The purpose of this digest is to provide background information and sources that help to understand the concept of educational technology and to serve as a pathfinder to relevant and timely publications that view the field from a variety of perspectives. The following frequently asked questions are addressed: (1) What is educational technology?…

This digest reviews what instructional designers do, describes knowledge management, and indicates how knowledge management is influencing instructional design. The first section defines instructional design (ID) and briefly describes the ID process. The second section covers knowledge management (KM), including definitions of KM and systems,…

The perception is that most studies on distance education or the use of technology are poorly designed or prone to incomplete analyses. This is true of the simple comparison study, where student outcomes are compared to those of students in a traditional course. Such studies are the basis for the often cited conclusion that there is no significant…

This digest provides a basic introduction to the national standards in foreign language learning, essentially a set of content standards that define what students should know and be able to do in foreign language instruction in a K-12 sequence. First, background on the development of the standards is provided, and a description of the standards'…

This digest explores media options as they relate to instructional design for distance education, because the function and design of each medium needs to be understood, if it is to lead to learning. It also describes other types of delivery media used in the history of distance learning before online learning programs: print, radio and telephone,…

Noting that the merging of various types of media with the computer has presented the field of education with a hybrid technology called interactive multimedia (also referred to as hypermedia), this digest begins by defining this technology as "the integration of text, audio, graphics, still image, and moving pictures into a single,…

This digest describes an integrated approach to teaching computer skills in K-12 schools. The introductory section discusses the importance of integrating information skills into the curriculum. "Technology Skills for Information Problem Solving: A Curriculum Based on the Big6 Skills Approach" (Michael B. Eisenberg, Doug Johnson, and…

Instructional development provides a procedure and framework for systematically planning, developing, and adapting instruction based on identifiable learner needs and content requirements, a process essential in distance education. Although instructional development models and processes abound, the majority follow the same basic stages of design,…

A content analysis was performed to determine the trends in educational technology for the period October 1, 1990, through September 30, 1991. Sources for the analysis included five leading professional journals in educational technology, papers given at annual conventions of three professional associations, dissertations from five universities…

An effective staff development program for rural teachers will have identified the needs to be met, will incorporate good management principles, and will make use of a variety of resources--the community itself, nonprofessional staff, business and industry, and shared teaching efforts. Distinctive staff development needs of rural teachers may…

A content analysis was performed to determine the trends and issues in educational technology for the period from October 1, 1988, through September 30, 1989. Sources for the analysis included four leading professional journals in educational technology, papers given at annual conventions of three professional associations, dissertations from five…

Reduced training costs, worldwide accessibility, and improved technological capabilities have made Web-based training (WBT) a viable alternative to classroom instruction. WBT enables businesses to cut their training costs. Efficiency of operation is another major advantage of WBT. The flexibility of time, place, and programs offered via WBT…