What is Instructional Technology?
Instructional Technologists apply research in learning theory, psychology, and emergent technologies to solve instructional and performance problems. The Presidential Commission on Instructional Technology highlighted four performance areas:
Design of instruction
Design activities include analyzing the needs of learners and developing learning systems that are consistent with those needs.
Production of instructional products and events
Production involves creating learning materials that meet instructional needs. These materials take many forms, including but not limited to: print-based materials, audio and video tapes, computer-assisted instructional programs, Internet sites, multimedia presentations, interactive video programs, simulations, and games.
Management of instructional settings and resources
Management activities include media center administration, learning center design, project supervision and direction, and resource allocation.
Evaluation of instructional programs
Evaluation of instruction involves assigning worth to instructional products, programs, or processes designed to solve performance problems or meet instructional needs.
CLASSROOM OF THE FUTURE
Useful Definitions
Bear Facts (http://bearfacts.berkeley.edu/) is a system that provides information regarding student registration, grades, financial aid, billing, class schedule, etc.
Blog
Blog is short for web log, and is a popular form of online journaling. Classroom blogs can be used for individual or collaborative writing projects. Some sites that offer free blogs are http://www.blogger.com
http://wordpress.com/signup/
http://edublogs.org/
Course (or Learning) Management Systems (CMS or LMS)
A course management system is a software program that runs over the Internet, and integrates several different course functions. The functions that might be integrated into a CMS are: course roster, gradebook software, online quizzing, course surveys, content delivery, bulletin boards, internal email, course syllabi and calendars, databases for photos, areas for student projects and web pages, chat rooms, whiteboards, and various course statistics.
WebCT and BlackBoard are the two most popular CMS programs, although there are many more. (Note: As of Summer 2003, ETS is not opening WebCT accounts for new users. Please contact their office with quesions.)
CourseWeb (http://courseweb.berkeley.edu) is a Web application that automatically generates a basic website for every University course. Faculty of record can modify CourseWeb sites to add a syllabus, photo, update office hours and contact information, and link to other additional coursesites, Web resources, or external websites. Faculty can create coursewide announcements and send email to enrolled and waitlisted students.
E-mail Lists
Sometimes called listservs, after a popular mailing list software, e-mail discussion lists are one way to distribute information to an entire class or group of students. All uclink account holders can set up mailing lists. Go to http://berkeley.edu for information.
If you use a mailing list for your classes, you must have permission from students to add their names to the list in advance of doing so. In general, this is good Internet etiquette (netiquette) regardless of the situation.
Newsgroups
Newsgroups, or usenet groups, are similar to threaded bulletin boards, but posts are read through a newsreader rather than specialized software, and they require subscription. Newsreaders are available through many freely available programs, such as TIN.
Presentation Software
Keynote (for Apple OS X) and PowerPoint are two popular software programs that allow users to integrate different media into a projected or online presentation. These programs are generally easy to use, and can be a good tool for both instructor and student in giving course presentations.
Threaded Bulletin Boards
A bulletin board is another way for instructors to disseminate information, answer questions, or post assignments. Students can also hold discussions and post questions by topic. Threaded refers to the way in which the bulletin board organizes information. By posting "threads" (topics) students can identify topics by looking at subject lines, and post in appropriate places.
Both WebCT and Blackboard have threaded bulletin boards, as do many other CMS programs.
Turnitin.com
Turnitin.com provides a popular software program for checking the originality of written works. It also provides space online where students can post, view, and comment on each other's work in peer-response projects. This option is available only when there is a departmental (not individual) account.
SmartBoards (Interactive Whiteboards)
Instructional technology describes all tools that are used for teaching and learning such as cameras, ipods, PDA's, computer based probes, calculators and SmartBoards. SmartBoards have become the hottest technology tool in the classroom. It's ideal for teachers who want to integrate technology in an easy user friendly way. Interactive whiteboards enable users to present, alter and save information as a group, enabling teachers to encourage collaborative group projects.
Interactive Whiteboard Demo
Links
http://gsi.berkeley.edu/textonly/resources/it/index.html
http://www.bridgeport.edu/pages/3530.asp
Center for Research on Learning and Teaching
Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology
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