy to build a personalized learning
environment, with all the resources and tools they need on a single device. With their growing number of
features, tablets give traction to other educational technologies— from facilitating the real-time data
mining needed to support learning analytics to offering a plethora of game-based learning apps.
Art: At Plymouth University in the UK, students working toward their Illustration degree are using
iPads with an illustration app called Brushes to produce drawings that can be played back as video. This
activity is encouraging reflection and discussion on the drawing process and enabling students to contrast
techniques and highlight and correct any bad habits.
Science: Students at Redlands College in Australia are using tablets to collect and share data on
indigenous rocks; geology majors at the College of Wooster in Ohio are using them to take and annotate
photos of Icelandic terrain; and instructors at Yale University are sharing images from their digital
microscopes with students’ iPads through mobile apps so that they can annotate and capture images for
future use.
Journalism: Professor Messner at Virginia Commonwealth University secured iPads for his students so
they could create multimedia news stories from happenings on campus and in the surrounding
community. The students learned the importance of social media in journalism and found the iPad useful
for gathering news and sources.
Special Needs: Vanderbilt University graduate students are designing an Android app that enables
visually impaired students to learn math. Using haptic technology integrated into new touchscreen
devices, the vibrations and audio feedback help students feel and hear shapes and diagrams.

4. MOOCs (12 Months or Less)

A number of respected thought leaders believe that the current MOOC model has deviated significantly
from the initial premise outlined by George Siemens and Stephen Downes in 2008, emphasizing lecture
over connectivity, but either way, educators across the globe are doing some amazing things with
MOOCs. The hope is that they will eventually strike a balance between automating the assessment
process while delivering personalized, authentic learning opportunities.
Music: This spring, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the Purdue University
Department of Music and Arts Technology began offering their first MOOC, “Music for the Listener” that
can be converted into credit. The learning environment is being delivered through Course Networking,
with full translation features, rich media, and social networking tools.
Physics: An MOOC called “Landmarks in Physics,” pioneered by an MIT graduate and delivered through
Udacity, takes students on a virtual tour through Italy, the Netherlands, and England while explaining the
basic concepts of physics at the sites of important discoveries in world history.
Writing: Ohio State University has partnered with Coursera to create a course that engages participants
as writers, reviewers, and editors in a series of interactive reading, composition, and research activities
with assignments designed to help them become more efficient consumers and producers of alphabetic,
visual, and multimodal texts.

5. Open Content (2-3 Years)

While open content has been available for a long time, the topic has received increased attention in
recent years. The use of open content promotes a skill set that is critical in maintaining currency in any
area of study—the ability to find, evaluate, and put new information to use. The same cannot be said for
many textbooks, which can be cumbersome, slow to update, and particularly costly for K-12 schools.
More educators are tapping into the wealth of content within open repositories and familiarizing
themselves with the Creative Commons protocol.
History: Learn NC is a program developed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of
Education to make resources and best practices in K-12 freely and widely available. Their digital textbook
for eighth grade history contains a collection of primary sources, readings, and multimedia that can be
searched and rearranged.
Mathematics: Arizona instructor James Sousa, who has been teaching math for 15 years at both the
community college and K-12 levels, developed more than 2,600 video tutorials on topics from arithmetic
to calculus, all of which are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution.
Science: A partnership between Bringham Young University’s David Wiley and the Hewlett Foundation
sparked a project in which teachers from 18 districts and four charter schools across Utah pulled together
science resources to create free digital textbooks.
6. Learning Analytics (2-3 Years)
While analyzing student data is not a new practice, the field of learning analytics has only rece
ntly gained wide support among data scientists and education professionals. In the coming years, as learni
ng analytics platforms become increasingly complex and effective, outcomes of learning analytics will ha
ve a significant impact on the evolution and refineme
Mathematics: Developed by a group of educators, programmers, and data scientists, Mathspace is an
online program that meets the demands of the NSW syllabus and Australian National Curriculum for
students aged seven to ten. The platform monitors how students reason through math problems and
provides personalized feedback as well as analytics reports for teachers.
Reading: Kno, an e-textbook company, launched the “Kno Me” tool, which provides students with
insights into their study habits and behaviors while using e-textbooks. Students can also better pace
themselves by looking at data that shows them how much time they spent working through specific
texts, and where they are in relation to their goals.
Writing: The University of North Carolina Greensboro uses the Mobius Social Learning Information
Platformto create intensive writing courses which facilitate anonymous, peer-to-peer feedback and
grading. When students submit an essay, it is automatically distributed to the rest of their randomly
chosen peer group, and an algorithm turns their feedback into statistics and performance reports.
Special Education: Constant Therapy is a mobile platform that leverages data analytics and mobile
technology to provide personalized therapy for people with cognitive, language, communication, and
learning disorders. With 15 years’ worth of content developed by Boston University, Constant Therapy’s
lessons adapt to meet the needs of learners while allowing language educators to monitor their progress
via an analytics dashboard.

7. Games and Gamification (2-3 Years)

Game play has traversed the realm of recreation and infiltrated commerce, productivity, and education,
proving to be a useful training and motivation tool. Referred to as “Game-Based Learning” in previous
NMC Horizon reports, this field of practice has expanded far beyond integrating digital and online games
into the curriculum. The updated category title reflects the perspective that while games are effective
tools for scaffolding concepts and simulating real world experiences, it should also include the larger
canvas of gamer culture and game design.
Architecture: SimArchitect is a simulation game and social connection site for architects developed by
IBM Center for Advanced Learning. Players are issued a request for proposal by a fictitious client and
must respond, conducting meetings with the client and team and then proposing a solution. IBM created
a performance scorecard that evaluates the player’s communication, architectural methods, and more.
History: The Historical Williamsburg Living Narrative project at the University of Florida is an effort to
create an interactive fictional game in which the geography, culture, and characters of Colonial
Williamsburg, Virginia will be brought to life. Functional maps show the early architecture of the
buildings, and interactive scenarios with characters like George Washington and Patrick Henry allow
students to participate in discussions of the times.
Nursing: The University of Minnesota’s School of Nursing has partnered with the Minnesota Hospital
Association and the technology firm, VitalSims, to develop web-based interactive games that engage
nursing students with real-life scenarios. With initial versions of the game already completed, health care
educators are expecting to launch these digital learning tools later in 2013.

8. 3D Printing (4-5 Years)

While 3D printing is four to five years away from widespread adoption in schools, it is easy to pinpoint
the practical applications that will take hold. Geology and anthropology students, for instance, can make
and interact with models of fossils and other artifacts, and organic chemistry students can print out
models of complex proteins and other molecules through rapid prototyping and production tools. Even
more compelling are institutions that are using 3D technology to develop brand new tools.
Archaeology: Harvard University’s Semitic Museum uses 3D printing technology to restore damaged
artifacts from its collection. For example, by 3D scanning existing fragments of an Egyptian lion’s legs,
researchers can create computer models that will be used to print a scale foam replica of the complete
structure, even though it was originally missing its body and head.
Astronomy: In an effort to engage inner-city students in STEM-related fields, Minnesota non-
profit STARBASE has created an aerospace-themed curriculum where students plan a mission to Mars. A
highlight of the project is the use of 3D printing technology to create a working rocket that students
launch on the final day of the program.
Business: In early 2013, Darwin High School in Australia initiated a project intended to expose students
to micro-business concepts through product development and workflow analysis. Using 3D printers,
students rapidly prototype ideas, explore product design, and learn how to market their goods.
Computer Science: Students at Glacier Peak High School in Washington can receive college credit for
taking computer-aided design classes featuring the incorporation of 3D printers for rapid prototype
development. The courses include modeling and design, tolerance specification, documentation drawing,
and assembly modeling.

9. Virtual and Remote Laboratories (4-5 Years)

Virtual and remote laboratories reflect the current trend in K-12 education toward more authentic online
education. Though technology is four to five years away from mainstream use in schools, the benefits of
implementation are already clear. Virtual and remote labs offer flexibility, as students can run
experiments as many times as they like, both in and out of school. Because these labs are designed to
allow for easy repetition of experiments, students feel less pressure to execute perfectly the first time. In
the controlled environments of these labs, students are safe, even if they make an error.
Chemistry: Dr. David Yaron, Associate Professor Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University,
developed ChemCollective, a project of the National Science Digital Library, to create flexible interactive
learning environments in which high school students can approach chemistry more like practicing
scientists.
Marine Biology: In Lysekil, Sweden, high school students use virtual tools to explore the marine
environment of Gullmar Fjord on the Swedish west coast, learning in the process how scientific
knowledge is created. The students use a virtual ocean acidification laboratory to conduct studies on the
acidification of the marine environment.
Mathematics: High School students in North Carolina are using Geometer’s Sketchpad to understand
how theorems are developed. The software is accessed through North Carolina State University’s virtual
computing lab, a cloud-based learning environment with an interactive online community where teachers
share tips on the software used as well as the projects undertaken.

10. Wearable Technology (4-5 Years)

Perhaps the least educationally applicable but most complex technology of the NMC report is wearable
technology. Google’s “Project Glass” is one of the most talked-about current examples. One of the most
promising potential outcomes of wearable technology in higher education is productivity: tools that could
automatically send information via text, e-mail, and social networks on behalf of the user—based on
voice commands, gestures, and other indicators— that would help students and educators communicate
with one another, keep track of updates, and better organize notifications.
Chemistry: A team from the Centre for Sensor Web Technologies at Dublin City University is building a
wearable sensor that detects hazardous gases and immediately alerts the user of these conditions.
Geology: Wearable cameras like Memoto, a tiny GPS-enabled camera that clips to a user’s shirt collar or
button and takes two five-megapixel shots per minute, could benefit geologists or archaeologists in the
field, capturing hundreds of photographs or data about a user’s surroundings on an offsite dig which can
later be accessed via e-mail or social media.
Neuroscience: A new brain-sensing headband called Muse displays a user’s brain activity directly onto
their smartphone or tablet, in effect making it possible to control actions with one’s thoughts and to
collect data about the brain’s reaction to various stimuli.
Note: Passages of the original report were repurposed here with express permission from the
authors. image credit:  Scott McLeod  Previously posted on informED

Educational technology

Educational technology, sometimes shortened to EduTech or EdTech, is a wide field. Therefore,

one can find many definitions, some of which are conflicting. Educational technology as an academic
field can be considered either as a design science or as a collection of different research interests
addressing fundamental issues of learning, teaching and social organization. Educational technology
as practice refers to any form of teaching and learning that makes use of technology. Nevertheless,
there are a few features on which most researchers and practitioners might agree:

1. Use of technology is principled: Technology means the systematic application of scientific

knowledge to practical tasks. Therefore, educational technology is based on theoretical
knowledge drawn from different disciplines (communication, education, psychology,
sociology, philosophy, artificial intelligence, computer science, etc.) plus experiential
knowledge drawn from educational practice.
2. Educational technology aims to improve education. Technology should facilitate learning
processes and increase performance of the educational system(s) as it regards to
effectiveness and/or efficiency.
In this short introduction we will try to give a preliminary definition of the field.

1.1 Other definitions
Educational technology is a very wide field. Therefore one can find many definitions, some of
which are conflicting.

 Technology means the systematic application of scientific or other organized knowledge to

practical task. Therefore, educational technology is based on theoretical knowledge from
different disciplines (communication, psychology, sociology, philosophy, artificial intelligence,
computer science, etc.) plus experiential knowledge from educational practise (Natalie
Descryver)

 Educational technology is the use of technology to improve education. It is a systematic,

iterative process for designing instruction or training used to improve performance. Educational
technology is sometimes also known as instructional technology or learning technology.
(Wikipedia:Educational_technology)

 The study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating,
using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources. ([1])

 A definition centered on its process: "A complex, integrated process involving people,
procedures, ideas, devices, and organization, for analyzing problems, and devising,
implementing, evaluating and managing solutions to those problems, involved in all aspects of
human learning" ([2])
 "One definition of Educational Technology is that it is a systematic, iterative process for
designing instruction or training used to improve performance" (Encyclopedia of Educational
Technology)

 Lachance et al. (1980:183) also focus on the the process idea: la technologie éducative en
tant que processus systématique intégrant les diverses fonctions du processus éducatif. Elle
vise, d'une part, à analyser des problèmes reliés à l'enseignement et/ou à l'apprentissage et,
d'autre part, à élaborer, implanter et évaluer des solutions à ces problèmes par le
développement et l'exploitation des ressources éducatives (cited by Lapointe, 1991).

 Educational Technology (Information Technology) according to International Technology

Education Association

1. Teaches with technology (uses technology as a tool)

2. Primarily concerned with the narrow spectrum of information and communication
technologies
3. Primary goal: To enhance the teaching and learning process
Terminology issue: Educational technology is a field. A educational technology refers to a
technology that is particularly suited for education plus its usage/range of applications maybe. See
the educational technologies article and the category educational technologies.
See also: Instructional technology and elearning which sometimes are used as a synonym,s
sometimes not.

2 Goals of Educational Technology

Educational technology research always had an ambitious agenda. Sometimes it only aims at
increased efficiency or effectiveness of current practise, but frequently it aims at pedagogical
change. While it can be considered as a design science it also addresses fundamental issues of
learning, teaching and social organization and therefore makes use of the full range of modern social
science and life sciences methodology.
"Technology provides us with powerful tools to try out different designs, so that instead of theories of
education, we may begin to develop a science of education. But it cannot be an analytic science like
physics or psychology; rather it must be a design science more like aeronautics or artificial
intelligence. For example, in aeronautics the goal is to elucidate how different designs contribute to
lift, drag maneuverability, etc. Similarly, a design science of education must determine how different
designs of learning environments contribute to learning, cooperation, motivation, etc." (Collins,
1992:24).

Technology is therefore both a tool and a catalyzer and it can become a medium through which
change can happen.
Educational technologists would not therefore consider the computer as just another piece of
equipment. If educational technology is concerned with thinking carefully about teaching and
learning, then a computer has a contribution to make irrespective of its use as a means of
implementation, for the design of computer-based learningenvironments gives us a new perspective
on the nature of teaching and learning and indeed on general educational objectives. (O'Shea and
Self: 1983: 59).
3 What is it about ?
Defining the field is both simple (e.g., see the definitions at the top) and difficult. There are a several
perspectives.

3.1 From an instructional design perspective

Besides being a field of research, Educational Technology is synonymous for { Pedagogy,
Learning, Instructional design, etc.} with technology and therefore also an engineering discipline,
a design science or an craft (whatever you prefer).
In order to define educational technology we may ask ourselves what constitutes an instructional
design and what disciplines look at these constituents.

Even from a pure "engineering perspective," it doesn't make much sense to talk about Educational
Technology just in terms of Instructional design models or instructional design methods. An
instructional designer also feels concerned by more fundamental disciplines like general learning
theory or pedagogical theory. These theories provide interesting insights on issues like the relation
between learning type or learning level and appropriate pedagogic strategy, how affect and
motivation may influence the learning process, what multimedia design can learn from theories
on human information processing or cognitive load, why metacognition and collaborative learning is
important etc.

3.2 From a design-research oriented perspective

More design-oriented educational technologists rather look a cross-section of several phenomena,
i.e., they adopt an interdisciplinary approach that will ultimately lead to better pedagogical designs in
a given area.
Owen (2008) identifies three key pedagogical facts that "organise" the ICT-enhanced pedagogical
landscape.
3.4 From an institutional perspective
A field is implicitly defined by journals, conferences and study programs.
The Journal of Interactive Learning Research published by the association for the Advancement of
Computing in Education included on March 2006 the following enumeration of interactive learning
environments that gives an idea on the technical scope of the field.

 authoring systems
 cognitive tools for learning
 computer-assisted language learning
 computer-based assessment systems
 computer-based training
 computer-mediated communications
 computer-supported collaborative learning
 distributed learning environments
 electronic performance support systems
 interactive learning environments
 interactive multimedia systems
 interactive simulations and games
 intelligent agents on the Internet
 intelligent tutoring systems
 microworlds
 virtual reality based learning systems
Note: Main-stream e-learning is a special case of computer-based training and computer-mediated
communication. It also may include other elements like passive or interactive multimedia animations.

3.5 From a technology perspective

Each time a new technology appears soon after it may be hailed as a new solution to education by
both researchers and practitioners. Therefore, one also could argue that fundamentally speaking,
educational technology research and practice is technology driven (although not many members of
the community would accept this stance). E.g., see Daniel Chandler's Technological or Media
Determinism discussion.

3.6 From a media selection perspective

According to Bates there is no adequate instructional design method or model for selecting media.
However, he does recommend a method that will structure the selection process:
“A review of more recent publications on media selection suggests that despite the rapid
developments in media and technology over the last 20 years, my ACTIONS model (Bates, 1995) is
one of the major models still being applied, although with further amendments and additions (see for
instance, Baytak, undated; Lambert and Williams, 1999; Koumi, 2006). Indeed, I myself modified the
ACTIONS model, which was developed for distance education, to the SECTIONS model to cover the
use of media in campus-based as well as distance education (Bates and Poole, 2003).” (Bates,
2015:chapter 8.1) SECTIONS stands for:

 Students
 Ease of use
 Cost
 Teaching functions, including pedagogical affordances of media
 Interaction
 Organizational issues
 Networking
 Security and privacy

3.7 From a "where is it used perspective"

 Distance education
 Blended learning
 Technology-enhanced classrooms (at all school levels)
 Informal learning (of various sorts)
Note: e-learning often refers to technology or designs used in distance teaching, but it also is used to
describe any sort of technology use in education. Now that most e-learning initiatives in public higher
education turned out to deliver less than what was promised, e-learning is no longer a hype word
and its use seems again to become more restricted.

4 A short history

Educational technology in way could be traced back to the emergence of very early tools, e.g.,
paintings on cave walls. But usually its history is made to start with educational film (1900's) or
Sidney Pressey's mechanical teaching machines in the 1920'.
First large scale usage of new technologies can be traced to US WWII training of soldiers through
training films and other mediated materials. Today, presentation-based technology, based on the
idea that people can learn contents trough aural and visual reception, exists in many forms, e.g.,
streaming audio and video, PowerPoint presentations + voice-over. Another interesting invention of
the 1940's was hypertext, i.e., V. Bush's memex.
The 1950's led to two major still popular designs. Skinners work led to "programmed instruction"
focusing on the formulation of behavioral objectives, breaking instructional content into small units
and rewarding correct responses early and often. Advocating a mastery approach to learning based
on his taxonomy of intellectual behaviors, Bloom endorsed instructional techniques that varied both
instruction and time according to learner requirements. Models based on these designs were usually
referred to as computer-based training" (CBT), Computer-aided instruction or computer-assisted
instruction (CAI) in the 1970's through the 1990's. In a more simplified form they correspond to
today's "e-contents" that often form the core of "e-learning" set-ups, sometimes also referred to
as web-based training (WBT) or e-instruction. The course designer divides learning contents into
smaller chunks of text augmented with graphics and multimedia presentation. Frequent Multiple
Choice questions with immediate feedback are added for self-assessment and guidance. Such e-
contents can rely on standards defined by IMS, ADL/Scorm and IEEE.
The 1980's and 1990's produced a variety of schools that can be put under the umbrella of the
label Computer-based learning (CBL). Frequently based on constructivist and cognitivist learning
theories, these environments focused on teaching both abstract and domain-specific problem
solving. Preferred technologies were micro-worlds (computer environments were learners could
explore and build), simulations (computer environments where learner can play with parameters of
dynamic systems) and hypertext.
Digitized communication and networking in education started in the mid 80s and became popular by
the mid-90's, in particular through the World-Wide Web (WWW), eMail and Forums. There is a
difference between two major forms of online learning. The earlier type, based on either Computer
Based Training (CBT) or Computer-based learning (CBL), focused on the interaction between the
student and computer drills plus tutorials on one hand or micro-worlds and simulations on the other.
Both can be delivered today over the WWW. Today, the prevailing paradigm in the regular school
system is Computer-mediated communication (CMC), where the primary form of interaction is
between students and instructors, mediated by the computer. CBT/CBL usually means individualized
(self-study) learning, while CMC involves teacher/tutor facilitation and requires scenarization of
flexible learning activities. In addition, modern ICT provides education with tools for sustaining
learning communities and associated knowledge management tasks. It also provides tools for
student and curriculum management.
In addition to classroom enhancement, learning technologies also play a major role in full-time
distance teaching. While most quality offers still rely on paper, videos and occasional CBT/CBL
materials, there is increased use of e-tutoring through forums, instant messaging, video-
conferencing etc. Courses addressed to smaller groups frequently use blended or hybrid designs
that mix presence courses (usually in the beginning and at the end of a module) with distance
activities and use various pedagogical styles (e.g., drill & practise, exercises, projects, etc.).
The 2000's emergence of multiple mobile and ubiquitous technologies gave a new impulse to
situated learning theories favoring learning-in-context scenarios. Some literature uses the concept
of integrated learning to describe blended learning scenarios that integrate both school and
authentic (e.g., workplace) settings.
The 2010's include MOOCs, a consolidation of rapid elearning in business, a return of a type
of simulations through serious gaming and a technical trend towards delivery with HTML5 (as
opposed to proprietary solutions).
See also the very completeHistory of virtual learning environments.
5 Families of Educational Technologies from a conceptual perspective
Today we are facing a wide range of pedagogical strategies and available technologies.
Classification schemes taking into account both dimensions can become very complex, e.g. Joyce
(2000) or Reeves & Reeves (1998). We will present both simple and more complex attempts but
also take into account that pedagogical designs and technologies can be combined in certain ways,
e.g., one can integrate activity-oriented courseware like a simulation within an content-oriented LMS.
See also: the educational technologies article for a technology-centered overview.

5.1 Content vs. communication

We distinguish between two big families: (1) content or courseware oriented and (2)
communication/activity oriented. This typology reflects 2 fundamentally different stances that can be
found as well in research and practice.

1. Courseware oriented
1. Contents with low interactivity: computer-based training (CBT), web-based
training (WBT), Multimedia, main-stream E-learning including Learning technology
systems like LMSs.
2. Activity oriented: Computer-based learning, Microworlds, Simulations, Hypertext,
(some) CSCL, Intelligent tutoring systems
2. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) oriented
1. Activity-based and community oriented: C3MS (Community portals), Wikis where
students write, social networking platforms, etc.
2. Activity-based: LMSs like Moodle, Groupware,
3. Cognitive tools: (some) CSCL, e.g., Writing-to-learn tools like Knowledge forum
4. Communication tools (often combined with others): Instant
messaging, Forums, Videoconferencing
This distinction is similar to Schulmeister's e-learning types A and B.

5.2 According to learning types

Baumgartner & Kalz (2004) distinguished three major teaching forms. This framework was then used
to evaluate functionality of technology. It also can be be used to categorize current on-line teaching
practice.
Table 1: Three major forms of pedagogies and associated technologies (adapted from Baumgartner
& Kalz, 2004).
Dominant Transfer (teaching Coaching
Tutoring (teaching II)
Strategy I) (teaching III)
Knowledg Factual knowledge, Procedural knowledge, "know-how", Social practice,
e type "know-that" problem solving, concepts "knowing in action"
Transfer of Action in (complex
Aims of
propositional Presentation of predetermined problems and social)
Teaching
knowledge situations
Learning to know, to
to do, to practice, to argue to cope, to master
goal remember
Realization of
Assessme Production of correct
Selection of correct methods and its use adequate action
nt answers
strategies
Learning
Verbal knowledge, Social
content Skill, Ability
Memorization Responsibility
type
Teaching
and
learning to cooperate, to
to teach, to explain to observe, to help, to demonstrate
strategies support
and
activities
e-instruction using le
arning management
Computer-based E-Coaching using
systems (LMS)
learning: simulations, microworlds, intelli Collaborative Cont
or learning content
gent tutoring systems ent management
management
systems (Portals, 
systems (LCMS).
Wikis, etc.),
Preferred Also referred to e-tutoring combined with e-
collaborative
technologi as web-based instructionusing LMSs 
mobile
es training (WBT). computer-supported collaborative
technology, Cogniti
learning (CSCL) 
ve tools such as
Multimedia presentat e-moderation: forums, weblogs, groupwa Knowledge
ions  re including conferencing and application Forums, social
Computer-based sharing software, etc.
training

On can argue that the Baumgartner and Kalz typology does a good job in relating learning to
teaching to technology. However, for a more differentiated view of learning, see the learning
types and learning levels discussion. See some further discussion in the learning
theory and pedagogic strategy article.

5.3 According to interaction types

Moore (1989) distinguishes three types of interaction in distance education and that also can be
useful to categorize educational technologies:

1. Student-content interaction refers to Courseware oriented activities, e.g., reading texts,

working with interactive multimedia, produce assignments.
2. Student-instructor interaction refers to all things related to tutoring
3. Student-student interaction refers to all kinds of collaborative learning
According to Lou et al. (2006:141) other more recently introduced categories (first three by
Anderson, 2003) are:

1. instructor-instructor interaction
2. instructor-content interaction (e.g., authoring systems)
3. content-content interaction (e.g., automatic retrieval)
4. learner-interface interaction

6 Design methodologies and research approaches

Researchers in educational technology adopt different stances of what it means to practice
academic research. One may initially distinguish a series of levels going from the conceptual to the
technical:

1. Fundamental research: Many researchers in the field choose to adopt a more fundamental
research stance focusing on small well-defined problems such as “under which conditions
can multimedia animations be effective”.
2. Technology-supported instructional design applied to various domains of education; major
categories are distance teaching, blended teaching, computer-enhanced classroom
teaching, industrial training. Other specializations may concern subject matters (e.g. science
or language teaching) or approaches (direct instruction vs. project-oriented learning for
example).
3. Research on the design and application of technologies. Researcher may specialize on
subjects like the use of computer simulations in education or more technically, how to build
authoring and learning environments for simulations.
Some researchers may combine a fundamental research perspective with a particular kind of
instructional design and a particular kind of technology. Depending upon these options, research
interests and research methodology will not be the same. From the possible combinations there are
probably two major strands of thought that can be identified:

 Educational technology as part of the learning sciences. Research is inspired by and

contributes to modern learning theory. This strand includes research communities like computer-
supported collaborative learning, intelligent tutoring systems, ubiquitous computing.
 Educational technology as instructional technology. It is inspired by and contributes to
instructional design theory and methodology. This strand includes research communities on e-
learning, distance teaching, multimedia design.
Educational technology can be considered as a design science and as such, it has developed some
specific research methodology like “Design-based research”. However, since it addresses also all
fundamental issues of learning, teaching and social organization, educational technology makes use
of the full range of modern social science and life sciences methodology. Globally speaking,
research methodology for educational technology relies on general research methodology, in
particular on approaches of the social sciences.

Design-related issues

 Instructional design method

 Design methodology
 The category design methodologies
Research-related issues
 Educational technology research approaches
 The category research methodologies

7 Effectiveness
Using technology per se is rarely effective. It should be used to support good pedagogical practice,
e.g. feedback and collaborative work. The The Teachning and learning toolkit, a meta-meta study
only attributes a "moderate effect for moderate cost" to digital technology (taken as such).
Studies summarized in the No signitificant difference website (search for example for "technology"
conveys a similar message. Technology can or cannot have an impact.