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…

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…

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…

The technologies underlying virtual environments like videogames and the methodologies of the learning sciences create an important intersection for work in educational technology. Coupling these fields enables us to consider participatory learning in terms of the ways that "context" shapes a process of making meaning. In this article,…

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…

Avatars are gaining popularity as an emerging technology to facilitate learning and instruction. Avatars can be used as agents of e-learning applications or as part of immersive learning environments such as Second Life. Research indicates that avatar use has numerous potential benefits, including increased student engagement and opportunities for…

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…

This article opens by discussing what paradigm change is and why it is needed. Then it describes the new AECT initiative, "FutureMinds: Transforming America's School Systems," beginning with its purpose (to help state departments of education to facilitate paradigm change in school districts), the fundamental ideas underlying the initiative (e.g.,…

This is the fourth and final installment in a series of articles presenting a new outlook on the methods of instructional design. These articles examine the nature of the process of instructional design and are meant to stimulate discussion about the roles of designers in the fields of instructional design, the learning sciences, and interaction…

Novice teachers encounter a variety of challenges and uncertainties, not limited to classroom management, cultural diversity, subject matter expertise, integrating technology, and instructional design. The act of planning, both physically and mentally, is a way to diminish these uncertainties. The purpose of this article is to suggest a design…

Discussion of technology integration into the curricula focuses on the needs of teachers who don't want training or are not prepared to learn from it due to lower levels of skill and confidence. Considers how instructional designers can build teachers' self-efficacy and proposes a model that is responsive to teacher's needs. (LRW)

Presents a model and an underlying process for selecting technology mediated teaching strategies. Discusses the use of the Internet in the learning process; computer-mediated communication; educational appropriateness of technology adoption; technology integration; learning principles for the model; and how to implement the model. (Author/LRW)

Addresses issues related to the implementation of information and communications technology (ICT) in education and online learning with particular reference to Japan. Presents an integrated model for the introduction of ICT at all levels of education that suggests ways of bridging the gap between research and development and actual educational…

Describes on-the-job training models developed by the Pilot Mini District of the Cincinnati Public Schools for integrating computer technology into classroom instruction: (1) Shadowing; (2) One-on-One for One; (3) Rotating Topics; (4) Walk-in Clinics; and (5) Student Exchanges. (AEF)