Field of study which examines how technology can be used to help people learn more / better / faster / etc. The academic field of instructional technology is really a non-field, being so interdisciplinary that even its leaders cannot agree on what it is. An intersection of
instructional design,
educational psychology, and
computer science, including each of the subdisciplines and related disciplines generally studied within each, e.g.,
cognitive psychology,
human computer interaction,
learning theory,
psychometrics, etc.
Serious research and academic work in the effectiveness, efficiency, and appeal of online courses and other education-over-the-internet types of initiatives are generally carried out by folks with degrees in instructional technology. As many providers of these programs are moving to
learning management systems based on
learning objects,
learning objects are quickly becoming one of the hottest topics in instructional technology research.
Generally a graduate program of study when offered by universities; Indiana, Georgia, Utah State, Florida State, and Penn State instructional technology programs are generally acknowledged as the top academic IT programs in the United States.