Abstract:

Using technology to support teaching and learning is not an exclusive achievement of the 21st century. Educators have historically attempted to incorporate various instruments into their teaching, aiming both at automating instruction and hence facilitating their work, and at enhancing their pupils’ learning. Throughout the history of education, technology appears to be an integral part of most educational milestones, highly promising for both students and instructors, affecting the educational landscape by eliciting new didactic dimensions. An extensive variety of learning technologies was at the disposal of educators since at least the 19th century, while there is evidence of the use of instructional technologies at even older times. This paper will attempt to chart an updated chronological timeline of the critical educational milestones that ensued as a result of technology integration in educational settings; the paper will therefore provide a survey that can benefit any research related to the use of technology supporting teaching and learning. The value of chronological surveys is well-established, with numerous advantages, such as serving as thinking tools promoting reflection on current established practices. The paper will begin with a set of the prevailing definitions of relevant terms, including “Educational Technology” and “Instructional Technology”. Then, a time-based classification of such technologies will follow, grouping these as pre-digital (i.e. until late 1960’s) and digital (late 1960’s until now). Rather than focusing exclusively on the technological advances, the primary aim here will be to identify the educational transformations resulting from these technological developments. Consequently, the presented chronology will identify the paradigms of technology integration in educational settings, along with any technology innovations that eventually led to critical changes in teaching and learning.

Keywords:

Chronology, history of TEL, Technology Enhanced Learning, TEL, educational technology, instructional technology, ICT.