REFLECTIONS ON THE STATE OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
by Robert Kozma and Rita C. Richey
SUMMARY OF ARTICLE
In the article, “Reflections on the State of Educational Technology
Research and Development” by Robert Kozma, the author discusses on how
technology is at the forefront of educational research and design. In the
past, educational technology research was very limited and only a handful
of individuals were extensively focused on this subject. Instructional Technology
project that once lasted less than one hour are now more complex than before
and also tackle and explore theoretical issues in educational today.
Kozma later talks about how projects such as the STAR.legacy, LEGO-Logo,
One Minute Paper, and much more use technology to take design beyond the domain
of the instructional designer and engage adults and children, teachers and
students in the design process. He also talks about how technology, mostly
dealing with computers, has played a big role in many articles in the Educational
Technology Research and Design Journal. Collaboration with partners, such
as the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment)
program, National Science Foundation (NSF), and Center for Innovative Learning
Technologies (CILT), are bridging institutions, organizations, sectors, and
disciplines to bring together resources to design technology-based environments
that solve problems of teaching and learning. Kozma favors scaling up and
increasing the time and complexity on IT research projects. Alternatives methods
of research can overcome some limitations of the traditional research approach
to help understand what is and isn’t working, why it is working or not,
and what can be done about it.
Kozma make four points about two papers written by Richey (1998) and Driscoll
and Dick(1999) which focuses more on the traditional instructional systems
design (ISD) paradigm. The first point is that their papers were narrowly
focused on the models, literature, and practice on IT. The second point that
Kozma states is that the papers that Richey and Driscoll and Dick wrote were
from old resource and bibliographies. The first point is that there is a disconnection
between the ISD field and the practitioner communities that it seeks to support.
The final point is that neither Richey (1998) nor Driscoll and Dick (1999)
talked about issues on the role of technology and media play in learning and
instruction. Kozma discusses three components for cultural change. The first
components is that people need to reconceptualize our relationships with our
clients. The second component is to change from the design of instruction
to the design of learning environments. In the final component, the author
stresses that however much people open up the design process, we are still
participants and prime contributers.
Rita C. Richie wrote an article response to Kozma. She agrees with Kozma
that the IT field needs to expand and broaden, but she doesn’t feel
that technology is the solution to every IT or educational problem. Some environments
require less technology are more traditional Instructional Systems Design.
She is also not pessimistic about the traditional concerns of IT. She envisions
that the field is becoming more diverse and an increase in theorizing and
intellectual debate.
Kozma replied back to Richie’s response on his article. He feels that
Richie’s representations of his article is a misconception to his position.
He believes that main focus on research should be design and technology and
not just one or the other.
Kozma biggest interest is not just technology itself (pixels, megahertz, and
gigabytes), but what designers can do with this technology.
IMPACT ON PRACTICE OF EDUCATION
There will always be those people that are totally in favor of emerging
technology, and those that are not. Some educators will use technology in
every activity they do while other educators will not even bother with any.
As the technology increases and spread on a even larger variety of medium,
I think there will be more educator that will turn to technology for the solution.
REACTION OF ARTICLE
This was a very interesting article. I can see both Kozma and Richie’s
point of view. Since I am a very tech-savvy person, I tend to lean more toward
Kozma and his thinking on education and technology. Although technology is
every growing by the second, there will always be educators that will be against
technology and teaching. I just feel the longer they wait, the farther behind
they will be in pushing the boundaries of students education and capabilities.
The combination of audio, video, animation, and text will truly advance the
way students learn.
QUESTION(S) / TOPIC(S) FOR DISCUSSIONS
1. Does learning occur more with using technology in education or without
technology?
2. Does Kozma have a better approach to education or does Richie?
