The theoretical understanding of, as well as the practice of Educational Technology, requires continual knowledge construction and refinement through researh and reflective practice, which are encompassed in the term study. Study refers to Information Gathering and analysis beyond the traditional conceptions of research.
It is intended to include quantitative and qualittive research as well as other forms of disciplined inquiry such as Theorizing, Philosophical analysis, Historical investigations, Development projects, Fault analysis, System analysis, and Evaluations. The research in educational technology has grown from investigations attempting to prove that media and technology are effetive tools for instruction, to investigations formulated to examine the appropriate applications of processes and technologies to the improvement of learning.
Certainly, the ideas of reflective practice and inquiry based upon authentic settings are valuable perspective on research.
- Reflective practitioners consider the problems in their environments and attempt to resolve this problems by changes in practice, based upon both research result and professional experience. Reflection on this processes leads to changes in the considered solution and further attempts to identify and solve problem in the environments, a cylical process of practice/reflection that can lead to improved practice.
- Current inquiry problems areas are often determined by the influx of new technologies into educational practice. The history of the field has recorded the many research program initiated in response to new technologies, investigating hot the best design, develop, use, and manage the products of the new technology. Recently the inquiry programs in educational technology have been influneced by growth and change in major theoretical positions in learning theory, information management, and other allied fields.
