Description:
This task requires you to define the field of instructional technology. However, this task does not involve regurgitating a textbook definition of the field. There are plenty of those. For example, Cass G. Gentry (1995) offers seven definitions of instructional technology (IT) and five definitions of educational technology (ET). He views IT as "a term often used interchangeably with educational technology" that "presents refinements not found in the meaning of educational technology" (p. 5).

These refinements are quite subtle in my opinion but one general trend appears to be that the IT folks view themselves as more "scientific" and the ET folks are more prone to acknowledge the "artistic" (craft) nature of the field. In the end, with respect to defining instructional technology, I find myself agreeing with Gentry who writes that "it is possible to see that meaning [of IT or ET] depends considerably on what part of the elephant is being touched and by whom" (p. 4).

Therefore, your main challenge is to define instructional technology from your personal perspective. Please use graphics and text and as many slides as you need for this Powerpoint assignment.

Components:
Given the personal nature of this task and the enormous latitude for creativity of expression in developing a powerpoint presentation, it is not possible to specify all of the required components for this task. However, here are some questions that may help you in completing this task:

1. Is instructional technology a field in the sense that educational psychology or anthropology are thought of as academic fields? Or is instructional technology a subset of another field?

2. Is there a meaningful difference between instructional technology and educational technology?

3. Is instructional technology as relevant today as when the field was formed?

4. What questions remain about instructional technology?

5. What does instructional technology mean to my present and future career?

6. What are the major controversial issues within instructional technology?

These questions are not meant to restrict your creativity in completing this task, and you may choose to ignore them and address your own set of questions in defining instructional technology.

Suggested Strategies:
Review the readings assigned for the first few weeks of the course. Conduct web searches for definitions of instructional technology, educational technology, and related terms such as performance technology and instructional systems design. Review web pages for Departments of Instructional Technology or Educational Technology, focusing on components such as "mission statements" and "course offerings." Confer with local experts such as faculty or advanced graduate students in the Department of Instructional Technology. Create an outline of your definition. Brainstorm ideas about the message and the elements you'll use to convey your definition. You may wish the use a metaphor to convey your interpretation of the field. Enjoy the creative outlet this task provides.

Examples:
Students often like to see what students have done in previous courses. Here are some examples from the two previous semesters:

Example 1: Angela Garcia (Fall 1999)
Example 2: Teresa Wise (Fall 1999)
Example 3: Kay Wood (Summer 2000)
Example 4: Bob Rodes (Fall 2000)

Evaluation and Feedback
In addition to posting your own definitional powerpoint file, you will provide feedback to your teammates concerning their Task 1 web pages. The feedback must follow the rubric shown below. All students must post their ppt into their team's bulletin board area in WebCT. You must receive peer feedback and make revisions based on that feedback before you submit your work to the instructor.

References:
Gentry, C. G. (1995). Educational technology: A question of meaning. In G. J. Anglin (Ed.), Instructional technology: Past, present, and future (2nd Ed.) (pp. 1-10). Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.