In instruction there is always something that needs to be displayed. Little wonder that in some form or other media utilization is a given. But questions arise. "Is development meant to fit within media capabilities?" "Or are media to be selected because of their capabilities to meet development needs?" When in the…

This paper reports on some of the important considerations that characterize historical study in the field of educational technology. Intellectual history is the history of thought or some specific aspect of thought, and is divided into three primary areas of study: (1) biography--studies focusing on the thoughts, work, and lives of single…

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,…

A total, systematic, integrative concept provides the framework for this definition of educational technology as a theory, a field, and a profession. The definition statement presents an historical perspective of attempts to define educational technology and a current theoretical framework for arriving at a definition. It also identifies the…