Definitions of Constructs Educational Technology Due to the amorphous and evolving nature of educational technology as both a profession
and a field of study, the definition of this broad term has evolved over time. Also known as
instructional technology, this term refers to the use of any of a wide range of technologies that
support teaching, enhance learning, and optimize the delivery of instruction. Reiser and Ely
(1997) noted, “the term educational technology is used as a generic descriptor and is intended to
include other terms such as instructional technology, educational media, learning technology, and
other such variants” (p. 63). In 2008, the Board of Directors of the Association for Educational
Communication and Technology adopted the latest definition, which stated, “Educational
technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance
by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources” (Richey et
al., 2008, p. 24). This dissertation used this definition whenever educational technology is
mentioned.
Online Learning Also called electronic learning or eLearning for short, the term online learning implies a
type of instruction that is mediated via internet technologies and services, and that learners are at
a distance from the instructor. Often referred to by a multiplicity of terms, such as “distance
learning, distributed learning, online learning, computer-mediated learning, and e-learning”
(Rudestam & Schoenholtz-Read, 2010, p. 2) among others, this type of learning takes place
across a range of educational institutions both public and private, large and small, urban and
rural, nonprofit and for-profit. Typically mediated through a learning management system
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(LMS), online learning may include any combination of synchronous and asynchronous student–
student, teacher–student, and content–student interactions; various educational and
communications technologies can be used to facilitate the process.
