This article is written in the first-person, from the perspective of Steven Canning, a SUNY Potsdam instructor of educational technology and part-time professional gamer, with contributions from Anthony Betrus, Professor of Educational Technology at SUNY Potsdam. The author delves deeply into the world of professional online gaming, or eSports,…

Critical discussions within the field of instructional design have addressed the roles and competencies of designers, as well as the nature of design work per se. This article presents an overarching metaphor--namely, instructional design as a journey into the unfamiliar--that views design as a two-fold learning enterprise (i.e., innovative and…

Integrating and documenting formal and informal learning experiences is challenging using the current Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) eLearning standard, which limits the media and data that are obtained from eLearning. In response to SCORM's limitations, corporate, military, and academic institutions have collaborated to develop…

This article discusses the controversies and value in the use of technology for learning. It proposes that as a teaching tool, technology also opens up new possibilities for teachers to design meaningful learning experiences for their students. The appropriate use of technology promises to deepen the learning of traditional literacy, numeracy, and…

The purpose of this article is to describe the implementation of a Learning-by-Doing Instructional model to create an innovative language course. The authors describe the structure of the course, the instructional strategies implemented, and the Learning Management System tools used to create an engaging learning experience.

In this regular feature of "Educational Technology," Michael F. Shaughnessy and Juchao Yan present their interview with Robert Talbert, Associate Professor, Mathematics Department, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan. Their interview centered around thirteen questions that professor Talbert provided enlightening responds…

A transformative learning experience (TLE) is an especially meaningful encounter that leaves a lasting impact on a person's sense of competence or place in the world. The construct of TLE is presented in transactional terms as an irreducible interplay between learner and the world (including the natural world, artifacts, and other people).…

This article presents a study that examined students' perceptions toward online practice and their developing attitudes toward the online learning process. The results indicated that both cultural background and personal qualities affect students' perceptions.

This article presents a framework for understanding learning experience as an object for instructional design--as an object for design as well as research and understanding. Compared to traditional behavioral objectives or discrete cognitive skills, the object of experience is more holistic, requiring simultaneous attention to cognition, behavior,…

This article examines the affordances of virtual worlds for initiating a transformative learning experience for adults. In particular, it addresses the capacity of virtual worlds to allow creation of an alternate self which requires some level of personal self-reflection; provide atypical experiences that can initiate reflection; allow experience…

Powerful and transformative learning experiences display characteristics in common with each other. Emerging communication technologies may increase opportunities for powerful and transformative learning experiences. To explore this question, there are four sections to this article. First, it is observed that there are many interesting synergies…

Best practices involving 21st Century Skills have been analyzed and debated in "Educational Technology" and in other publications; yet, the fidelity of implementation in the overwhelming majority of school systems nationwide has been fragmented at best. This article proposes strategies for assessing 21st Century Skills or H.E.A.T. (Higher-order…

This article examines the concept of transformative learning, with a focus on the importance of trans-disciplinary thinking (cognitive skills that cross disciplines) and new technologies in creating 21st century learning and transformative teaching. The article introduces the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework as a way…

The authors describe progress at King Khalid University (KKU) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in developing and implementing a user-centered road map for teaching and learning, with pervasive e-learning as a core element. They named the approach "Invisible" e-learning. As part of it, they are investigating ways to capture and share…

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…