One of the many issues with the term "instructional technology" is that people confuse "instructional technology" or "educational technology" with "technology for education" tools at various times during the last 80 years such as computers, television, video, radio, and overhead transparencies .
Instructional technology is the systematic design of learning situations, including instruction, delivery modes/mediums, environmental needs and modality concerns, evaluation. The design of the instruction includes the correct choice of a delivery medium, but the medium became the focus by those outside of the profession and the confusion become dominant.
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Instructional_Technology
This blog will, as stated earlier, be concerned with the actual uses and functioning of tools for media/modes, but consideration will be given to the characteristics of the tool that make it applicable to a learning situation, learning situation design and why. The term "instructional technology" will NOT be used when referring to these tools.
Tech Tour Year begins in August 2007 and will consider new tools, software and their possible uses such as:
Blogs
Vlog
Video
Podcasting
Wikis in several forms
Design Software for Documents
Graphics Design Software
Web Design Software
Authoring systems
Content Management Systems
Web 2.0 applications
Open Source and Free software options
