Instructional Technology

What Does Instructional Technology Mean?

Instructional technology is a specific technology field that deals with creating resources for learning.

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The nature of instructional technology is traced back to academics like B.B. Seels and R.C. Ritchie, who defined it as "the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management and evaluation of processes and resources for learning."

From this definition, it is clear that instructional technology does involve things like Web-based training and other learning resources. It is more of a comprehensive term for all of those designs that accommodate successful learning technologies.

Techopedia Explains Instructional Technology

Instructional technology is not the same as information technology, although both are commonly abbreviated as IT. Whereas information technology is a broad-based, overarching category of technology very familiar to the business community, instructional technology is a bit more obscure. Experts also point out that instructional technology is not synonymous with digital training. Instead, it is a body of theory about a field of technology that has various characteristics including applied intellectual techniques, established disciplines and academic value.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…