Educational Technology

Scientific Learning Corporation

Guide to Educational Technology

Get technology in education without having to learn it
By Thomas Walton

Instructional technology should allow the student to focus on the subject of study rather than having to learn the technology. With new technologies and standards for e-books emerging in higher education businesses, technology for learning may become truly “people”-friendly, never to be referred to as "user" again.

Over the past few years the educational market has adopted e-books. Publishers anticipate that e-book sales will ring in billions of dollars in growth within the next 4 years. This information is what is driving educational technology companies to invest in the future of e-books for higher education technology. Keep in mind the following considerations for higher education solutions.

1. How much do you know about higher education technology?

2. Is technology for education a cultural obstacle to your students?

3. Are your employees willing to learn new skills from educational technology?

Action Steps

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Integrate education technology companies into your class curriculum The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a trusted source for professional development, and more. ISTE is a very good place for integrating education technologies into any curriculum.

I recommend:  Get ISTE technology integration solutions for higher education. See a list of resources on instructional technology from the University of Colorado at Denver. And, don't forget that you will benefit by comparing other educational technology solutions at IBM.

Promote technology and education in your company and go paperless While institutions are facing troubles with funding and student expectations, businesses have a few advantages with their students - namely, their employees. Employees will want to upgrade their skills to meet the increasing demands in their field, especially IT professionals. Education technology companies make it possible for the working adult to pursue a certificate or degree.

I recommend:  Promote technology and education with Educause, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to helping professionals achieve new horizons. Look into e-books as a medium for higher education and upgrading your employee’s skills. Another benefit of going paperless is that your company can maintain a higher level of security for sensitive documentation.

Get the right medium for instructional technology While it is true that academic publishers are still working on a common XML-based format for e-books, nearly one-third of US dental schools have gone completely digital. iTunes U is expanding college and higher education technology beyond the usual scope of learning. With audio-video technology for education and business technology education, the classroom goes where the student goes.

I recommend:  Go mobile with your technology and education, and implement iTunes U into your higher education technology. Getting around multi-format issues is easy with Intel Mac, which allows students to run both windows and Mac applications on the same computer.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• When purchasing education technologies, ask the vendor to address portability standards for content and multi-format issues.
• When purchasing education technologies, ask the vendor to address portability standards for content and multi-format issues.