M. David Merrill has been active in the field of instructional technology for almost 40 years. His contributions range from basic instructional principles and instructional design theory to development and implementation of learning environments. Innovations in Instructional Technology is a collection of original essays written by leading scholars and practitioners who have worked with and been inspired by Professor Merrill. The chapters in this book represent a sampling of key innovations in the instructional technology field and include knowledge of how people learn, how people solve problems, how designers conceptualize learning spaces, how teachers implement learning activities, and how evaluators assess outcomes. This volume is divided into five basic areas of research in instructional technology, mirroring the diverse contributions of Dr. Merrill's work: *four chapters on learning objects and the notion of reusable components; *three chapters that discuss fundamental aspects of learning and the design of instruction; *three chapters that address innovations in the area of assessment, evaluation, and model validation; *three chapters that concern theories of learning and instruction; and *three chapters on instructional design practice. The book concludes with a chapter outlining Dr. Merrill's responses to challenges, comments, and questions on the future of the field--ranging from the notion of initial passions with regard to instructional technology to connections between theory and practice to questions of conscience--from an expert panel comprised of many of the contributors to the book. As Dave Merrill's work will continue to be required reading for students of instructional technology, Innovations in Instructional Technology is a book that will appeal to students, researchers, and practitioners in the field.

Innovative Techniques in Instruction Technology, E-Learning, E-Assessment and Education is a collection of world-class paper articles addressing the following topics: (1) E-Learning including development of courses and systems for technical and liberal studies programs; online laboratories; intelligent testing using fuzzy logic; evaluation of on line courses in comparison to traditional courses; mediation in virtual environments; and methods for speaker verification. (2) Instruction Technology including internet textbooks; pedagogy-oriented markup languages; graphic design possibilities; open source classroom management software; automatic email response systems; tablet-pcs; personalization using web mining technology; intelligent digital chalkboards; virtual room concepts for cooperative scientific work; and network technologies, management, and architecture. (3) Science and Engineering Research Assessment Methods including assessment of K-12 and university level programs; adaptive assessments; auto assessments; assessment of virtual environments and e-learning. (4) Engineering and Technical Education including cap stone and case study course design; virtual laboratories; bioinformatics; robotics; metallurgy; building information modeling; statistical mechanics; thermodynamics; information technology; occupational stress and stress prevention; web enhanced courses; and promoting engineering careers. (5) Pedagogy including benchmarking; group-learning; active learning; teaching of multiple subjects together; ontology; and knowledge representation. (6) Issues in K-12 Education including 3D virtual learning environment for children; e-learning tools for children; game playing and systems thinking; and tools to learn how to write foreign languages.

The field of educational technology is exploding in terms of innovations being developed daily. Most of these innovations hold fascinating promise but enjoy almost no empirical support. There are educational researchers who have both developed innovations and tested their potential empirically. This book will capture the latest and most promising innovations from the leading educational technologists in the world, including animations, simulations, visualizations, navigation, manipulatives, pedagogical agents, and assessment. This book is appropriate for university courses in educational technology for those wishing to showcase the latest innovations that are accompanied by empirical support.

In this digital age, technology has become a very vital factor of development in all disciplines. Every day new software, devices and other technologies are being developed to improve lives in one way or another. Technology in its broadest terms could include the collection of tools, machinery, devices, modifications, arrangements and procedures used by humans. However, in the context of Educational Technology as presented in this book, it is understood as technologies that have arrived with the Information Revolution i.e. those associated with computers and Information Communication Technology. Examples of such technologies are electronics devices, computer, video, collaborative writing tools, social networking and the Internet. Innovative applications of technology in the classroom mean more than teaching basic computer skills and software programs in the class. It must happen across the disciplines and curriculum in ways that teaching and learning processes can be enhanced. It must also support active engagement, group participation, local and global collaboration, and interaction. This book presents innovative applications of educational technology tools in teaching and learning across various disciplines.

This book offers an ecological perspective to understand the opportunities and complexities of spreading and sustaining educational innovations. It explores the imperatives underpinning educational reforms and identifies the role of schools in developing, disseminating, and sustaining changes in Singapore’s educational context. It also includes international case studies that examine the dialectical relationships between structure, people and culture and demonstrate that cultivating ecologies involves leveraging affordances and resources across the education system to create new contexts, synergies and capacities. Further, it argues that educational innovations and reforms also need to consider tacit knowledge and conditions of transfer, which may be ambiguous and challenging. Few books address the nuances and interactions of innovation and change across levels of the education ecology – from the micro (classroom), meso (organisation / school), exo (partners), macro (policy) and chrono (time scales) levels. The ecological perspective adopted in this book explores the dynamic tensions in order to understand the interplays of policy and school-level influences that contextualize school innovations. By presenting multiple voices and views, it allows impediments and affordances of innovation diffusion to be discussed holistically, which is an integral caveat for nurturing a sustainable ecology that enables innovations.

In the complex field of academic scholarship, educators and scholars often encounter the challenge of designing effective learning scenarios that align with various educational objectives. The process involves meticulous planning, consideration of diverse pedagogical approaches, and adapting strategies to different circumstances and situations. The need for innovative solutions in pedagogy has never been more pressing, with topics ranging from instructional design to emerging techno pedagogical practices demanding attention. Academic scholars are yearning for a comprehensive guide that not only dissects the intricacies of these challenges but also offers transformative solutions to navigate the evolving landscape of education. Innovative Instructional Design Methods and Tools for Improved Teaching is a groundbreaking book meticulously crafted to address the pressing issues faced by academic scholars today. This book transcends the conventional boundaries of educational discourse, offering a roadmap for designing learning activities beyond routine exercises. It unveils a comprehensive approach, integrating pedagogical strategies and innovative teaching practices, providing educators with the tools they need to revolutionize their approach to instruction. This book is a solution to the challenges educators face in the contemporary academic landscape, providing a transformative guide for those seeking to excel in the dynamic field of pedagogy.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 7th International Workshop on Learning Technology for Education Challenges, LTEC 2018, held in Žilina, Slovakia, in August 2018. The 25 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 54 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: Gamification and learning; learning and knowledge transfer; learning technologies applications; virtual learning environments; and mobile learning and MOOCs. LTEC 2018 examines how these technologies and pedagogical advances can be used to change the way teachers teach and students learn, while giving special emphasis to the pedagogically effective ways we can harness these new technologies in education.