PETAL

Thoughts on Instructional Technology as a Discipline

At the most basic level, Instructional Technology is the application of technology to the teaching process. And while this definition is suitably broad to include the use of chalk, paper, or even light bulbs, it is usually thought of in terms of the use of specialized modern technologies, most notably computers.

And while making computers available to faculty and students is an essential element in the implementation of instructional technology, making them available doesn’t make them useful. Computers bring access to the Internet, email, word processing, multimedia productions, spreadsheets, stat packages, and countless other useful applications, but without a clear strategy on how to best employ these resources toward improving teaching and learning, we have little more than wasted time and money.

This is why instructional technology is important as a discipline, to make sure, as intellectually and as rigorously as possible, that instructors are not simply taught how to use PowerPoint, but also why to use it.

Finally, I would like to announce that the new PETAL newsletter went out today. My assistant, Susan Hales, deserves a great deal of credit for her excellent work on the layout and graphic design. She also wrote one of the feature articles, but you probably shouldn’t believe everything you read in that one.

All USA faculty should be getting a hard copy early next week, but it is also available online.