Educational technology
use of technology in education to improve learning and teaching; not restricted to high technology
Educational technology (often abbreviated as edtech) encompasses computer hardware, software, along with educational theories and practices, used to facilitate learning and teaching. When referred to by its abbreviation, "EdTech," it often denotes the industry of companies that develop educational technology.
In addition to practical educational experience, educational technology draws on theoretical knowledge from various disciplines such as communication, education, psychology, sociology, artificial intelligence, and computer science. It encompasses several domains, including learning theory, computer-based training, online learning, and mobile learning (m-learning).
Definition
The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) has defined educational technology as "the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources". It denotes instructional technology as "the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning". As such, Educational technology refers to various valid and reliable applications of educational science, such as equipment, as well as processes and procedures that are derived from scientific research, and in a given context may refer to theoretical, algorithmic or heuristic processes: it does not necessarily refer only to physical technology. Educational technology is the process of integrating technology into education in a positive manner that promotes a more diverse and inclusive learning environment, enabling students to develop both technological literacy and subject-specific knowledge alongside their regular academic assignments.
Accordingly, there are several discrete aspects to describing the intellectual and technical development of educational technology:
Educational technology as the theory and practice of educational approaches to learning.
Educational technology as technological tools and media, for instance massive online courses, that assist in the communication of knowledge, and its development and exchange.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Educational technology” is use of technology in education to improve learning and teaching; not restricted to high technology. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Educational, technology and education, not as a finished interpretation.
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The phrase “use of technology in education to improve learning and teaching; not restricted to high technology” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1068473. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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This entry incorporates text from “Educational technology” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.