The multiple, related fields encompassed by this Major Reference Work represent a convergence of issues and topics germane to the rapidly changing segments of knowledge and practice in educational communications and technology at all levels and around the globe. There is no other comparable work that is designed not only to gather vital, current, and evolving information and understandings in these knowledge segments but also to be updated on a continuing basis in order to keep pace with the rapid changes taking place in the relevant fields. The Handbook is composed of substantive (5,000 to 15,000 words), peer-reviewed entries that examine and explicate seminal facets of learning theory, research, and practice. It provides a broad range of relevant topics, including significant developments as well as innovative uses of technology that promote learning, performance, and instruction. This work is aimed at researchers, designers, developers, instructors, and other professional practitioners.
This major reference work is comprised of research by Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) members.
J. Michael Spector, Regents Professor and former Chair and Doctoral Program Director in the Learning Technologies Department at the University of North Texas, was previously Professor of Educational Psychology and Doctoral Program Coordinator at the University of Georgia, Professor and Associate Director of the Learning Systems Institute at Florida State University, Chair of Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation at Syracuse University, and Director of the Educational Information Science and Technology Research Program at the University of Bergen. He is a visiting research professor at Beijing Normal University, at East China Normal University, and the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur. His research focuses on assessing learning in complex domains, developing inquiry and critical thinking skills in children, and program evaluation. He has more than 200 academic publications to his credit and has recently been awarded an NSF-IUSE grant focusing on STEM education in small and minority serving colleges and universities.
Barbara B. Lockee is Associate Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs and Professor of Instructional Design and Technology at Virginia Tech. Since 1996, Dr. Lockee has engaged in teaching and research related to instructional design and distance education and has advised the research of more than 50 doctoral students. Her scholarly inquiry is focused on mediated and online education and has been funded by various federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Agriculture, and the US Agency for International Development, among others. She has also consulted for a variety of organizations, including the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the US Army Training and Doctrine Command and the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies. Her recent co-authored book, Streamlined ID: A Practical Guide for Instructional Design, strives to make the design of learning solutions accessible and pragmatic for those who develop educational courses and programs in workplace contexts.
Marcus D. Childress is an Associate Graduate Faculty Advisor/Mentor for the Learning Technologies Ph.D. program at the University of North Texas. Dr. Childress is the Founder and Owner of Course Jockey, LLC, a company dedicated to delivering quality professional development for professors, teachers, and aspiring instructional designers. Dr. Childress’ research interests include online teaching and learning, instructional design, virtual worlds for training and education, and using technology as a catalyst for educational reform. His research has been documented in publications such as Distance Education, Journal of Research on Computers in Education, International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, Globalized e-Learning Cultural Challenges, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, Academic Leadership Journal, and the Encyclopedia of Distance Learning, Teaching, Technologies, and Applications.
