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First School Museum
The first school museum in America opened on April 11, 1905. The motto of the museum was "Bring the world to the child." (The Evolution of American Educational Technology, L. Paul Saettler) -
Edison's Prophecy
On July 13, 1913, Thomas Edison was quoted as saying: "Books will soon be obsolete in schools...It is possible to teach every branch of human knowledge with the motion picture. Our school system will be completely changed in the next ten years." Edison's prophecy was largely mistaken in timeframe. But his vision of multimedia education was incredibly forward looking for his time, and he is still seen as an inspiration for instructional designers for this vision. (Saettler, p. 129) -
Department of Visual Instruction
The Birth of the Department of Visual Instruction. This department, which was part of the NEA, came about through the mergining of three prominent organizations dedicated to audiovisual instruction.(Trends and Issues, p. 18) -
World War II: American Instructional Design Theory
After America entered the war, the necessity for the development of educational media presupposed educational research. During the war years, there was tremendous growth in the field of instructional design research and experimentation. (Trends & Issues, p.23) -
World War II: American Instructional Media
The abrupt entry into the war on the part of America required a swift instruction in military and industry. The creation of instructional materials exploded in scope during this time. he German Chief of General Staff said: “We had everything calculated perfectly except the speed with which America was able to train its people. Our major miscalculation was in underestimating their quick and complete mastery of film education." (Trends & Issues, p. 19) -
American Institutes for Research
After the war drew to a close, a number of groups continued the research begun in instructional design and theory that had developed during the war. One institute that was established for this purpose was American Institutes for Research. (Trends & Issues, p. 23) -
Ralph Tyler's "Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction"
In 1949, Raph Tyler published "Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction". This book was very influential and laid out a simple proposal for evaluation and delivering content. -
Ludwig von Bertalanffy's GST
In 1951, Ludwig von Bertalanffy published his general system theory. This theory sought to provide an alternate way of looking at various teaching categories and systems. -
242 Channel Television Expansion
The Federal Communications Commission set aside, in 1952, 242 channels for educational programs. -
Skinner's "The Science of Learning and the Art of Teaching"
Behaviorist B.F. Skinner wrote an article for a Harvard Journal called "The Science of Learning and the Art of Teaching." This 1954 article had a significant impact in the field of education. (Trends & Issues, p.23) -
IBM Teaching Machines
The field of computer assisted instruction was greatly explored by IBM who, in the late 1950s, developed IBM Teaching Machines. This project was the first major foray into computers used for purposes of instruction. (Trends & Issues, p. 20) -
Robert Mager's Preparing Objectives for Programmed Instruction
1962, Robert Mager helped revolutionize the approach to instructional design with his book Preparing Objectives for Programmed Instruction. (Trends & Issues, p. 24) -
John B. Carroll's Model of School Learning
In 1962, John B. Carroll unveiled his "Model of School Learning." This model strove to predict student achievement by examining individual differences and instructional variables. -
AECT 1963 Defintion
In 1963 the AECT provided the first official definition of educational technology. The definition began: "Audiovisual communications is that branch of educational theory and practice primarily concerned with the design and use of messages which control the learning process." -
Gagne's "The Levels of Learning"
In 1965, Robert Gagne made a significant contribution to instructional theory with his book "The Levels of Learning." (p. 24) -
Jerome Bruner and Cognitivism
In 1966, Jerome Bruner published "Studies in Cognitive Growth." He was a pivotal thinker in cognitive psychology and developed the idea of "scaffolding." -
Benjamin Bloom's Mastery-Learning
In 1968, Benjamin Bloom put forth his theory of Matery-Learning. This theory advocated the necessity of learners reaching a certain level of mastery before proceeding to subsequent materials. -
The ADDIE Model
In 1975, the ADDIE Model was developed by FSU for designers and trainers. The ADDIE Model consists of five parts: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. -
Instructional Design and the Military
In 1975, several branches of the military adopted instructional design models to help improve their educational methods. -
Personal Computers Go Mainstream
As exemplified by Macintosh launch on January 24, 1984, the 1980s were the years of the personal computer. As the PC went more mainstream, so did interest (and development) in instructional methods for computers. (Trends & Issues, p. 26) -
Jeroen van Merriënboer's 10 Steps
In 1997, Jeroen van Merriënboer published "Ten Steps to Complex Learning: A Systematic Approach to Four-Component Instructional Design". The ten step process he proposed has proven influential in modern instructional design and development. -
Constructivism in Education
Jerome Bruner's influential book "The Culture of Education" is a testimony (and contributor) to the influence that constructivism played in education during the 1990s. During the 1990s, this school had tremendous impact in the field of education. (Trends & Issues, p. 26) -
M. David Merrill and the Pebble in the Pond
In 2002, M. David Merrill published his "Pebble in the Pond" instructional design method. This method proposes these steps: problem, progression, analysis, strategy, design, production. -
AECT 2008 Definition
In 2008, the AECT provided a new definiiton of educational technology. It began: "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 Internet in the Classroom
The iPad launched in 2010 and this coincided with the near universal implementation of internet access throughout American classrooms. By 2009, internet access was available in 93% of classrooms. With portable devices like the iPad that did not require training or expensive wiring, the classroom was ready for instructional media like never before. (Trends & Issues, p.21)
