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 paper argues that it is time to think differently about assessing the role of educational technology in the teaching and learning process. The first section addresses the question, "What is learning?" The second section examines the purpose of education. The third section discusses the knowledge base needed to apply educational…