Difference between Teaching, instruction and learning

Teaching:

The act, process, or art of imparting knowledge and skill: education, instruction, pedagogics, pedagogy,

The act, practice, occupation, or profession of a teacher

Teaching is where information is given to students by a teacher. They are told information. Teacher led approach.

The term teaching is commonly used to name the set of activities which someone intentionally undertakes to guide someone to learn something. Effective teaching, in conjunction with effective studying, leads to learning something intentionally and under guidance. An example of teaching is a father showing his son how to remove a fish hook from the mouth of a fish with minimal injury to the fish.

Teaching is a singular content specific method to inculcate the domains of education

Teaching is the process of giving that knowledge.

Teaching: The act or profession of a person who teaches.

Characteristics of good teaching

One set of characteristics of good teaching, extracted from research studies and summarized from the individual lecturer's point of view (Ramsden, 2003) includes:

• A desire to share your love of the subject with students
• An ability to make the material being taught stimulating and interesting
• A facility for engaging with students at their level of understanding
• A capacity to explain the material plainly
• A commitment to making it absolutely clear what has to be understood at what level and why
• Showing concern and respect for students
• A commitment to encouraging independence
• An ability to improvise and adapt to new demands
• Using teaching methods and academic tasks that require students to learn actively, responsibly and co-operatively
• Using valid assessment methods
• A focus on key concepts, and students misunderstandings of them, rather than covering the ground
• Giving the highest quality feedback on student work
• A desire to learn from students and other sources about the effects of teaching and how it can be improved.

Teaching skills and practices
The most frequent comment made by students was that highly rated lecturers explained in a way which was clear and helped students to understand. They made difficult work comprehensible without oversimplifying, and used simple language. If technical language was used, it was clearly defined. In lectures, visual media, such as overheads, slides, handouts and blackboard diagrams were used to assist in explanation or clarification where appropriate. Abstract concepts were illustrated with examples, and the distinction between concept and example was made clear.
Highly rated lecturers were well prepared, structured their lecture content effectively, and communicated the structure to students. They clearly defined the subject objectives and emphasised important points. They spoke clearly and at an appropriate speed and allowed adequate time for students to both take notes and listen, indicating when note-taking was and was not required. They often provided handouts to assist students to take notes without furious copying. They used questions and activities to engage students' thinking and interest.
They were highly knowledgeable and up to date in their subject area, but did not pretend to "know it all" and were willing to learn from their students, recognizing that work experience makes many part-time and senior students a valuable resource.
Students commented that the lecturers tried to make the work interesting. They related new concepts to students' experiences by means of case studies, relevant examples or anecdotes, and placed a high priority on varying student activities during lecture sessions.
Student participation was encouraged, in lectures as well as tutorial or laboratory sessions. These lecturers knew that most students gained a better understanding from active involvement than from passive note-taking. They therefore made a conscious effort to release time from "lecturing" for student analysis, problem solving, questioning, discussion or "buzz group" activities relevant to the topic for the lecture. During lectures, they made frequent opportunities for questions from, or discussion by, students, and attempted to answer all questions promptly and clearly. They treated all student questions seriously and did not intimidate or ridicule. They also asked direct questions of students in order to check understanding before or during a lecture.
Giving time for students to actively engage with the subject matter means reducing time available to cover new content. The lecturers' most frequent strategies for gaining time without compromising course objectives were:

• Providing students with printed subject notes and/or summary handouts, thus reducing note writing, and encouraging students to highlight key points, add comments and note insights generated during class interactions.
• Thoroughly explaining key concepts and examples in short lecture segments, and encouraging students to access texts and references for further details and multiple examples.
• Reducing the content covered in lectures to central areas, and encouraging wider reading and/or the integration of work experience through carefully designed assignments and tutorials.

Action Steps:

• Identify strategic points in the teacher education programs to screen students for appropriate dispositions:
• Devise strategies for self-screening early in the teacher education through realistic preview of the profession.
• Perform initial screening at entry point into the teacher education program.
• Perform final screening prior to assignment in student teaching.
• Validate core characteristics and screening process for refinement/ revision as needed as a part of an ongoing evaluation.

Teaching methods can best be defined as the types of principles and methods used for instruction. There are many types of teaching methods, depending on what information or skill the teacher is trying to convey. Class participation, demonstration, recitation, and memorization are some of the teaching methods being used. When a teacher is deciding on their method, they need to be flexible and willing to adjust their style according to their students. Student success in the classroom is largely based on effective teaching methods.

Lecture Method

The lecture method is the most widely used form of presentation. Every instructor should know how to develop and present a lecture. They also should understand the advantages and limitations of this method. Lectures are used for introduction of new subjects, summarizing ideas, showing relationships between theory and practice, and reemphasizing main points. The lecture method is adaptable to many different settings, including either small or large groups. Lectures also may be used to introduce a unit of instruction or a complete training program. Finally, lectures may be combined with other teaching methods to give added meaning and direction.

Cooperative or Group Learning Method

Cooperative or group learning is an instructional strategy which organizes students into small groups so that they can work together to maximize their own and each other's learning. Numerous research studies in diverse school settings, and across a wide range of subject areas, indicate promising possibilities for academic achievement with this strategy. For example, advocates have noted that students completing cooperative learning group tasks tend to have higher test scores, higher self-esteem, improved social skills, and greater comprehension of the subjects they are studying. Numerous other benefits for students have been attributed to these programs. Perhaps the most significant characteristic of group learning is that it continually requires active participation of the student in the learning process.

Guided Discussion Method

In the guided discussion method, as is true with any group learning effort, the instructor typically relies on the students to provide ideas, experiences, opinions, and information. An instructor may use this method during classroom periods, and preflight and post flight briefings, after the students have gained some knowledge and experience. Fundamentally, the guided discussion method is almost the opposite of the lecture method. The instructor's goal is to draw out what the students know, rather than to spend the class period telling them. The instructor should remember that the more intense the discussion and the greater the participation, the more effective the learning. All members of the group should follow the discussion. The instructor should treat everyone impartially; encourage questions, exercise patience and tact, and comment on all responses. Sarcasm or ridicule should never be used, since it inhibits the spontaneity of the participants. In a guided discussion, the instructor ants as a facilitated to encourage discussion between students.

Demonstration-Performance Method

This method of teaching is based on the simple, yet sound principle that we learn by doing. Students learn physical or mental skills by actually performing those skills under supervision. An individual learns to write by writing, to weld by welding, and to fly an aircraft by actually performing flight maneuvers. Students also learn mental skills, such as speed reading, by this method. Skills requiring the use of tools, machines, and equipment are particularly well suited to this instructional method.

Every instructor should recognize the importance of student performance in the learning process. Early in a lesson that is to include demonstration and performance, the instructor should identify the most important learning outcomes. Next, explain and demonstrate the steps involved in performing the skill being taught. Then, allow students time to practice each step, so they can increase their ability to perform the skill.

Computer-Based Training Method

Many new and innovative training technologies are available today. One of the most significant is computer- based training (CBT)- the use of the personal computer as a training device. CBT is sometimes called computer-based instruction (CBI). The terms CBT and CBI are synonymous and may be used interchangeably.
The personal computer or PC has revolutionized the way businesses function and promises the same for education and training. The new generation is as comfort- able with the PC as they are with the telephone. As a result, educators today are using personal computers as part of educational programs of all types.

This actually gives the instructor more time for one-on-one teaching. Remember, the computer has no way of knowing when a student is having difficulty, and it will always be the responsibility of the instructor to provide monitoring and oversight of student progress and to intervene when necessary.

A successful instructor needs to be familiar with as many teaching methods as possible. Although lecture and demonstration-performance may be the methods used most often, being aware of other methods and teaching tools such as guided discussion, cooperative learning, and computer-based instruction will better prepare an instructor for a wide variety of teaching situations.

 Instruction:

 Instruction refers to the facilitating of learning, by a teacher or tutor.

Instruction
the act or practice of instructing or teaching; education.

2.  Instruction
knowledge or information imparted.

3.  Instruction
an item of such knowledge or information.

4.  Instruction
Usu., instructions. Orders or directions.

5.  Instruction
the act of furnishing with authoritative directions.

6.  Instruction
a computer command.

Etymology:  

1.  direction, instruction
a message describing how something is to be done
"he gave directions faster than she could follow them"

2.  Education, instruction, teaching, pedagogy, didactics, educational activity
the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill
"he received no formal education"; "our instruction was carefully programmed"; "good classroom teaching is seldom rewarded"

3.  Teaching, instruction, pedagogy
the profession of a teacher
"he prepared for teaching while still in college"; "pedagogy is recognized as an important profession"

4.  instruction, command, statement, program line
(computer science) a line of code written as part of a computer program

The act of instructing (especially in a school subject or a skill) or the process of being instructed

Definition: The act of instructing, teaching, or furnishing with knowledge; information.

Instruction ²

Definition: That which instructs, or with which one is instructed; the intelligence or information imparted

Instruction ⁵

Definition: the activities of educating or instructing or teaching; activities that impart knowledge or skill; "he received no formal education"; "our instruction was carefully programmed"; "good teaching is seldom rewarded"

Instruction ⁶

Definition: the profession of a teacher; "he prepared for teaching while still in college"; "pedagogy is recognized as an important profession"

Instruction ⁷

Definition: (computer science) a line of code written as part of a computer program

Instruction ⁸

Definition: a message describing how something is to be done; "he gave directions faster than she could follow them"

Medium of instruction

Medium of instruction is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the country or territory. Where the first language of students is different from the official language, it may be used as the medium of instruction for part or all of schooling. Bilingual or multilingual education may involve the use of more than one language of instruction. UNESCO considers that "providing education in a child's mother tongue is indeed a critical issue"

What is the theoretical/research background for this instructional method?

A rationale for differentiated instruction comes from theory, research, and educational common sense. Consider the following.

·   Today's classrooms are becoming more academically diverse in most regions of the United States (and elsewhere, for that matter). Many, if not most, classrooms contain students representing both genders and multiple cultures, frequently include students who do not speak English as a first language, and generally contain students with a range of exceptionalities and markedly different experiential backgrounds. These students almost certainly work at differing readiness levels, have varying interests, and learn in a variety of ways?

·   Psychologists tell us that a student learns only when a task is a little too hard for that student. When a student can do work with little effort, and virtually independently, that student is not learning, but rather rehearsing the known. When a student finds a task beyond his or her reach, frustration, not learning, is the result. Only when a task is a bit beyond the student's comfort level, and the student finds a support system to bridge the gap, does learning occur. This optimum degree of difficulty for learning is referred to as a student's zone of proximal development. Considering today's diverse classrooms, it is unlikely that a teacher will be consistently able to develop one-size-fits-all learning experiences that are in the zones of proximal development of all students in a particular class.

·   Brain research suggests that when tasks are too hard for a learner, the brain "downshifts" to the limbic area of the brain that does not "think," but rather is designed to protect an individual from harm. Also, when tasks are too easy for learners, those learners do not show thoughtful brain activity, but rather display patterns that look more like the early stages of sleep. Only when tasks are moderately challenging for an individual does the brain "think" in a way that prompts learning. Once again, teachers will find it difficult to consistently find single tasks that are moderately challenging for all learners in a class that includes a range of readiness and experiential levels.

·   It is likely that male and female learning patterns and preferences vary. The variance probably has biological, cultural, and environmental origins. There is also, of course, great variety among both male and female populations in regard to learning. Nonetheless, it is likely counterproductive to assume that gender is irrelevant factors in what individuals learn and how they learn.

·   Culture has an important bearing on how individuals learn. While it is clearly not the case that all members of a given culture learn in similar ways, it is the case that learning environments and procedures that are comfortable for many members of one cultural group may not be so to many members of other cultural groups. Students whose classrooms are a cultural misfit often does poorly in school In classrooms where varied cultural groups are represented, a single approach to teaching and learning is unlikely to serve all students well. In fact, because students in any cultural group also vary, even classrooms that are more culturally homogeneous would benefit from multiple approaches to teaching and learning.

personally interesting to them seems an important modification for teachers in most classrooms.

·   The opportunity to learn in ways that make learning more efficient is also likely to make learning more effective. Attention to a student's preferred mode of learning or thinking promotes improved achievement.

Computer-Assisted Instruction

· Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is a narrower term and most often refers to drill-and-practice, tutorial, or simulation activities offered either by themselves or as supplements to traditional, teacher directed instruction.

· Computer-managed instruction (CMI) can refer either to the use of computers by school staff to organize student data and make instructional decisions or to activities in which the computer evaluates students' test performance, guides them to appropriate instructional resources, and keeps records of their progress.

· Computer-enriched instruction (CEI) is defined as learning activities in which computers (1) generate data at the students' request to illustrate relationships in models of social or physical reality, (2) execute programs developed by the students, or (3) provide general enrichment in relatively unstructured exercises designed to stimulate and motivate students.

Learning:-

Learning refers to those who are taught, with a view toward preparing them with specific knowledge, skills, or abilities that can be applied upon completion

Learning is acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Progress over time tends to follow learning curves.
Human learning may occur as part of education, personal development, school or training. It may be goal-oriented and may be aided by motivation. The study of how learning occurs is part of neurophysiology, educational psychology, learning theory, and pedagogy. Learning may occur as a result of habituation or classical conditioning, seen in many animal species, or as a result of more complex activities such as play, seen only in relatively intelligent animals.^[1][2] Learning may occur consciously or without conscious awareness. There is evidence for human behavioral learning parentally, in which habituation has been observed as early as 32 weeks into gestation, indicating that the central nervous system is sufficiently developed and primed for learning and memory to occur very early on in development.
Play has been approached by several theorists as the first form of learning. Children play, experiment with the world, learn the rules, and learn to interact. Vygotsky agrees that play is pivotal for children's development, since they make meaning of their environment through play.

Types of learning

Simple non-associative learning

Habituation

In psychology, habituation is an example of non-associative learning in which there is a progressive diminution of behavioral response probability with repetition stimulus. An animal first responds to a stimulus, but if it is neither rewarding nor harmful the animal reduces subsequent responses. One example of this can be seen in small song birds—if a stuffed owl (or similar predator) is put into the cage, the birds initially react to it as though it were a real predator. Soon the birds react less, showing habituation. If another stuffed owl is introduced (or the same one removed and re-introduced), the birds react to it again as though it were a predator, demonstrating that it is only a very specific stimulus that is habituated to (namely, one particular unmoving owl in one place). Habituation has been shown in essentially every species of animal, including the large protozoan Stentor coeruleus

Associative learning

Associative learning is the process by which an element is taught through association with a separate, pre-occurring element. It is also referred to as classical conditioning. Honeybees display associative learning through the proboscis extension reflex paradigm.
Operant conditioning is the use of consequences to modify the occurrence and form of behavior. Operant conditioning is distinguished from Pavlovian conditioning in that operant conditioning uses reinforcement/punishment to alter an action-outcome association. In contrast Pavlovian conditioning involves strengthening of the stimulus-outcome association.
Behaviorism is a psychological movement that seeks to alter behavior by arranging the environment to elicit successful changes and to arrange consequences to maintain or diminish a behavior. Behaviorists study behaviors that can be measured and changed by the environment. However, they do not eliminate that there are thought processes that interact with those behaviors (see Relational Frame Theory for more information).
Delayed discounting is the process of devaluing rewards based on the delay of time they are presented. This process is thought to be tied to impulsivity. Impulsivity is a core process for many behaviors (e.g., substance abuse, problematic gambling, OCD). Making decisions is an important part of everyday functioning. How we make those decisions is based on what we perceive to be the most valuable or worthwhile actions. This is determined by what we find to be the most reinforcing stimuli. So when teaching an individual a response, you need to find the most potent rein forcer for that person. This may be a larger rein forcer at a later time or a smaller immediate rein forcer.

Observational learning

The learning process most characteristic of humans is imitation; one's personal repetition of an observed behavior, such as a dance. Humans can copy three types of information simultaneously: the demonstrator's goals, actions, and environmental outcomes (results, see Emulation (observational learning)). Through copying these types of information, (most) infants will tune into their surrounding culture.

Multimedia learning

Multimedia learning is where a person uses both auditory and visual stimuli to learn information (Mayer 2001). This type of learning relies on dual-coding theory (Paivio 1971).

E-learning and augmented learning

Electronic learning or e-learning is a general term used to refer to Internet-based networked computer-enhanced learning. A specific and always more diffused e-learning is mobile learning (m-learning), which uses different mobile telecommunication equipment, such as cellular phones.
When a learner interacts with the e-learning environment, it's called augmented learning. By adapting to the needs of individuals, the context-driven instruction can be dynamically tailored to the learner's natural environment. Augmented digital content may include text, images, video, audio (music and voice). By personalizing instruction, augmented learning has been shown to improve learning performance for a lifetime.

Rote learning

Rote learning is a technique which avoids understanding the inner complexities and inferences of the subject that is being learned and instead focuses on memorizing the material so that it can be recalled by the learner exactly the way it was read or heard. The major practice involved in rote learning techniques is learning by repetition, based on the idea that one will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the material the more it is repeated. Rote learning is used in diverse areas, from mathematics to music to religion. Although it has been criticized by some schools of thought, rote learning is a necessity in many situations.

Informal learning

Informal learning occurs through the experience of day-to-day situations (for example, one would learn to look ahead while walking because of the danger inherent in not paying attention to where one is going). It is learning from life, during a meal at table with parents, play, exploring, etc.

Formal learning

Formal learning is learning that takes place within a teacher-student relationship, such as in a school system.

Non formal learning

Non formal learning is organized learning outside the formal learning system. For example: learning by coming together with people with similar interests and exchanging viewpoints, in clubs or in (international) youth organizations, workshops.

Non formal learning and combined approaches

The educational system may use a combination of formal, informal, and non formal learning methods. The UN and EU recognize these different forms of learning (cf. links below). In some schools students can get points that count in the formal-learning systems if they get work done in informal-learning circuits. They may be given time to assist international youth workshops and training courses, on the condition they prepare, contribute, share and can prove this offered valuable new insight, helped to acquire new skills, a place to get experience in organizing, teaching, etc.

What is technology

What is technology

Technology is the application of Science or if you apply those ideas, concepts, theories, models, principles and laws in your daily life.  Then, you can say that there is technology involved on it.  Technology is classified into three types namely the gadgets or devices, products or services and process or how you produce it.  Gadgets or devices such as mobile phone, laptop, television, refrigerator, stove or even tooth brush  are the things that you used every day.  Products such as canned goods,  preserved foods, toothpaste, bath soap or even food are the things that you consumed daily.  Services such as teaching, health, sanitation, media are the things that provide professional help for the welfare of the community.  Processes such as fermentation, online banking and shopping, DNA fingerprinting are the methods or procedures that had been followed in order to produce  such products or gadgets.

Instructional Technology Defined

• Educational Technology is also called Instructional Technology or Information Technology (IT) .
• Educational Technology is mainly concerned with the narrow spectrum of technologies used for communication and the dissemination of information.
• Educational Technology teaches through technology, instructing students in the use of a relatively small set of tools developed by technology.

In education, instructional technology is "the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning," according to the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) Definitions and Terminology Committee.^[1] Instructional technology is often referred to as a part of educational technology but the use of these terms has changed over the years.^[2] While instructional technology covers the processes and systems of learning and instruction, educational technology includes other systems used in the process of developing human capability.

History 

The first use of instructional technology cannot be attributed to a specific person or time. Many histories of instructional technology start in the early 20th century, while others go back to the 17th century. This depends on the definition of instructional technology. 

 

Definitions that focus on a systems approach tend to reach further back in history, while those definitions focused on sensory devices are more recent.
The use of audio and visual instruction was boosted as a military response to the problems of a labor shortage during World War II in the United States. There was a definitive need to fill the factories with skilled labor. Instructional technology provided a methodology for training in a systematic and efficient manner.
With it came the use of highly structured manuals, instructional films, and standardized tests. Thomas Edison saw the value of instructional technology in films but did not formalize the science of instruction as the US military did so well.

1914-1923: Visual Instruction Movement and Instructional Film

The media used during this era enhanced learning by using media such as the motion picture projector- but did not provide any data regarding the impact this particular media had on improving learning.

1920-1930: Audiovisual Instruction movement and Instructional Radio

Sound being added to the motion pictures and radio broadcast being used to enhance instruction was the new media during this era. Sound expanded the use of visual instruction because now one could see and hear; which resulted in these medias being used widely in education. McCluskey, advocate for the field during this time, concluded that while the field (Audiovisual Instruction) continued to grow, “the educational community at large was not greatly affected by that growth” (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007, p.19).

1941-1945: World War II

Peak time for military service and industry, but a decline in the use of Instructional Technology in the classroom. An effort was made during this time to evaluate the effectiveness of audiovisual education. Unlike past performances of instructional media, the evaluation yielded positive results.

The Audiovisual devices used during World War II were generally perceived as successful in helping the U.S. solve a major training problem —namely, how to train effectively and efficiently large numbers of individuals with diverse backgrounds. As a result of this apparent success, after the war there was a renewed interest in using audiovisual devices in the schools (Finn, 1972; Olsen & Bass, 1982, cited in Reiser & Dempsey, 2007, p. 20).

1950s: Instructional Television

Television was used as a medium for delivering/enhancing instruction. Although popular, this particular medium was not successful as a delivery method due to

poor quality of the programs produced. “Many of them (TV programs) did little more than present a teacher delivering a lecture” (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007, p.21).

     By evaluating the effectiveness of past technology, scholars and professionals are able to improve upon the field of Instructional Technology by streamlining standards and creating a more structured outline of the field. Evolution of the field is inevitable, due in part to technological changes. Therefore, the field of Instructional Technology will continue to expand and be re-directed to address arising instructional issues. Principals and practices of the field will be re-directed as well in order to accommodate new technologies, job performances, business results, and non-instructional solutions to performance problems.

Critical Review of Personal Current Professional Standards

     Instructional Technology is not a free standing field. Professional Organizations were established for the field in order to provide information on new trends, issues, developments, and research. Each organization  is unique in regards to standards, research, and advocacies. Professionals and scholars in the field associate themselves with organizations whose standards align with

Critical Review of Personal Current Professional Standards

there personal values. Scholars and professionals may choose among organizations such as:

·        The Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT)

Critical Review of Personal Current Professional Standards

·        International Technology Education Association (ITEA)

·        International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

·        Council on Technology Teacher Education (CTTE)

     The International Technology Education Association (ITEA, http://www.iteaconnect.org/) supports participants in K-12 technology education. The association advocates technology literacy by using an Engineering by Design Model. This model incorporates standards for technological literacy,

principals and standards for school mathematics, and bench marks for science

literacy. ITEA (1995) expands the concept of technology literacy by incorporating the core subjects of Math and Science. This in turn leads to the belief that technology literacy means more than just learning about how to operate a computer.  One goal of ITEA (1995) is to “provide clear standards and expectations for increasing student achievement in Math, Science, and Technology” (ITEA, 1995, paragraph 1).  This includes applying technology to the real world, performing student assessments, professional Development for    

teachers, and understanding the relationship between technology and other fields of study.

Critical Review of Personal Current Professional Standards

     As of 2007 my professional standards as a teacher consist of ITEA’s (1995) overall view that technology should be incorporated into core subject areas in order to provide students with the ability to align technology skills with other fields of study. After obtaining a degree in Instructional Technology, I plan to pursue a

career as a training developer. Being that ITEA’s (1995) standards and principals are geared for the K-12 learning environment I will shift my standards towards The Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT). AECT (2004) not only provides educational standards for technology education in the K-12 classroom, but also in areas of the military, government, health community, industry, and business.

Final Thought

            Defining Instructional Technology involves evaluating past occurrences within the field, technological developments, and instructional design. Consideration of these areas are necessary in order to preserve the true meaning and purpose of the field. Instructional technology involves principals and practices that promotes goal-oriented instruction; not just using a technology to enhance a lesson. 

     Technology is used to simplify tasks. From being able to store large amounts of data, typing and editing a paper, or even monitoring a power plant, technology assist humans in some way. The same concept is involved in the field of Instructional Technology — How can technology be used to assist in the improvement of learning performance. The proposed question is the underlining primes of the field.

     As of 2004, the Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT) define the field of I.T as “The study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources” (Association for Educational Communications and Technology Definition and Terminology Committee, 2004, p.2).

     Take for example the internet and Television. Both medians are considered technology; however, determining which medium to use is dependent on the subject, resources, and desired learning outcome. Although the internet is a popular tool for delivering instruction (i.e. online classes); some institutions still use television as a delivery method. University of Houston Central campus offers televised courses as one delivery option for distance learning.

     Instructional Technology is not a free standing field. Standards and guidelines are used in order to legitimize and regulate the field. Standards and guidelines are created by professional organizations. Two organizations that I support is the Association for Educational Communication and Technology

Current status

Instructional technology is a growing field of study which uses technology as a means to solve educational challenges, both in the classroom and in distance learning environments.
While instructional technology promises solutions to many educational problems, resistance from faculty and administrators to the use of technology in the classroom is not unusual. This reaction can arise from the belief--or fear--that the ultimate aim of instructional technology is to reduce or even remove the human element of instruction. However, most instructional technologists would counter that education will always require human intervention from instructors or facilitators.
Many graduate programs are producing instructional designers, who increasingly are being employed by industry and universities to create materials for distance education programs. These professionals often employ e-learning tools, which provide distance learners the opportunity to interact with instructors and experts in the field, even if they are not located physically close to each other.
More recently a new form of Instructional technology known as Human Performance Technology has evolved. HPT focuses on performance problems and deals primarily with corporate entities.

Relation to learning theory

The purpose of instructional technology, of course, is the promotion of learning. Learning theory (education) has influenced Instructional design and Instructional designers (the practitioners of Instructional Technology). Instructional Technologies promote communication and interactivity. These two come together under the general heading of Interaction.
Moore (1989) argues that there are three types of learner interaction (learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner interactions). In the years since Moore's article, several philosophical views have surfaced that relate Instructional technology to these types of interaction.
Most traditional researchers (those subscribing to Cognitivism) argue that learner-content interaction is perhaps the most important endeavor of Instructional technology. Some researchers (those subscribing to constructivism) argue that Moore's social interactions, (learner-instructor and learner-learner interactions), are as useful as learner-content interaction.

Areas

Razavi (2005) advocates the idea that educational technology covers instructional technology. It includes instructional technology and the field study in human teaching and learning. So educational technology is broader than instructional technology. Instructional technology itself consists of two major parts: one is teaching technology and the other is learning technology. In the education industry, the term "instructional technology" is frequently used interchangeably with "educational technology."

21st Century Engaged Classroom Instructional Technology Tools Received

Throughout the school year and during the ongoing monthly professional development, teachers participating in the 21st Century Engaged Classroom will receive a core set of technological tools for their classroom to enhance their educational environment.

The Engaged Classroom Teacher Trainer receives the following items for their classroom:

• Shared access to one 20-station mobile lab computer with academic software and airport
• Individual Licenses for Microsoft Office Suite and Inspiration; School License for works and Comic Life
• Mounted projection system
• Audio Enhanced sound system
• Digital Camera with 2.0 GB Memory Card*
• Digital Video Camcorder with one video tape
• Document camera, Aver Vision 300AF+
• One year subscription to online learning (Atomic Learning)
• USB Drive
• Logitech headphones / Optical Wheel Mouse
• Shared access to classroom student response system, Senteo System receive during November 2008 training
• Shared access to a Proscope
• Book: Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works
• Fire Wire Cable
  
  *Elementary Schools will receive 8 additional digital cameras with 2.0 MB Memory Card for K-3 Grades (2 per grade level)

The Two Engaged Classroom Teacher Trainees receives the following items for their classroom:

• Shared access to one 20-station mobile laptop computer lab with academic software and airport
• Individual Licenses for Microsoft Office Suite and Inspiration
• Mounted projection system
• Audio Enhanced sound system
• Digital camera with 2.0 GB Memory Card
• Digital Video Camcorder with one video tape
• Digital video camera
• Document camera, AverVision 300AF+
• Shared access to classroom student response system (clickers)
• One year subscription to online learning (Atomic Learning)
• USB Drive
• Logitech headphones / Optical Wheel Mouse
• Shared access to a Proscope
• Book: Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works
• Fire Wire Cable