See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/228739293

LEARNING TECHNOLOGY

Article · January 2007

CITATIONS READS

0 888

1 author:

Matilda Drozdova
University of Žilina
25 PUBLICATIONS   136 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Matilda Drozdova on 04 June 2014.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Journal of Information, Control and Management Systems, Vol.5, (2007), No.1 19

LEARNING TECHNOLOGY
Matilda Drozdová

University of Žilina, Faculty of Management Science and Informatics,

Slovak Republic
e-mail: matilda.drozdova@fri.uniza.sk

Abstract

Information and communication technologies – ICT – bring along revolutionary

changes which, alongside teachers, textbooks and whiteboards, may be used for
educational purposes. In this context, the term e-learning has been used. E-learning is a
combination of two words, ´ electronic´ and ´ learning´. The term ´ electronic´ stands for
using information and communication technologies, and ´ learning´ means a learning
process at educational institutions. At the beginning of solving the e-learning
problematic we focused more on information and communication technologies.
Nowadays we cab see that ICT are not the only problem we need to solve. Learning is
becoming more important because the implementation of ICT into old ways of education
has not been bringing adequate quality and effectiveness.
Keywords: learning technology, e-learning, instructional technology, ICT
implementation

1 INTRODUCTION
The term ´technology´ has a few meanings: ´technology´ as an object, which
means tools, machines, instruments, appliances etc.; ´technology´ as knowledge is the
know-how behind technological innovations; ´technology´ as activities related to skills,
methods, procedures, routines and everything that people do; ´technology´ as a process
– beginning with needs and ending with a solution; ´technology´ as a socio-technical
problem. Very often, the term ´technology´ is used for the software and hardware
means which process, store and deliver information, and which are used as tools of
implementing tasks connected with specific solution problems.
In education, technology has been used for a long time in various forms: black
and whiteboards, pens, and recently overhead projectors, radio and TV or film.
Information and communication technologies bring further technological possibilities.
Except traditional media, new media, such as CBL - computer based learning, games
and simulation, multimedia, electronic performance supporting systems, virtual reality,
video conferences, IP streaming, etc. are being applied.
Technological equipments are not being used due to using the technology but they
have to support the teaching and learning processes in order to make learning more
20 Learning Technology

interesting and easier to access for students. The technology should enhance the quality
of lectures and seminars, so that learning can be effective, student-friendly, and
available not just at “stone schools”. Therefore it is necessary to combine technological
equipment with educational technology. According to Wikipedia [1] educational
technology is a systematic and creative blending of "idea" and "product" technologies
with subject-matter content in order to engender and improve teaching and learning
processes. Educational technology is often associated with the terms ´instructional
technology´ or ´learning technology´.

2 INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY
Definition
The definition of instructional technology is quoted in [2] according to the
Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) as follows:
“Instructional technology is the theory and practice of design, development,
utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning. ... The
words Instructional Technology in the definition mean a discipline devoted to
techniques or ways to make learning more efficient based on theory but theory in its
broadest sense, not just scientific theory. ... Theory consists of concepts, constructs,
principles, and propositions that serve as the body of knowledge. Practice is the
application of that knowledge to solve problems. Practice can also contribute to the
knowledge base through information gained from experience. ... Of design,
development, utilization, management, and evaluation ... refer to both areas of the
knowledge base and to functions performed by professionals in the field. ... Processes
are a series of operations or activities directed towards a particular result. ... Resources
are sources of support for learning, including support systems and instructional
materials and environments. ... The purpose of instructional technology is to affect and
effect learning (Seels & Richey, 1994, pp. 1-9).“

Instructional Technology Design

The basis of instructional technology is instructional design, which means a
systematic development of instructions according to learning needs. The created
system must be then implemented into the real educational environment. Instructional
design is a systematic process of developing instructional systems, and its
implementation into the educational environment. Both parts of this process need
specific methods and solution tools.

A Model Approach
Instructional design is a process completely independent of any hardware or
software. The instructional design uses a model which specifies the methods that will
help transfer the knowledge, skills and attitudes to students. An instructional design
model may be defined as the visual representation of a process, showing the main
Journal of Information, Control and Management Systems, Vol.5, (2007), No.1 21

elements or phases and their relations. A few models have been published. The
commonly known ones are: Dick & Carey Model, ADDIE Model, Kemp Model,
ICARE Model, and ASSURE Model. These models share at least three major levels:
analysis, strategy development and evaluation.
The ADDIE model, recommended by Bruce [3], represents a systematic approach
divided into the following five steps:
A- analysis,
D – design,
D – development,
I – implementation,
E – evaluation.
According to this model the creative process is divided into partial tasks at five
levels. The levels sometimes overlap, and can be interrelated. The solution of the
individual levels goes step by step from the first to the fifth levels.
The first level is the analysis, and it is the basis for all other phases. This level
defines the problem, identifies the source of the problem, and determines possible
solutions. Specific research techniques can be used at this level. Researchers determine
what the problem is, which technological devices will or can be used, and how they are
to be used. In the same way they specify the customers´ needs, and they consequently
utilize the existing and future technologies to meet the needs effectively. The outputs
of this phase are the goals and list of tasks to be prepared.
The design level involves a plan and strategy for developing the system. At this
level we are going to study each technology, to indicate how to use it in the best way in
specific processes and in each of the partial activities. Various theories may be studied
for effectiveness and appropriateness. These outputs will be the inputs for the
development level.
The development level builds on both, the analysis as well as design levels.
During this level new processes are being developed, and a technical support system
for the new processes is being created.
At the implementation level the system is being used in practice. The
implementation level is being connected with many social and cultural changes, and it
needs changes in the operation activities and in the thinking paradigms. Using new
technologies requires sufficient time and assistance to ensure successful outcome of the
new technologies utilization.
The evaluation is connected with measuring effectiveness and efficiency. The
evaluation can occur within the levels, between the levels and after the implementation.
The most important is the evaluation after the implementation. In this case the
observations from the implementation and the students´ and teachers´ feedback will
help at solving some of the technical problems.
22 Learning Technology

Using the above-mentioned principles, we started with the changes of educational

process at the University of Zilina.

3 USING THE INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Slovak universities have carried out the project of the state research and
development program called „The Use of ICT and New Generation Networks Platform
in Education“, No 2003 SP 20 028 01 04. It started in the year 2003, and finished in
June 2006. Within the framework of the project, we used the above-mentioned
principles to create the e-education system.
According to this methodology, the first step was a SWOT analysis of e-
education. On the basis of the SWOT analysis we identified the problem areas which
were solved by means of an expert questionnaire.
Four problem areas were specified:

teaching and learning processes

e-study material development process

management of the education process

information and communication infrastructure realisation
268 teachers and 249 students from various Slovak universities completed the
questionnaires. The survey questionnaire was followed by experts´ brainstorming.
Following recommendations have arisen from the analysis:
1. To eliminate the barriers to the e-learning implementation by means of
transferring national and institutional strategies and policies into the
implementation/action plans of universities.
2. To apply the transformation principles to the changes in education.
3. To implement the technical systems of e-education at a professional level.
The design of e-educational systems should be created according to the needs
and requirements of education.
4. To keep creating conditions for the production of e-education materials at a
national level by forming research teams from various educational
institutions. To create standards of the basic curriculum topics for various
educational branches. To start with, at the branches with large numbers of
students.
5. e-Education quality assurance. To create systems of quality assurance for the
e-study materials, and learning and teaching processes supported by the e-
education system.
These outcomes are presented as the recommendations for the educational process
changes by means of using the information and communication technology at Slovak
universities.
Journal of Information, Control and Management Systems, Vol.5, (2007), No.1 23

The second level was the design of the e-education system. A system analysis
and design of the information system were used as the methodology of the e-
education system creation. This methodology is described in [4], [5], [6].
Because this is about a non-professional solution, the output from the
development level is an integrated system of e-education. The system consists
of five technically separated systems according to the sub-processes of learning
and teaching processes:

System of summary of the subject information,

Learning Management system,

System for exam booking,

System students grades recording,

Course evaluation system.
The proposed e-education system has been tested at the University of Žilina. It is
accessible at http://vzdelavanie.utc.sk.
The last two levels have not been put into practice. Only few teachers at the
University of Žilina use the developed e-educational system. The reason is that the
educational system has not been changed, and the principles of implementation and
evaluation levels have not been considered as important levels.

Instructional technologist
Hardware and software tools engineers develop hardware and software of e-
education system, and instructional technologists create instructional systems. These
are people with knowledge of information and communication technologies and
teaching theories, and they possess skills to analyze, develop, design, implement and
evaluate educational programs, using appropriate information and communication
technologies. According to Christoper [7] “it is someone who enjoys learning,
understands learning theory, communicates well, is flexible, can see the “big picture”,
has inquiring mind, has developed good problem solving and analytical skills, can
manage people, time and money, is well-versed in learning delivery techniques, has a
technical knowledge of the inner workings of computer and above all is creative – in
short – Superman and Wonder women”.
Who is an instructional technologist at the universities in Slovakia? Anyone
among us, who presents different activities in the field of e-learning. Each of us has
mastered some part of the knowledge and skills of instructional technology but we do
not cooperate together enough to create a new added value in education. Many
implementations of the new information and communication technologies were done to
the existing educational processes without the application of the instructional theory,
without instructional models and methods. Teachers produce instructional material and
collect learning sources, some of them design information and communication
 24 Learning Technology

infrastructure. Neither of the groups acts according to instructional design, but only
according to their own professional knowledge and skills in their own fields. Changing
this could bring new dimensions into teaching and learning processes, which are very
important in the age of knowledge society. Using the instructional technology approach
is therefore really important.

4 CONCLUSION
Using models of instructional technology in educational activities, instead of the
adapting the existing lecture plans and activity ideas, will allow creating long-lasting
innovations in learning and teaching. Instructional technology models will allow
understanding the innovation in education. Therefore it is very important to provide
models of framework activities, aims and specific instructional procedures to potential
innovators.
Such situation in education is not only a new challenge for universities but it is a
new necessity in the new competitive educational environment, and should be one of
the main priorities for universities.

REFERENCES
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_technology
[2] http://www.aect-members.org/standards/knowledgebase.html def. IT
[3] Bruce,W.J., A Differentiating Definition of Instructional Technology and
Educational Technology
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Campus/7941/trmpprh.html
[4] Hoffer,J.,A., George J., F., Valacich J., S.: Modern systems analysis and design,
Pearson Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-145461-7, 2005
[5] Matiaško K.: Databázové systémy, EDIS 2002. 383 strán. ISBN 80-7100-968-7.
[6] Matiaško K., Placement fragment of the distributed databases, Scientific papers
of the University of Pardubice, 8/2002, ISSN 1211-6610
[7] Christoper P What is Instructional technology? – A personal reflection, 1998
http://www2.gsu.edu/~mstswh/courses/it7000/papers/whatis.htm

View publication stats