Problems and needed directions in the profession of educational technology

Conclusion Finn’s 1953 assessment added up, in his opinion, “to the simply stated fact that the audiovisual field is not yet a profession” (p. 16). The current assessment can be concluded differently. In the past 25 years, educational technology has grown into a profession, but it is not a fully grown and developed profession. Educational technology has accomplished a great deal in relation to each of the criteria for a profession; this accomplishment is spelled out in AECT’sEducational Technology: Definition and Glossary of Terms. In addition, it has written about its ideals related to each of the criteria, but has not yet reached those goals. Finally, educational technology is a profession with problems related to each of the criteria—problems discussed in this paper. I have suggested directions educational technology needs to take to overcome its problems. Others will certainly think of alternative directions. If it makes no effort to overcome its problems, the profession will remain only partially developed or, perhaps, regress to a less fully developed stage. But if its leaders, its professional association, and all its members work to overcome those problems, the profession of educational technology can fulfill Finn’s (1964) prophecy that “the educational future will belong to those who can grasp the significance of [educational and] instructional technology” (p. 26).     

COUNSELING THE ELDERLY: A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR PROFESSIONALS

The present study examined the effectiveness of a training program designed to teach mental health professionals information and skills specific to counseling the elderly client. Twenty‐eight women and four men, ranging in age from 23 to 56, completed the 12‐hour training program. Results indicated that participants showed statistically significant gains on the two major assessment devices after completion of the training program. Concomitantly, job satisfaction and perception of preparedness for their current jobs as counselors to the elderly were affected in a positive direction, providing support for the efficacy of the program. The impact of the training was also sustained at the two‐month follow‐up. Regression analyses revealed that the trainee characteristic that was most predictive of success in the program was that having to do with prior knowledge; those entering the program with a higher level of basic knowledge tended to improve and learn more in training.     

The cognitive approach to training development: A practitioner's assessment

This article begins this special issue of ETR&D-Development by discussing what the cognitive approach to instructional design (ID) is and how ID practitioners can design training differently using the approach. Following some introductory comments about purpose, scope and perspective, the article is in two parts. The first part describes why the cognitive approach to ID is important and how the current approach to instructional design and training development is different from the cognitive approach. It then explains how learning occurs according to the cognitive point of view, and the different categories of learning according to one type of cognitive psychology. The second part describes a model that synthesizes and summarizes the components of a well-designed lesson, and describes what is different about this model from the current approach to ID. This model relates what learners have to do to learn to what instructional designers have to do to help them do so. It presents and briefly explains and exemplifies a general framework for instructional design based on cognitive psychology. Finally, it presents a table that can be used as a job aid to design training.