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The Mesopotamians are believed to be the first inventors of the Abacus, a counting machine. The tool consisted of a board with either cut grooves or dowels holding beads, pebbles, or other materials that can slide up and down to keep count. Link -
According to Patton (Patton, 1990), the Greek poet Simonides created a method of using mnemonics as a memory aid for story telling. Namely, Simonides devised the Method of Loci whereby one remembers details of a story as arranged in the many rooms of a home (fort or palace). To remember a the parts (items) of a story, one assigns each to the room of a house. Then by walking through those rooms in a prescribed order, one can recall the story elements assigned. -
This method of instruction relies on the instructor guiding the student through a series of leading questions in a give-and-take conversation method. -
This high school is built on the same site as the very first Chinese school, founded around 143-141 BCE, during the Han dynasty which is considered to be the oldest existing school in the world.
Located: Chengdu, Sichuan, China -
Gutenberg's movable type printing press makes the written word much more available to the masses. -
Hornbooks were small, handheld learning tools used from the 15th through the 18th centuries, especially in colonial America and early modern Europe. They were wooden paddles with a printed sheet attached, usually covered by a thin, transparent layer of animal horn to protect the text -
Johann Comenius published the first illustrated textbook for children featuring numbered diagrams and a side-by-side Latin translation. -
Starting in the mid-1800s, Juan Genoply used his home as a schoolhouse when he recognized how important it was to learn English and taught Minorcan children reading, writing and arithmetic.
Located: St. Augustine, FL, USA -
The Magic Lantern became the first projector used in classrooms. The Magic Lantern used light from candles or oil lamps to project images.
A History of Classroom Projectors -
Joseph Lancaster develops monitorial system of instruction in England. This method introduces the concept of student leaders ("monitors") to drilling and reciting to small groups, allowing for large-scale student instruction in a classroom setting. -
Establishment of the Deaf school providing a proper education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals access to education in their native language.
https://gallaudet.edu/museum/history/the-legacy-begins/ -
This invention greatly improves long distance communication and the sharing of information over
long distances. -
Microfilm was a method of preserving records in a compact and cost-effective format, via small film like strips. Link -
Edward A Sheldon brings object-teaching to the US. He introduced the idea that there is more to learning than reading text. -
Colleges began for the need of educated labor in the 1800's. A distinction influenced by the middle-class society of accreditation, class, and wealth for specific higher education programs began in the 1870's. However; not as thorough as we see today. Undergraduate programs became a prerequisite for traditional professions (ministry, law, medicine, and pharmacy) by the 1930's soon followed by newer professions. Accessibility to various programs has been debated to this day. -
Establishment of Froebel's Kindergarten (Germany), which emphasized structured play and early childhood education, significantly influencing later instructional approaches and highlighting the importance of developmentally appropriate learning activities. -
Universities began offering distance learning to the students once called nonresidential or external degrees which made education more accessible to a variety of learners. -
Those who have a specific level of hearing loss the ability to boost the audible level of hearing. Not fixing their hearing but enabling them to hear more background noises.
https://deafhistory.eu/index.php/component/zoo/item/1898-invention-of-electrical-hearing-aids?Itemid=148 -
The pencil started to be used in the classroom. The students were more responsible for their work and taking notes. This led to easier assessments since the pencil could be used on paper making it easier to grade than verbal tests. This eventually led to scantrons. -
The first education museum was opened in St. Louis. It contains visual aids to instruction such as photographs, stereographs, slides, films, prints, charts, and other materials for use by teachers across the district to supplement lessons. -
Gamification is a concept that has not been around that long it is a relatively new concept, it gained widespread usage in the 21st century as a powerful engagement tool, it is used as a mechanism to help boost engagement and user enjoyment. In 1908, boy scouts awarded members with badges to emphasize their achievements. Whenever boy scouts acted based on the principles of the organization or were attending special events, they would get rewarded. -
the first catalog of instructional films was developed to be used in the classroom. During the 1920s-1930s technological advances increased interest in instructional media and as a result the audiovisual instruction movement began. -
While vocational subjects were being taught at this time, this Act permitted federal funding to enhance the authenticity of instruction and establish standards for the operation of vocational education programs. -
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) began broadcasting educational radio programs for schools in the 1920s. -
The introduction of the "magic lantern" (early slide projector) and silent films into classrooms became more widespread, revolutionizing the presentation of information and creating new opportunities for visual learning. -
The overhead projector became a staple in classrooms, allowing teachers to project transparencies onto a screen. It transformed lecture-style teaching and made visuals more accessible in real time. -
The Ohio School of the Air covered subjects like current events, history, government ceremonies, and children’s stories into classrooms via radio. Programs used talk, storytelling, and drama to make lessons engaging, and later added teacher manuals to guide activities. Although the program ended in 1937, it showed how radio could be a powerful instructional tool and laid the groundwork for distance learning. -
Microfiche machines were a technology used to read microfilms and easily display articles, newspapers, images, and other printings in a digital format. While the recordkeeping method had a wide range of uses, libraries and universities were among the top users of the tool in terms of researching material. Link -
State University of Iowa offered educational television distance courses in subjects like oral hygiene and eventually had a wide variety of courses for students to access. They ended up leading many colleges to participate in broadcasting televised courses. People would have to turn on their radios to listen at the same time as the broadcasting. Photo source -
The United States military discovered that training films were a time efficient way to quickly train large numbers of soldiers for specialized roles in combat and newly employed civilians for factory jobs to support the war effort. -
The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development is a leading organization in curriculum and instructional leadership. It pioneered online PD, promoted whole-child education, and merged with ISTE in 2023 to unite pedagogy and technology.
Reference:
Miller, D. M., Ribble, M. (2023). Merging pedagogy and technology: The ASCD–ISTE partnership and its implications for instructional leadership. Educational Leadership Quarterly, 45(2), 115–132. https://doi.org/10.1177/ELQ4522023 -
Dale introduced a visual model showing the relationship between different types of learning experiences—from abstract (reading) to concrete (doing). This concept helped shape multimedia instruction and emphasized the value of experiential learnin -
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Adaptive Learning within EdTech, as higher education institutions rethink how to best serve their students, adaptive learning is gaining more traction. The concept of machine-driven learning dates back decades, but with better technology now available and institutions fighting to keep students engaged and in school. -
From the audiovisual movement, came the introduction of Instructional Television (known today as Public Television) -
Enabled re-playable, visual learning—especially in science and vocational training -
Maria Montessori developed her philosophy of instruction originally through instruction to children with learning disabilities. Later, she applied the same approach to children without disabilities. Montessori discovered that children naturally gravated self-discipline and deep attention when given the freedom to choose their activity. The child guides learning. Photograph (Doctor Maria Montessori). -
Provided teaching and testing which reinforced the correct answers. Programmed Instruction -
This taxonomy created a road map for classifying learning objectives. -
Benjamin Bloom publishes "Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Cognitive Domain," providing a structured framework for classifying learning objectives, a crucial step toward systematizing instructional design and assessment. -
The Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik initiated a series of events that significantly influenced instructional design. In response to this event, the U.S. government invested heavily in improving math and science education, resulting in the creation of instructional materials by subject matter experts, often without testing them with learners. NASA -
Iowa was the first to introduce computer scoring, which other states soon followed. Now, almost all standardized testing is done on the computer. -
The Technology Student Association (TSA) promotes STEM learning through student-led competitions in areas like robotics, coding, and digital design. TSA fosters hands-on engagement with emerging technologies.
Reference:
Schindler, L. A., Burkholder, G. J., Morad, O. A., Marsh, C. (2017). Computer-based technology and student engagement: A critical review of the literature. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 14(25). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-017-0063-0 -
The National Defence Education Act authorised federal financial assistance for American secondary school foreign language programs, which led to the creation of language labs where students could access audio materials to facilitate language learning. -
The Xerox 914 plain paper copier allowed paper-based educational materials to be disseminated quickly and economically. This was a revolutionary release that paved the way for the invention of future copiers.
Xerox 914 -
Inventor: Chester Carlson
A Brief History: Because of his arthritis, patent attorney and inventor Carlson wanted to create a less painful alternative to making carbon copies. Between 1938 and 1947, working with The Haloid Photographic Company, Carlson perfected the process of electrophotography, which led to development of the first photocopy machines.
Photocopier (1959) https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2022/01/evolution-technology-k-12-classrooms-1659-today-perfcon -
PLATO is programmed logic for automatic teaching operations was created to offer coursework to students. -
Instructional Television Fixed Services are implemented. Schools are able to buy satellites to access television channels to educate students and teachers. The price started around $1 a student and then ended up being about $500 for the school.
Photo Source -
Used two airplanes to transmit educational programming to schools in the midwest because of the limits of existing broadcast technology. Source -
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats was the first picture book in American Children's Literature to represent a black child as a protagonist without any negative stereotypes (Tunnel Jacobs, 2013, p.83). African American characters and authors had little to no representation at the time. Tunnell, M. Jacobs, J. (2013). The origins and history of american children's literature. The Reading Teacher, 67(2), 80-86. https://doi.org/10.1002/TRTR.1201open_in_new -
funded many programs such as technology use in schools for student learning programming languages like BASIC as well as the implementation of high quality vocational education needed for direct job entry -
TTY's were a way for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals to communicate with one another via telephone allowing them to share information.
https://deafhistory.eu/index.php/component/zoo/item/1960-s-invention-of-the-text-telephone-tty -
The education corporation Carnegie and the University of Wisconsin, with the help of Charles Wedemeyer, created the Articulated Instructional Media Project (AIM) in 1964 to consult on the design and development of communication technology for instruction through radio, film, and television. The use of this instruction was geared for higher education of independent learners (Sleator, 2010). Currently, modern distance education environments still continue to use these practices. -
As part of President Johnson's War on Poverty, the Project Head Start program sought to provide early childhood education and other services for low-income families in order to promote school readiness. -
Introduced into the classrooms for fast computation. -
Inventor: Texas Instruments
A Brief History: As recounted in our history of the calculator, Texas Instruments made calculators portable with a device that weighed 45 ounces and featured a small keyboard with 18 keys and a visual display of 12 decimal digits.
The original 1967 prototype of the device can be found in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2022/01/evolution-technology-k-12-classrooms-1659-today-perfcon -
The creation of this amplified the voice of whoever held the microphone aiding those individuals with hearing loss the ability to decipher the teachers voice better than the background noise.
https://canadianaudiologist.ca/bidding-farewell-to-personal-fm-feature/ -
This was the debut of quality television programming aimed at pre-elementary and elementary students for educational purposes. This program still helps to foster a love of learning in the homes of so many children -
ARPANET, the internet's predecessor, was born, providing a connection to universities for technology development (Bhattacharyya, 2021). ARPANET eventually leads to collaboration between higher education institutions around the United States to share research and instruction with learners. -
“Sesame Street,” a pioneering TV show that would teach generations of young children the alphabet and how to count, makes its broadcast debut. She also wanted to use TV as a way to help underprivileged 3- to 5- year-olds prepare for kindergarten. “Sesame Street” was set in a fictional New York neighborhood and included ethnically diverse characters and positive social messages. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-10/sesame-street-debuts -
Along with the birth of AI, adaptive learning allows a student to have a customized learning experience based on what they need. Research shows that adaptive learning improves learning in over 32 studies. Picture from https://www.aleks.com/about_aleks -
Carbonell developed the first intelligent tutoring system named SCHOLAR (Dargue & Biddle, 2014, as cited by Guo et al., 2021). The effectiveness of ITS have been compared to live teachers and have increased the performance of both students and teachers (VanLehn, 2011; Spector et al., 2014, as cited by Guo et al., 2021). Further developments in AI have only increased the effectiveness of ITS. -
Invented by Ray Tomlinson for the ARPANET network. Email provides a quick and inexpensive method for educators to communicate and collaborate. Ray Tomlinson -
Developed by Jerrold Kemp, this model emphasized flexibility and interconnected components like learner characteristics, instructional objectives, and content sequencing.
It stood out for its non-linear approach, making it ideal for complex learning environments -
The TICCIT system is developed as an alternative to the PLATO system, allowing for a more efficient communication system directly into a classroom or home via cable rather than a phone line. -
The first email was sent in 1971 by a programmer named Ray Tomlinson to himself through the ARPANET network.
https://www.growthengineering.co.uk/learning-technology-history/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-2 -
Loris Malaguzzi is described as "first among equals". Post WWII, Malaguzzi (pedagogical researcher and psychologist) was collectively involved in childcare with newly liberated Reggio Emilia, Italy. Malaguzzi founded the first infant-toddler centre in 1971. Reggio Emilia is a pedagogy that every child (focused on birth to 6) has "rights, values, and competencies". Adults, children, and the environment play a collective role in the child's learning experience.
https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/ -
In 1971, students Don Rawitsch, Paul Dillenberger, and Bill Heinemann created The Oregon Trail game to make learning about 19th-century pioneer life more engaging for students. Originally a text-based game for mainframe computers, it was later made by the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (MECC) in 1974, incorporating graphics and becoming an iconic educational tool that taught decision-making, history, and even reading skills https://mncomputinghistory.com/oregon-trail-computer-game/ -
Scantrons are used to grade multiple-choice tests automatically. -
As educational technology expanded, concerns about data privacy and security grew. FERPA has undergone amendments and updates due to educational technology expansion in the United States. It was aimed to protect student data. -
Created by FSU
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Microcomputers were being introduced into the classroom. This lead to teachers being in more control over the quality of materials presented. -
Adam Osborne and Lee Felsenstein create a portable computer. It paved the way for personal use devices that would eventually be used in the classroom. -
New model was created by Walter Dick and Lou Carey which looked at the field of instructional design as a system that is interconnected rather than as separate parts. -
ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) - created by David Moursund and colleagues to make a formal effort to integrate computing into teaching and learning. ISTE has set the standard for technology use and implementation while seeking global influence and policy advocacy.
Reference:
Crompton, H., Burke, D. (2024). The nexus of ISTE standards and academic progress: A mapping analysis of empirical studies. TechTrends, 68(5), 711–722. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-024-00973-y -
Fantasy role-playing games like Dungeons Dragons and arcade hits such as Pac-Man showed how interactive play could engage learners. Early home consoles and microcomputers introduced simple educational games, bringing simulations and game-based activities into schools. This highlighted the motivational power of games and introduced edutainment into educational technology. -
Apple's historical 1982 program to provide a computer to every elementary and secondary school in the U.S. established Apple's early presence in the education market. How Steve Jobs Brought the Apple II to the Classroom -
Screen reading was developed for in house use and was later adapted for public use. This technology enabled those who are blind or low vision access to information without relying on individuals.
https://www.afb.org/aw/5/2/14760 -
The invention of the CD-ROM allowed large amounts of data specifically multimedia to be stored and easily accessed on personal computers. This enabled easy access to encyclopedias and educational software, greatly expanding the possibilities for technology-based learning. -
The first mass market laptop, the Toshiba T-1100 become available. This was an important contribution to the historical timeline of PCs and laptop computers. The laptop has significantly impacted the tools and methods that educators can use to assist students in their learning journey.
Toshiba T-1100 -
The NWEA organization created the first computer adaptive educational assessment. This would eventually become known as MAP (Measure of Academic Progress). -
The International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction (ibstpi) released its first set of professional competencies.
These standards helped define what it means to be an instructional designer and guided professional development across the field. -
Platforms like Blackboard and Moodle allowed teachers to post assignments, grades, and resources online. These systems were some of the first major steps toward blended and fully online learning environments. -
The Tech Act is intended to promote people’s awareness of, and access to, assistive technology (AT) devices and services. The Act seeks to provide assistive technology to people with disabilities, so they can more fully participate in education, employment, and daily activities on a level playing field with other members of their communities. -
Electronic Performance Support Systems emerge to provide just-in-time workplace learning -
While this was exciting, usage was limited due to high costs and other factors
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162515002425#section-cited-by -
EBooks developed easier access and cheaper options for accessing textbooks. They also have developed into interactive learning environments with the advancement in audio and visual technology being incorporated into one space while increasing our ability to access ebooks on a multitude of devices. -
FirstClass, the first LMS, was released by SoftArc in 1990 (The History of Distance Learning and the LMS, 2015). FirstClass is still available today on Macintosh computers and "supports private email and public forums" (The History of Distance Learning and the LMS, 2015). -
Inventor: Tim Berners-Lee
A Brief History: In the late 1980s, British scientist Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web to enable info sharing between scientists and academics. It wasn’t long before the Web could connect anyone, anywhere to a wealth of information, and it was soon on its way to powering the modern classroom.
First web server he made was so new, put a sign on the computer, “This machine is a server. DO NOT POWER IT DOWN!” https://www.ibm.com/history/floppy-disk -
SMART boards are introduced in schools. -
The World Wide Web emerged. It allowed people to type something into the URL and get results from it. This allowed people to begin building web pages. Now, people could unite the information that they had on their computers and share information and data. Photo Source -
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) formed and advocated for Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). -
Founded in 1994, LeapFrog Enterprises launched the first interactive, multi-subject handled e-learning product, the LeapPad (1999) and eventually the leapster (2003). These tools were groundbreaking in their independence from a desktop computer, and their ability to comprehensively combine multiple subjects (math, reading, spelling, science) into one platform. The LeapPad leap-frogged it's predecessors (Reader-Rabbits, Treasure Cove!, etc) by providing parents and educators with a gamified tool. -
[Educate America Act](www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress) This bill amends the Department of Education Organization Act to establish an Office of Educational Technology -
Virtual field trips (VFTs) started appearing around 1995,but greatly grew in popularity starting around 2000.The advent of photorealistic, 3D computer models of cliff sections (virtual outcrops) has improved the immersive nature of virtual geological field trips. As the COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread national and international travel restrictions, virtual field trips (VFTs) became practical and essential substitutes for traditional field trips and accelerated the development of VFTs. -
America Online leaves behind its pay-per-hour system for a flat $19.95 monthly fee for dial-up Internet. The modern Internet era begins. AOL AOL launched services with the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, National Geographic, Pearson, Scholastic, ASCD, NSBA, NCTE, Discovery Networks, Turner Education Services, NPR, Highlights for Kids, the U.S. Department of Education, and many other education providers. -
AR and VR within Edtech, Education Researchers have been exploring the potential of immersive technologies as an educational tool since at least the 1990s. AR/VR technologies are a great addition to the growing field of education technology because of their immersive experiences, their ability to share information in new and engaging ways, and their potential to offer virtual experiences that expand access to educational opportunities that would otherwise be limited by cost or physical distance. -
The Americans with Disabilities Act made sure closed-captioning was on any video programing, televised or educational. This allowed for accessibility for all individuals. It was used with educational videos for all students to get an understanding of classroom materials.
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Wifi was invented, so there is no need to rely on wires for internet access. -
Online learning system entitled Blackboard developed by Michael Chasen and Matthew Pittinsky -
The launch of Blackboard (now Anthology) marks a significant turning point in online learning, providing a widely adopted learning management system (LMS) that facilitates the creation and delivery of online courses and expands access to education. -
MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resources for Learning and Online Teaching) offers Open Educational Resources (OER) providing learners around the world with open and free access to educational resources. MERLOT Link -
One of the first major learning management systems, especially for higher education, Blackboard centralized course delivery, grading, and communication into a single digital platform. Its early adoption marked a turning point in institutional reliance on web-based instruction, laying the groundwork for scalable online learning environments and influencing the design of future LMS tools (Alokluk, 2018). -
IXL Learning, the company behind the IXL platform for personalized learning, was founded in 1998 by Paul Mishkin. It started as a small tutoring service and later evolved into an online educational platform. The IXL platform, which provides interactive exercises and assessments for various subjects and grade levels, has been continually developed and expanded since its inception. -
ADL initiative is created within the DOD. Out of this program evolves the SCORM standard which ensures the portability of digital learning objects. Image Source -
Allowed students to take standardized tests on computers. -
Google search offers the world instant, ubiquitous access to information. Students and teachers can access and share content, resources, and materials instantly. According to Pew Research, 90% of teachers report using Google most often. -
The start of Web 2.0, as mentioned by Darcy DiNucci, references the age of communicating and collaboration through user-generated content of the World Wide Web (Aced, 2013). Most engaging multimedia used as instructional tools use Web 2.0 today, such as Podcasting, VoiceThread, YouTube, Wordle, and Quizizz. -
VMware was founded in 1999 creating the first virtual machine able to virtualize the X86 architecture.
Reference:
Randal, A. (2020). The ideal versus the real: Revisiting the history of virtual machines and containers. ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR), 53(1), 1-31. -
In 1999, Peggy Ertmer identifies external and internal factors that impact successful student-centered technology integration. In Addressing First- and Second-Order Barriers to Change: Strategies for Technology Integration, Ertmer explains the relationship between these barriers and provides strategies to address them. -
SCORM stands for Sharable Object Reference Model. Allowed for implementation of small learning modules that can combine for larger courses. Had implications for microlearning and distance learning. Microlearning focuses on the development of lessons that focus on what is essential, nothing more, nothing less. -
Separate PBS Kids channel and online platform launched in September of 1999. These platforms offered free educational media to be streamed at home, on the internet for those who had it, and at school. The online platform allows young learners to play games to enhance their math, literacy, and social emotional skills. -
ALEKS is a diagnostic based EdTech system that creates assignments for students based off of their personal aptitude. Students keep repeating materials in a specific area until it is mastered. -
BrainPop changed the way learners interpreted and applied lessons and information in general. Founder Dr. Avraham Kadar would evolve the "learn by doing" model to the "learn by gaming model", with rich story telling throughout lessons covering Science, Social Studies, English, Mathematics, Music and more and eventually keeping pace with educational trends within Common Core topics, BrainPop allowed students to enjoy learning and educators to scale learning tools for the K-8 landscape. -
Wikis allowed people to collaborate on creating and editing content, making learning more interactive. Students learn and contribute to information. The Wikipedia site launched officially in 2001. -
Brought about new curriculum, courses, and opportunities for students to work hands on with technology. S.T.E.M. has expanded beyond curriculum in specific classrooms to inhabit a multitude of spaces and reflects the growing technological advancements in career fields. -
The science of reading is a substantial body of research compiled over 30 years that explains how children learn to read. It continues to revelutionize the way reading is taught in schools. -
Based on groundwork by Anne Meyer and David Rose in 1998, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) applies universal design principles from architecture to teaching methods and educational tools. -
Many schools and districts initiated one-to-one computing programs, providing students with individual devices like laptops or tablets. This facilitated digital learning, personalized instruction, and increased access to technology in the classroom. -
This initiative was meant to make educational materials from college level courses available freely and online to anyone, no matter where they are. This offers lecture notes, syllabi, assignments, exams and other course materials. -
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Created the demand for more educational software to improve student scores and track performance.
Congress.Gov -
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced its Open Course Ware (OCW) initiative—an effort to make courses openly available to all. Source Image Source -
In 2002, the first phone with a camera in it was invented. This was quite an advancement because cell phones were still new to have, let alone one that could take pictures! -
First defined by UNESCO in 2002, Open Education Resources are any "teaching, learning or research materials that are in the public domain or released with an intellectual property license that allows for free use, adaptation, and distribution" (BCCampus Open Education, 2016). OERs are meant to provide education at no cost to the learner. OERs have provided access to learners who could not afford traditional education. -
Founded in 2002, Qualtrics sought the attention of educational institutes to address student needs, improve student engagement, support emerging academic, and improve institution's culture. -
Merrill researched instructional design theories to find principles for educators and designers to follow when creating instruction. He claimed that learning is promoted when learners are engaged in solving problems(1), prior existing knowledge is activated for new knowledge(2), new knowledge is demonstrated to learner(3), new knowledge is applied by learner(4), new knowledge is integrated into learner’s world(5). -
Microsoft launces Partners in Learning, which by 2023 has provided tools including the Immersive Reader we use in this course Microsoft Learning Accelerators -
The emergence of electronic journaling, people began publishing diaries, journals, and other resources on internet blogs. -
A Retrospective on Twenty Years of
Education Technology Policy
As part of the No Child Left Behind Act, this paper looks at both the functional and systemic levels of Educational Technology and how technology has changed and will shape the future of education. -
Teachers purchase lessons, and all possible materials needed for a classroom from other teachers who took the time to create them. Great resource for classroom support. Created by a public school teacher in NY. -
With the increase in internet access, schools began using Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Blackboard to organize course materials and facilitate e-learning.
Twenty Years of Edtech -
The creation of Facebook is vital to educational technology, because it is the biggest and most used social media platform. Facebook is a hub for educational groups and resources. Many schools, colleges or other learning environments communicate through facebook and students have created pages that help other students long after the founders have graduated. -
Aimed to make laptops affordable for everyone to close the education gap.
Laptop.Org -
Google Earth is launched, making way for clipmapping, geo-points, and inspiring the concept of live virtual fieldtrips. Images from Google Earth serve as geographical reference points and visual references for learning. -
In 2005, according to (Google Translate, 2023), Google launched its Google Translate technology that translates free-form text from one language to another. As of August 2023, Google Translate supports 133 languages. In January 2010, Google included Google Translate into its Google Chrome Browser so that any page can be readily translated to a desired targeted language. -
Started in 2005, bought by Google in 2006, Youtube is a video sharing site. Is increasingly used to show educational clips that can be downloaded to a course shell. -
Twitter gave students and teachers new ways to connect, share ideas, and collaborate beyond the classroom. It also encouraged more interactive and engaging learning experiences. -
eBooks bring flexibility to the classroom and have features that enhance the learning experience. Annotation tools, bookmarks, hyperlinks, dictionary, and a search feature. 2007 brought the launch of the iPhone by Apple, with its application abilities and Amazon launched the Kindle eBook reader in the U.S. A couple years later, Sony brought libraries into the e-reading experience through the OverDrive app, allowing temporarily downloads of eBooks from local libraries. -
In 2007, the term Learning Experience Design (LXD) is coined in 2007 by Niels Floor at Avans University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. LXD takes a learner-centered approach to instructional design and considers all aspects of the learner, including their expectations and emotions, to develop engaging learning experiences. -
Quizlet was founded by Andrew Sutherland and released to the public in 2007. It's primary product includes flashcards, matching games, proactive test, and live quizzes for various subjects. In 2023 Quizlet started to incorporate an Artificial Intelligence feature with the release of "Q-Chat". -
In 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone which is a transformative invention still used by everyone that I know today. They have advanced the iPhone in many ways by adding new features.
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by Cathy Moore
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Khan Academy established not-for-profit status and popularized the use of online learning of mathematics. It eventually was built into a standards-based instructional platform created to be efficient for student learning and remediation for a variety of subjects.
Khan Academy -
George Siemens and Stephen Downes open a course titled ["Connectivism and Connective Knowledge"](https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/view/accepted/?id=c4dc46c9-ef59-46b8-af01-4a7fec44b023 that enrolled over 2,000 students. This was the first ever free, online, large-network course where participants contributed asynchronously to blogs, discussions, and wikis. -
Khan Academy provided free, mastery-based learning resources https://www.khanacademy.org/ -
Grammarly is a writing assistant software -
Planbook - online lesson planning tool for teachers organization and time management. It allows you to create, edit, and share lesson plans by subject, class, or grade level. -
Reinvented the rigor of educational software.
CoreStandards -
Apple released the new iPad in 2010. Today the iPad is used in schools across the world and has many educational resources and benefits for students. -
The pilot program for Chromebooks in Classrooms is launched in a handful of schools.
Chromebook 10th Birthday -
A tool used by teachers to create assignments, quizzes and exams. It allows for automatic grading, and feedback on work submitted by students. -
Initiated in 2010 as a way to redefine how technology can support education. The plan aims to use technology to help increase college graduation rates, develop open source educational materials, improve assessment, teaching, learning, and educational infrastructure. This plan wanted to set students up for success through the use of digital technologies (Quillan, 2010). -
GoodNotes is founded by Steven Chan to assist students with note taking -
Augmented reality helps learners grasp abstract concepts through creating an interactive "virtual" overlay over real objects and places. One exciting feature of this tech is its ability to make experiential learning more accessible. Citation available on personal timeline -
The company, Instructure, launched CANVAS. This Learning Management System is utilized by school districts and universities across the world. -
Technology-based classroom tool that was designed to help teachers improve classroom behavior and share information on student behavior with parents and administrators. -
Real-time data collection using printed QR codes that are unique to each student. Prepare and present questions (exit questions), scan student QR codes held up, and then see instant results, address misconceptions before anyone ever leaves their seats! -
Duolingo, founded by Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker, has become the most popular way to learn a language and one of the most downloaded education apps in the world. Duolingo -
Nearpod is an educational app which allows the teacher to create real-time interactive lecture and digital lessons by building in real time assessments and polling features. The founders had backgrounds in both technology development and business, and sought to develop a user-friendly app that would address the problem of low student engagement in the classroom. -
Platforms like Coursera, edX, and Udacity provided free or low-cost courses from top universities to students worldwide, expanding access to higher education. -
In the United States, 1.5 million iPads are used in classrooms -
Large platforms of instruction named MOOCs were developed and available for any learner who had access to the internet. They emphasize self-regulation of most aspects of the learning process as well as open availability.
Reference:
McAuley, A., Stewart, B., Siemens, G., & Cormier, D. (2010). The MOOC model for digital practice. University of Prince Edward Island. -
Per the Society for Learning Analytics research; Learning Analytics is the is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimising learning and the environments in which it occurs which can be found here: https://www.solaresearch.org/about/what-is-learning-analytics/. Reference:
Tsai, Y. S. (2021). What is Learning Analytics?. Soc. Learn. Anal. Res. -
The launch of Coursera and edX popularizes Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), leading to increased experimentation with online learning models, adaptive learning technologies, and personalized learning pathways, challenging traditional instructional approaches and expanding access to education on a global scale. -
Marked a shift toward mobile-first, interactive lesson delivery. Empowered teachers to personalize learning and gather real-time data.
Reference:
Abdullah, M. I., Inayati, D., Karyawati, N. N. (2022). Nearpod use as a learning platform to improve student learning motivation in an elementary school. Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 16(1), 121–129. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1339640.pdf -
This effort was meant to bring high-speed internet and advanced technology to schools across America. This initiative connected 20 million students to the internet. -
The communication platform known as Zoom was released to the public. Zoom would eventually become one of the main platforms used to teach students during the COVID-19 pandemic. -
Kahoot! is a learning platform offering free and paid plans to create, share, and host learning sessions designed to be hosted anywhere in more than 17 different languages. Today, Kahoot! is used globally by more than 8 million teachers in more than 200 countries and regions! -
An easy to navigate learning management system utilized by many school districts.
GoogleClassroom -
In 2014, learning analytics evolve from data mining to support and utilize the large amount of data generated from eLearning platforms. Learning analytics is used to identify relevant data that can be used to improve teaching and learning. -
Released in the summer of 2014, Catchbox was designed to create an immersive learning experience to ensure that every voice, both teachers and students, be heard in various educational settings for a collaborative experience. -
A cardboard handheld device that is powered with a smartphone. It is an inexpensive opportunity for teachers to have Virtual Reality (VR) in the classroom. This gives students access to virtual experiences. -
A free educational app designed to let students explore places like the Great Barrier Reef, the surface of Mars, or the inside of a human cell—all through VR. Using smartphones and inexpensive viewers like Google Cardboard, students could look around 360° environments while teachers guided the experience from a tablet. -
Even though the technology began taking off in 2015-2016, COVID demanded an interactive, real-time update to instructional methods. The Smart Board makes its way into classrooms, providing students with active learning opportunities and allowing teachers to engage students with new, adapting technology. -
Video-based student responses foster engagement, voice, and reflection in classrooms. -
An educational edition of Minecraft that was specifically designed for classroom usage. It was developed by Mojang Studios and Xbox Game Studios. -
The oculus headset (now procured by Meta) allows instructors to use virtual reality and immersion to deliver education at a larger scale. It has been applied across industries and within different fields of education as well. -
Interest in AI waned as the focus shifted to web and related technologies, but it has made a comeback in the last five years. The key change during this period is the increased computational power, which allows AI to handle more complexity by accommodating multiple possibilities and probabilities. This reflects a common theme in educational technology where there's a sense of both continuity and transformation.
20 Years of Ed Tech -
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) created standards for incorporating technology in the classroom. The first version of these standards released in 2000 and were known as National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). The most current version created in 2017 are called ISTE Standards for Educators. -
3D Printing becomes more available in education. This technology allows for experiential and hands-in learning and enhances learners' ability to create and design. Citation available in personal timeline -
2020 - COVID-19 Pandemic forces schools to go to online format, teachers and students must learn new technologies -
Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards, a new system for measuring student development. -
AI has been utilized by students and teachers more recently within the last couple of years. Teachers use district approved AI to help curate strategies for students, email parents, and create lesson plans. -
The pandemic accelerated the adoption of video conferencing, asynchronous tools, and LMS platforms, reshaping instructional delivery across all levels of education (Means et al., 2021). -
With Digital Education apps on the rise due to Covid-19, Colegia made an application where you have a flexible and protected platform that centralizes educational apps, content, and communication tools. It enables educational institutions to foster connections within their learning communities, providing a carefully curated marketplace and a complementary set of educational applications. -
ChatGPT, one of the most famous AI chatbots, launched in November of 2022.
A Short History of ChatGPT -
Sold a Story was an explosive deep-dive podcast highlighting the detrimental impact on millions of American children who struggled to learn how to read when schools failed to use evidence-based reading strategies aligned to the science of reading. -
With a greater need for data security due to the 1:1 device implementation in districts across the country, Cloud Services begin making their way into school single-sign-on platforms. This service offers additional security for students, teachers, and districts as well as higher quality connections for access to learning materials. -
TurnItIn released its AI Detection software in 2023 to combat plagiarism due to the release of ChatGPT. This technology was integrated by most large LMS systems like Canvas to check papers immediately after submission. -
Decreased need for coding background for creating digital content leading to create digital content and less focus on coding.
EduCauseHorizonReport -
Growing a community of digitally fluent citizens who practice safe, responsible and thoughtful online behaviors. -
This software was created by Khan Academy. This technology is backed by GPT4 and powered by Microsoft. It serves as a Teaching Assistant that drafts lesson plans, creates quizzes, and tracks student progress. It is considered to be the ultimate teacher planning tool. -
Initially launched through Google Labs as Project Tailwind, Google fully enters the AI-scene by allowing users to create their own language model based on their own sources. A student can upload up to 50 sources (PDFs, books, podcasts, websites, documents, videos, etc.) in order to create a micro-environment for hyper-tailored AI-powered learning. Notebook has generative AI-functions like ChatGPT but restricts cheating and promotes introspective learning by only using info the user has provided. -
Artificial Intelligence
and the Future of
Teaching and Learning
This paper reflects on AI and makes recommendations to establish leadership to guide polices, recommendations, and focus. -
EdTech tools increasingly support interdisciplinary learning (Science, Tech, Engineering, Arts, Math) and collaborative problem-solving, preparing students for real-world challenges.
