Education for a Digital World Advice, Guidelines and Effective Practice from Around Globe, 2008a

6 – The Impact of Technology on Education
Learning outcomes
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
• Trace the history of instructional technologies in education.
• Select the best emerging technologies in e-learning.
• Develop design guidelines for learning materials to be
delivered via emerging technologies.
• Provide support for learners taking courses at a distance
using emerging technologies.
• Identify trends in e-learning and emerging technologies.
Introduction
Learners. educators, and workers in all sectors are increasingly
using emerging technologies such as cell
phones, tablet PC, personal digital assistants (PDAs), web
pads, and palmtop computers. As a result, these tools
make learning and training materials accessible anywhere,
anytime.
Today, the trend is towards learning and working “on
the go”, rather than having to be at a specific location at
a specific time. As learners become more mobile, they
are demanding access to learning materials wherever
they are and whenever they need them. This trend will
increase because of ubiquitous computing, where computing
devices, wireless connectivity, and transparent
user interfaces are everywhere.
Educators must be prepared to design and deliver
instruction using these emerging technologies. In addition
to delivering learning materials, emerging technologies
can be used to interact with learners, especially
those who live in remote locations. At the same time,
learners can use the technologies to connect with each
other to collaborate on projects and to debate and discuss
ideas.
This chapter provides a brief history of technology in
education, outlines the benefits of using emerging technologies
in e-learning, provides design guidelines for
developing learning materials, describes the support
required for these technologies, and discusses future
trends in e-learning.
The history of instructional
technology in education
In the early ages, before formal schools, family members
educated younger members with one-to-one coaching
and mentoring. Early instructional technologies were
sticks to draw on the ground and rocks to draw on walls.
Information was not recorded permanently. With the
invention of paper and the printing press, information
was recorded, and learners could refer to documents as
needed for learning. The paper revolution was followed
much later by the invention of computer hardware and
the software that makes computers do what we want,
including developing electronic learning materials.
In the early 1960s, these learning materials were designed
and developed on mainframe computers. In the
1970s, computer-based training systems used minicomputers
to teach. With the invention of the microcomputer
in the late 1970s and early 1980s educators
and learners had more control over the design and delivery
of learning materials. As learners determined for
themselves what they wanted to learn, the instructor’s
role changed from that of a presenter of information to
that of a facilitator. The microcomputer revolutionized
the way educational materials were developed and delivered.
The instructor was able to design learning materials
using authoring systems, and learners were able to
learn when and where they wanted.
Rumble (2003) identified four generations of distance
education systems: correspondence systems; educational
broadcasting systems; multimedia distance education
systems; and online distance education systems. In early
distance education learning materials were mailed to
learners and the learners mailed assignments back to the
instructor. The first attempt to use computers for instruction
was by the military, who designed instruction
to train military staff. About the same time, educational
institutions started to use broadcast television to deliver
instruction to learners. With the invention of the microcomputer
in the 1970s, there was a shift to microcomputer-based
learning systems. Because the different
microcomputer systems then in use did not communicate
with each other, there was limited flexibility in developing
and sharing learning materials. Also, the early
microcomputer systems did not provide features such as
audio, video, and special effects. As instructional technology
improved, educators developed learning materials
in less time and with more control over the product.
Until the late 1970s, educational institutions used
face-to-face classroom instruction. This was followed by
a shift to a more individualized format using self-study
workbooks, videotapes, and computer software. As technology
advanced, the group-based classroom mode shifted
to the one-to-one mode of delivery. The combination of
the Internet and mobile technology has moved e-
learning to the next generation, allowing educators to
design and deliver learning materials for learners living
58 Education for a Digital World