What would it take for instructional design to qualify as a bona fide applied discipline? First and foremost, a fundamental requirement is a testable and tested theoretical base. Untested rationales until verified remain in limbo. Secondly, the discipline's applied prescriptions must be demonstrably traceable to the theoretical base once it is…

This article aims at clarifying and conceptualizing game-based learning (GBL) in order to pinpoint directions for practices and research. The authors maintain that GBL should be conceptualized toward the transformation of a textbook-learning culture. The authors emphasize the importance of a paradigm shift in learning and a reorientation in…

Due to rapid advancements in our ability to collect, process, and analyze massive amounts of data, it is now possible for educational institutions to gain new insights into how people learn (Kumar, 2013). E-learning has become an important part of education, and this form of learning is especially suited to the use of big data and data analysis,…

Hype surrounding the promise that technology has for education began with Thomas Edison in 1913, when he predicted that the motion picture would end the need for textbooks and revolutionize schools. Years later a phase of development was fueled by government funding, and the educational film industry reached a heyday following World War II, which…

A prescription favored in this article calls for the joint use of "learning maps" and "instructional maps." Why then the "Vs." in the title? Simply put, it is a rhetorical device. It calls attention to a key difference between the two. This article explicates the difference. It also informs how alone and in…

The author describes the three bases upon which she rejects the assumption that a technology and its use are neutral: every technology predisposes a certain use; shapes habits of mind and social organizations; and is the outcome of deliberate choices made by individuals and societies. She then proposes a "triadic model" of technological…

Educational reform efforts have failed to create widespread improvement. The authors argue that rather than trying to improve the existing system of education, a new learner-centered paradigm is needed that supports individualized learning. Such a significantly different system of education will require the systemic application of technology to…

Case-based instruction (CBI) offers a promising method for promoting problem-solving skills in learners. However, during CBI, the instructor shoulders major responsibility for shaping the learning that takes place. Research indicates that the facilitation techniques used during case discussions influence what gets covered, and to what extent,…

Most classrooms in the U.S. are composed of students with different learning styles and experiences as well as different achievement levels (Ferguson, 2001). Personalized learning is a unique way of students' learning determined by their own learning style, pace, and needs. Focusing on individual differences, personalized instruction aims to…

Web 2.0 tools have emerged as conducive for innovative pedagogy and transformative learning opportunities for youth. Currently,Web 2.0 is often adopted into teachers' practice to simply replace or amplify traditional instructional approaches rather than to promote or facilitate transformative educational change. Current models of innovation…

The authors describe an Open Source approach to education. They define Open Source Education (OSE) as a teaching and learning framework where the use and presentation of information is non-hierarchical, malleable, and subject to the needs and contributions of students as they become "co-owners" of the course. The course transforms itself into an…

This article provides personal reflections about aspects of the draft "National Educational Technology Plan 2010". Its focus is on ideas in the Plan that could be foundational for transforming our industrial-era schooling system. In sharing these thoughts, the author is speaking only for himself: they do not necessarily reflect the discussions or…

The improvement of a professional group is due, in part, to its ability for introspection and self-evaluation. This is essentially the process of "analyzing" the profession as it currently is practiced, identifying necessary changes and improvements, and "synthesizing" or creating a new image or model of the profession to…

In order to design learning solutions that effectively embed face-to-face and online dimensions, it is crucial to identify the key components underpinning hybrid solutions. Furthermore, once these components have been identified, there is the need to clarify how to recombine them to meet a specific learning objective. This article aims to…

MPublishing, the primary academic publishing enterprise of the University of Michigan, has united the various publishing activities of the university, all of which serve the needs of scholars and the university by fostering new publishing models that cannot exist where profit is the primary value. This article provides a brief description of…