Designing with Technology

Educational technology represents the application of knowledge for the practical purpose of learning. Michael Spector, a leading scholar who has written broadly on the subject of educational technology, suggests that we define it as “a technology that can help a person learn something” [1]. Educational technologies can represent a wide range of potential applications, including everyday items like pens, paper, books, or personal journals. We can broaden our understanding of educational technologies beyond computers, tablets, and smartphones to include applications such as self-check quizzes, video introductions, story boards, and online forums.

[Educational technology is] a technology that can help a person learn something.

Michael Spector

We have divided the Technology category into two subcategories: Tools and Tasks.

    • In the Tools section you will find descriptions of online resources you can make use of in your course design. We highlight Moodle as a learning management system in this section, but we also feature other open web resources. 
    • In the Tasks section you will find ideas and suggestions for how to make use of the tools to fit your educational purpose. We grouped the tasks into those related to content creation, learning activities, and communication.

[1] J. Michael Spector, Foundations of Educational Technology: Integrative Approaches and Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 2nd ed. (New York: Routledge, 2016), 9.