25 Years of Ed Tech

Listen to the audio version and accompanying podcast at 25years.opened.ca.

In this lively and approachable volume based on his popular blog series, Martin Weller demonstrates a rich history of innovation and effective implementation of ed tech across higher education. From Bulletin Board Systems to blockchain, Weller follows the trajectory of education by focusing each chapter on a technology, theory, or concept that has influenced each year since 1994. Calling for both caution and enthusiasm, Weller advocates for a critical and research-based approach to new technologies, particularly in light of disinformation, the impact of social media on politics, and data surveillance trends. A concise and necessary retrospective, this book will be valuable to educators, ed tech practitioners, and higher education administrators, as well as students.

There is no one better informed than Martin Weller to help guide readers through the complex landscape of ed tech. In 25 Years of Ed Tech, he provides steady intellectual guidance, based on personal experience. Weller is always focused on the learner, clearly detailing opportunities but also raising the alarm for undesirable implications of technology adoption in educational settings.

George Siemens, author of Knowing Knowledge

About the Author

Martin Weller is the director of The Open Education Research Hub and the director of the GO-GN network. Weller chaired the Open University’s first major online e-learning course in 1999, which attracted 15,000 students, and was the OU’s first LMS Director. His popular blog, edtechie.net features his writings on aspects of educational technology. He is the author of The Battle for Open (2014) and The Digital Scholar (2011).

Reviews

Weller is an enthusiast and fan of many technologies and tools, but also a critical user with a keen eye for the pitfalls that have marked the development and adoption of educational technologies.[…] If we’re choosing one person to tell ed tech’s story, 25 Years of Ed Tech demonstrates that Weller is a thoughtful, engaged choice.

—Brenna Clark Gray, Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology

This is a readable and solid introduction to education technology and the debates and research that surround it. It should be required reading for education technologists, planners, and curious academics, everywhere.

—Paul Greatrix, Wonkhe

This book, with a critical perspective, is a great one to learn about the recent history of ed tech. Weller takes the readers to 25 stops on this lively journey. He describes an important technology or a technological movement at each stop and explains each scene like a master tour guide. And in each chapter, he explains the subjects mostly with his first-hand experiences and the results of current scientific studies in the literature. This book is highly recommended for field experts, instructional designers, distance education, and technology enthusiasts.

—Hasan UCAR, Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education

Table of Contents

1. Acknowledgements
2. Introduction: The Historical Amnesia of Ed Tech
3. 1994 – Bulletin Board Systems
4. 1995 – The Web
5. 1996 – Computer-Mediated Communication
6. 1997 – Constructivism
7. 1998 – Wikis
8. 1999 – E-Learning
9. 2000 – Learning Objects
10. 2001 – E-learning Standards
11. 2002 – The Learning Management System
12. 2003 – Blogs
13. 2004 – Open Educational Resources
14. 2005 – Video
15. 2006 – Web 2.0
16. 2007 – Second Life and Virtual World
17. 2008 – E-Portfolios
18. 2009 – Twitter and Social Media
19. 2010 – Connectivism
20. 2011 – Personal Learning Environments
21. 2012 – Massive Open Online Courses
22. 2013 – Open Textbooks
23. 2014 – Learning Analytics
24. 2015 – Digital Badges
25. 2016 – The Return of Artificial Intelligence
26. 2017 – Blockchain
27. 2018 – Ed Tech’s Dystopian Turn
28. Conclusions: Reclaiming Ed Tech
29. References

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). It may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, provided that the original author is credited.