Educational technologists use technology tools to enhance student learning, requiring a degree in education, instructional design, or psychology. They understand how people learn and work with developers to create optimal learning tools. They bring together technology and content creation and are employed by educational institutions, government agencies, and private companies.
An educational technologist combines their knowledge of technology tools with educational content to enhance student learning. Technological tools often involve hardware, software, and web-based products. Becoming an educational technologist usually requires a degree in education, instructional design, educational psychology, or a related field. Employment opportunities for educational technologists are found at educational institutions, government agencies, instructional software companies, and other private entities.
Many education technologists consider themselves educators. In a practical sense, the goal of the educational technologist is to help people advance their knowledge of a particular subject or skill, using technology as a tool. The educational technologist must understand how people learn and the technological challenges that sometimes interfere with the learning process. A software implementation that might seem logical to a software developer, for example, might not be the best resource from an educational point of view. In this case, an educational technologist can work with the developer to create a more optimal learning tool.
Most educational technologists have degrees in education, psychology, or instructional design. Some may have a programming background or a degree in a technology-related subject, although this is usually not a requirement. In most cases, the educational technologist’s role is to have a deep understanding of how hardware and software products facilitate learning. An educational technologist who understands diverse learning styles can help develop instructional technology that accommodates each student’s visual, auditory, and kinesthetic needs.
In many cases, education technologists bring together the worlds of technology and content creation. An educational technologist might work with a software developer to ensure the product is easy to use. Working with the content writer can involve prompts for shorter paragraphs and formatting that can be more easily viewed on your computer screen. Improvement recommendations are generally based on observation and understanding of end-user challenges and needs.
Employment opportunities for education technologists have increased with the demand and use of technology as a learning tool. Schools and universities employ educational technologists to enhance curricula and create online learning programs. Government agencies need help from these experts to create and deliver web-based training programs to employees and the public. Companies that provide instructional software hire educational technologists to ensure that their products are easy to use. Many large companies and organizations utilize the services of educational technologists to improve internal training processes and information delivery to employees.
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