In reading the various definitions of "Instructional Technology" in Chapter 1 of "Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology," I felt a little ahead of the game. The most recent definition produced by the AECT committee in 2008 states "Educational Technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources." The reason I felt a little ahead of the game is that I am already using technology in both areas indicated by the goals of the most recent definition. In the early days of instructional technology, the goal was that technology was viewed as a process, in that the end goal was to make instruction more effective. This is still an important goal, one that I am trying to reach currently teaching fourth grade. I am blessed to have a lot of technology at my disposal (SMART Board, Netbooks, Computer Lab, etc.), and I find using technology does enhance and improve my teaching.
The newer focus with the more recent definitions was the additional goal of facilitating improved learning methods. This is particularly exciting to me as my fourth grade class next year will be getting Google Chromebooks (1:1 ratio, I know I keep harping on this, but I'm thrilled to start implementing them). One of the things we are trying to tackle as a fourth grade team is how to make this new technology not only improve and enhance learning, but also to improve student performance. I attended a MACUL Conference last month at Kalamazoo RESA that gave me some really great programs to utilize technology in this way.
I didn't really think anything was missing (though as I'm taking an intro class, that might be due to naivety), but one thing that was new to me, and this might sound dumb, but the fact that the term "instructional design and technology" had an actual "official" definition that has changed slightly through the years. It was interesting to see as technology has rapidly changed since the 1950s when "instructional technology" became an entity, the definition has had to change rapidly as well.
Moving on to Chapter 3, and to answer question 1, part a, I find it can be very easy to misunderstand greater use of technology if you aren't aware of how beneficial it can be to improve learning. One factor of why the scenario presented in question 1 had little effect on student learning is that nothing changed in the instruction. The laptops essentially served as a convenient location for the textbooks, workbooks, study guides, and other materials. Other than the students carrying a lighter load home in their backpacks, the students were being taught the exact same way as before, just on a laptop instead of a textbook.
The second factor could be due to teacher resistance to the new changes. While not explicitly stated here, the teachers didn't use the laptops for anything other than what they normally do in the classroom. A reason for this might be because the teachers themselves were not enthusiastic to find new and innovative ways to allow the technology to foster new ways of teaching. By just having the materials the teachers were already using, it seems no effort was made to get the most out of the technology. If the teachers are resistant, no innovation will come.
The third factor is that the media being used with the laptops was of poor or mediocre quality. Whether this was the materials already being used (the textbooks, etc.) or an attempt to use other media on the laptops, it wasn't working. Good computer programs are like good textbooks, they will work if the quality is high. If you are using materials, whether they be technological or otherwise, it's important to make sure those materials are actually useful to promote higher learning.
To answer part b of the question, one strategy I would use to increase the effectiveness of the technology in the classroom would be to provide training for the staff using the technology. As I mentioned above, attending the MACUL conference (and by extension, this class) helped me better understand the Chromebooks we'll be getting. It would cut down on teacher resistance, since you will be getting them involved in learning ways they can better implement the technology, instead of having them throw caution to the wind.
Another strategy that could be used by the school district would be investing in research-based programs to be used on the laptops. If the programs being used are ineffective, it would make sense to seek out better tools to use with the technology. Just like teacher resistance, administration may be resistant to spending money on computer-based programs. It is my understanding that many of these programs are inexpensive, and you can usually get decent rates for an entire classroom. Some teacher may invest the money themselves, as I have on a couple of occasions.
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