Educational Technology and Learning Theory

This overview briefly reviews the history of educational technology and surveys relevant learning theory. In order to understand fully computer-based learning in the United States, one needs to have a more general sense of the history of educational technology (Berg, 2003). Common learning theories that have been applied to computer environments also need close examination because they provide the rationale for specific approaches and learning strategies. In this review, one sees the important influence behavioral and constructivist theoretical models have had on educational- software design in America. Finally, cooperative learning and learning-styles theories are outlined because of their relevance to specific computer-based teaching methods.