Foundations of Educational Technology

Reviewed by Zita Podany, Adjunct Faculty, Education Dept., Portland Community College on 6/28/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 2 see less

Chapter 1
A very short glimpse into educational technology. Two of the videos from YouTube basically say the same thing – one is cartoonish (created by SMARTboard technologies) the other provides additional information. However, it does not go in depth about the history of computers and when they actually became adopted in schools as an educational tool with K12 students. This is just an overview from era BCE to current times as to how we came from cave paintings to using interactive devices in classroom. Not clear as to who the target audience is for this textbook. Is the target audience students in college classes who are planning on working in K12 education or is this geared towards educational technology in post-secondary settings?

Chapter 2.1
Video is no longer available – video of two children.

The problem with embedded videos and reliance upon external Internet resources is that they are here today and gone tomorrow. As an instructor it just makes time consuming finding a video that is no longer available and trying to figure out what the video contained to get an idea of what the intention of the video was and what it would add to the context of developmental psychology.

Chapter two does not give concrete examples of what sort of educational technology would be optimum at particular levels – recommendations in terms of devices and types of software being used currently in schools for those particular levels and would be inclusive to special education students and English language learners. If this textbook is geared towards individuals who are planning on working in K12, more resources need to be provided as to what software and tech tools are used at different stages of development (including students with special needs and language barriers).

Video of young adult and child is also no longer available so the following paragraphs in both instances of missing videos do not make sense as to what technology was used and to be able to see the child’s reaction. Was there technology being used?

Again, the use of YouTube videos (those external resources) are very transient resources and in their absence the subsequent narrative about the video does not make any sense.

Chapter 2 really goes over basic psychological stages of development -- Piaget’s and Erickson’s theories but there is no connective aspect in this chapter to how a K12 teacher would apply that to technology in a classroom setting – no concrete examples from students using technology at those levels and its effects on a child’s neurocognitive development and no mention of current research on how devices, such as cell phones, seem to affect and stimulate certain parts of the brain from being in passive to active cognitive states. No mention of how young students brain development can be affected by too much screen time or it addictive qualities.

This chapter is really a summation of chapters on from a basic psych course on Piaget and Erickson without drawing a connection or application to technology in K12 education. How do STEAM activities fit in? When is a good time to introduce keyboarding. How long should students at different neurocognitive stages be on device per day?

Chapter 3 discusses learning theory geared toward K12? There is some mention of programmed learning based on operant conditioning from drill and practice for basic skills (such as learning vocabulary and math skills), to gamification strategies such as “leveling up” to keep students engaged with certain types of content. However, this is only mentioned in one paragraph whereas the rest of the chapter deals with the more theoretical psychology of behavior modification found in basic psychology courses. There are no concrete examples of how some drill and practice software is really counterproductive and studies have shown that they really do not have lasting effects in learning concepts on a standalone basis. Would have been good to mention how MECC software in the past, such as the Oregon Trail and Where in the World is Carmen San Diego only reinforced guessing strategies and students when given pre and post tests did not learn anything from those particular “educational” games.

Chapter 3 also includes a page or two regarding social psychology aspects and provides a YouTube video of Albert Bandura explaining his research in modeling aggression in children using the Bobo doll. Again, this is very dated and does not provide current research of how social media has affected student behavior in terms of brain research, “social acceptance” for getting media clicks and the increase in reinforcing influences of negative behaviors to achieve “likes” and views and its addictive properties on developing minds. The high increase of anonymity in the digital sphere, the bullying tactics and its implication on mental and psychosocial health and development. The rise of young students using social medial platforms to bully and to body-shame others as well as staging and instigating school violence and posting videos on those platforms. These are all increasing and concerning issues in education as more technology is available to younger children without proper vetting by the adults in their lives.

The resources provided in this chapters are basic information found in most educational psychology textbooks without connective threads to today’s issues faced in schools and whether certain tech tools are appropriate for certain stages of human development.

The information is pretty dated without including more current research in these areas and how it relates to educational technology.

Chapter 4 covers goal orientation in terms of achievement of students in academic subjects, the failure-avoidant goals, social goals, and encouraging mastery goals in core academic subjects (math, English, science, history and foreign languages). Covers intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors. Yet our schools now have a lot more emphasis on other areas such as CTE, STEAM, music, art, ELL, special Ed. Schools now employ social workers, psychologists, SEL curriculum and trauma-informed practices to reach students from all backgrounds. The integration of technology as young as Kindergarten is a reality in terms of motivation, addictive properties, behavior, and attention spans. Would like to see more current research mentioned in these areas instead of the standard research from times prior to this infusion of digital tech in and out of school environments. We now have more students consuming digital content than ever before leading to increases in sleep disorders, depression, bullying, anti-social behaviors, divided attention, anxiety and unable to discern fact from fiction.

The Attribution section needs to include trauma-informed and SEL practices in addition to what is presented. Additional, more up-to-date examples need to be provided as well as a focus on creating inclusive classroom environments. In some regions we have dual language classroom which does impact the learning strategies to use. Would like to see more intercultural communication examples. Attributions as experienced by students from other cultures can be perceived in negative ways. Classrooms today have more of a diverse mix of students so being cognizant of cultural differences in how we address motivation, self-efficacy, expectations, rewards, and communication (verbal and non-verbal aspects). How do we build those classrooms that are inclusive, safe and will allow students to learn and be successful. How does technology and its use fit into this? Age-appropriate pedagogy and developmentally appropriate practices in the use of technology to create learning spaces needs to be addressed.

What do student need to know in terms of 21st Century skills and how do those models relate to teaching those skills at each stage of learning while navigating an increasing tech-driven society. How do we use those learning stages to teach with tech tools to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills especially with AI, Deep Fake, Social Media, Fake News, Disinformation/Misinformation, Immersive Technologies (VR/AR..), cultural divides and navigating in a glut of information. This textbook needs to include more of the current trends, modalities and issues related to our digital natives and the impact it has on teaching and learning venues (F2F, Remote, Fully-online, hybrid, etc.). During COVID-19 we a lot of issues crop up as schools went into fully-online mode and some of the fallout from that is as we returned back to classrooms has shown the disparities and the full impact on psycho-social health and learning.

Chapter 5 glosses over adult and workplace learning yet a connection is not made in terms of how it applies and what issues arise to the use of technology in various modalities.

Chapter 6 glosses over communication models and includes a YouTube video of “Death by PowerPoint by David Phillips from 10 years ago. It is a good video however, some of the language is now dated. Barring some of the dated phrasing, it is a good video on how NOT to create bulleted PowerPoint presentations but to use PowerPoint to tell compelling stories and keep the audience engaged. I too use that video in my classes but warn students not to take issue with a couple of the phrases used by Phillips. This is a brief chapter and I wish it had included some aspects of multi-cultural communication strategies to keep in mind as we are living in a more globalized digital sphere – such as assumptions, stereotypes, dated language, attention spans, etc. What about AI issues and the use of language and images? Are there biases there? How can we overcome some of those hurdles and assumptions when bots create content or narratives?

Chapter 7 -- Research in Educational Technology. Very generic overview of past and present research models. Would have like to see more integration of current research as it relates to gamification, drill and practice, various assessment strategies, project-based and simulations and how each different method affects learning and the retention of what has been learned as well as applying concepts to novel situations to synthesize and derive new meaning and content.

Chapter 8 -- Instructional Design
Good videos on the topic. One video is no longer available: Dick and Carey. There is a link to an external website for the Dick and Carey model however, the ads and pop ups were just too much to tolerate. Wish there was a better way we could snag good content from websites without all those ads and popups, which really serve to distract from the readability of the information on those external website links.

Chapter 9 - Technology selection and integration –
This chapter needs expansion and more up-to-date information as this is the crux of the whole concept of the book, Foundations of Educational TECHNOLOGY.

This is pretty dated now:
“For example, when teachers use word processors to prepare and then continuously update teaching materials, or spreadsheet software to track and calculate grades, they are increasing their efficiency and productivity without fundamentally changing the task at hand. “ (chapter 9.2, paragraph 1)

We now have LMS software – fully integrated software packages that allow us to create content and upload to LMS platforms such as Moodle, Canvas, D2L and more. Most have integrated grading systems so no need to track grades via a spreadsheet anymore (at least not for the last 15 years). The content in this chapter is a bit dated and needs to highlight more current trends in K12 use and integration of technology across the curriculum. We have gone beyond the use of word processing and tracking student progress via spreadsheets.

Needed to highlight current resources, software, pedagogy and further reading from places such as Tech&Learning (https://www.techlearning.com/magazine).

The subsequent chapters are just short versions of how we adapt and adopt technology from a sociology angle as well as copyright and ethical issues. As things are changing rapidly would have like to see more expansion in this arena to also include current events and court cases.

Did not even mention the hurdles faced by schools and school districts in implementing technology, the issues involved and the budgetary concerns. Did not mention Internet safety curriculum, developing AUPs (acceptable use policies), equitable access to technology (Internet access, up-to-date devices).

As mentioned earlier, if this is a focus on K12, then more information and examples need to include how technology is being implemented in K12 learning environments and its impact on students and teachers.

Should include more relevant links to educational resources and websites.

Content Accuracy rating: 2

There are several links to YouTube videos that no longer work. The videos are no longer available. This covers fundamental information from introductory psychology and sociology coursework rather than looking at current trends in educational technology, its trends, applications, and results. Needs updating and needs to include current research specific to educational technology.

Not sure who the intended audience is? K12 teachers or adults?

Relevance/Longevity rating: 2

A lot of the information is dated. Confusion as to who the audience is based on the content. If this is meant for K12 -- the use of technology in K12 education and is meant as a textbook for current or aspiring K12 teachers, then this content is too generic, dated and does not include current trends and research in K12 education, especially in the integration of technology across the curriculum.

YouTube videos are pretty dated and some YouTube video are not longer available. (broken links)

Clarity rating: 3

Glossary of terms and an index would be good. Would have been good to show some examples of current technology in use in K12 classrooms.

Consistency rating: 3

The chapters are short, include links to YouTube videos, have a summary, and resources page for each chapter. Includes heading in each chapter and chapter subsections.

Modularity rating: 3

Although the material presented in each chapter is short, there is not much content in each section beyond the summation of basic educational psychology content one would get in a course on Educational Psychology in a university teacher-prep program.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

The flow is good, the content is sparse and not current.

Interface rating: 4

Other than broken links to YouTube videos, the flow is good and the interface is easy to navigate. Would have been good to have glossary

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not find any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

There are some assumptions that may not be accurate. Concentration on core academics without mentioning dual language classroom, ELL, SPED, and highly diverse classrooms which have implications of how technology is used, consumed and taught. Needed to include more on trauma-informed pedagogy as well as SEL strategies (Social Emotional Learning).

Comments

The book title, based on the content, should really be, Foundations of Educational Psychology.

Reviewed by Erin Weldon, Instructional Design Specialist, Trine University on 11/22/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This textbook maps out the foundations of educational technology into specific categories. Readers develop an understanding of the overall topic through the historical aspects of the idea of educational technology, followed by developmental theories, learning theories, motivation to increase engagement, adult and workplace learning, how communication impacts instructional design, thorough research and different views of educational technology, a chapter that covers the most critical aspects of instructional design, integrating technology and the selection process, acceptance and diffusion of technology, and ending with a chapter on professional ethics. The textbook provides instructional design opportunities in many different disciplines in addition to education. The textbook provides a table of contents; however, there is no index glossary. It might be beneficial to include a glossary of the terms used throughout the book that relate to educational technology. As an introduction to the topic, readers might find it helpful to understand the meaning of terms.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

Content is accurate and up-to-date on theories regarding Educational Technology. This textbook appears to be unbiased as it offers research on different perspectives and theories; however, I noticed in the Chapter 11.2: Conflicts of Interest, the last paragraph could come across as biased information as there could be opinionated information written.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

There are some videos throughout the textbook that represent relevant information; however, some a from more than five years ago. To avoid obsolete information, you might consider choosing content that has been created within the last five years. As many know, technology can change very quickly!

Clarity rating: 3

The text is clear and accessible to read most of the time. The URL links do not appear accessible. It might be helpful to include descriptive hyperlinks for each of the YouTube videos embedded into the book. Technology jargon is used occasionally throughout the text. It might be beneficial to include the definition of the terms at the end of the pages or a include a glossary at the end.

Consistency rating: 5

All terminology and the framework is consistent and relevant to Educational Technology.

Modularity rating: 4

The text is organized very well into specific categories and does not overwhelm the reader. I do find the videos a little distracting. It might be helpful to include the videos as a descriptive hyperlink rather than appear on the page.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Each chapter demonstrates a great understanding of the topic and the chapters lead into one another. The book flows in a way that readers will not be confused or feel as if something is missing before reading another chapter.

Interface rating: 4

Overall, the textbook was simple to navigate; however, it might be useful to include page navigation at the bottom left and right corners. Readers can move from page to page without having to go back to the table of contents. Including the next topic with the navigational buttons would also increase ease of navigation.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not find any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive. I found the research to be very thorough and the text includes a variety of perspectives.

Comments

Overall, this textbook is a great introduction to Educational Technology and discusses the key points leaders will need to know about the discipline.