Search 
International Students Outside US & Canada? Spanish
World Wide Learn
Add to Favorites
Online Degrees Campus Degrees MBA Online Courses
Articles Career Pathways Education Resources
Career Assessment divider-01 Guide to Majors divider-02 Career Planning divider-03 Career Planning Tools end
nav-sl-10px.gif Career Pathways

Search Your School
Degree by Level:
Degree by Subject:
Program:
pixel.gif

Online Education Guide
Guide to Majors

- What is a College Major?
- Deciding to Go to College
- Assessing Your Skills
- Education vs. Experience
- Top Ten Job Trends

View College Majors

green-arrow.gif Education
    - Adult Education Major
    - Corporate Training Major
    - Curriculum Design Major
    - Early Childhood Education
    - Educational Administration
    - Educational Leadership
    - Education Technology
    - K-12 Education Major
    - Master of Arts in Teaching
    - Master of Education Degree
    - Physical Education Major
    - Reading & Literacy Major
    - Spacial Education Major
    - Teacher Licensure Major

green-arrow.gif Arts & Humanities
green-arrow.gif Business
green-arrow.gif Criminal Justice
green-arrow.gif Engineering
green-arrow.gif Health & Medical
green-arrow.gif Science
green-arrow.gif Social Science
green-arrow.gif Technology


spacer spacer

Home | Career Pathways | Online Education Guide | Education Majors | Educational Technology

Online Education Guide

Guide to Educational Technology Majors

Things that don't quite make sense can be our most valuable tools.
--David Wilson

What is Educational Technology?

With each passing year, public and private universities increase their emphasis on educational technology. Today's leaders encourage this trend because they see the importance of providing the best possible preparation for teachers in the 21st century.

An educational technology degree helps teachers and other education professionals develop a thorough understanding of the latest theory and practices in the field. In the workplace, graduates demonstrate versatility, proficiency, mobility, and effectiveness, giving them a career boost over less qualified candidates. The demand for educational technology experience will climb in the years ahead, thanks to society's ever-expanding reliance on electronic media. Naturally, online degree programs abound in this field. Utilizing the latest technology in audio, video, and computer science, these programs equip graduates with the tools necessary for success in this specialized field.

Get your degree in Educational Technology

Search Type: Online    Campus
Degree: 
Zip:

Trends for Educational Technology Careers

Today, on-campus and online educational technology degree programs focus on preparing education professionals to create their own teaching materials. Educational technology majors use the latest in computer lab equipment, including software for development of customized educational media packages. Graduates with a degree in educational technology can expect opportunities to grow with every hiring cycle at every level for institutions around the world.

Preparing for an Educational Technology Degree

Prospective students should contact faculty members, as well as currently enrolled students, to get a reliable opinion about a college or university. Preparing a list of questions for professors and students can speed up the decision-making process. When choosing a school, students considering degrees in educational technology should take into account:
  • Their own comfort level with computer hardware and software
  • Any relevant prior experience or education they may have
  • Whether they are more comfortable studying online or on-campus (Not sure? Try our assessment test)

Educational technology degrees also examine the art of communication with students and teachers. Based on feedback from employers, more degree programs are including an interpersonal element in their program design. Administrators want their employees to have an educational technology degree that delves deeper than a mere understanding of hardware and software. Students should consider whether their chosen degree program develops strong interpersonal skills in addition to technological prowess.

Graduate Degrees in Educational Technology

Nearly all degrees in educational and instructional technology are offered at the master's level or higher. Students generally apply to master's degree programs after completing bachelor's degrees in education or related fields. Many professionals are now choosing online degree programs in educational technology, as the format lends itself well to the independent study and research required of graduate students. In addition, these programs are popular among working professionals--either mid-career changers or teachers who are required to earn master's degrees within a certain time period.

PhD degree programs in educational technology are also available online. These are intended for the most serious professionals, who want to contribute industry-changing research or set policy at a top level. Doctoral programs usually take three to five years to complete, and are designed to develop leaders who can effectively apply technology to teaching and learning in school districts across the country.

Universities Offering Online Educational Technology Degree Programs:

American InterContinental University Online - Online Master's Degree in Education with a specialization in Instructional Technology
Walden University - Online Ph.D. and Master's Degrees in Education with Educational Technology specializations
University of Phoenix - Online Master of Arts in Education with a specialization in Curriculum and Technology
Kaplan University - Online MA in Teaching and Learning with a Teaching with Technology specialization

What can you do with an Educational Technology Major?

Career Specializations in education technology

  • Teaching. For advanced-degree specialists, an increasing number of teaching positions provide new opportunities to practice in this growing field. Tenure-track professorships await graduates prepared to teach at the university level in educational technology. In addition, educational institutions for all age levels demand instructors with skills in audio, video, computer science, and basic technology for the classroom, both for training of teachers and for direct instruction of students.

  • Administration. Media centers and other institutional information hubs turn to specialists with degrees in educational technology to serve as directors for administration as well as teaching.

  • Corporate Training and Development. The more sophisticated corporations turn increasingly to educational technology specialists for training and development of staff at all levels.

  • Curriculum Design. With multimedia elements playing an ever-larger role in education, an educational technology degree provides an advantage for curriculum designers. A significant amount of future course development will rely on audio/video and electronic media. E-learning, distance learning, and online education require this kind of expertise.

  • Healthcare. Successful hospitals and medical centers must constantly keep their medical personnel up-to-date on the latest advances in the healthcare industry. Healthcare specialists with an educational technology degree enjoy many opportunities to design training modules for pharmaceutical companies and major medical organizations.

  • Research Institutes/Facilities. Like healthcare organizations, research institutes and facilities depend upon educational technology to help design grant applications that fund research. After these institutions receive grant money, research scientists and others rely on educational technology experts to use a variety of tools to share the fruit of their endeavors. In addition, institutes across the globe use technology to teach each other about the latest advances in their research. This represents distance learning at its best, requiring teams of specialists to organize and produce live and pre-recorded events.

Salary Expectations for Careers in Education Technology

Salaries for teachers who specialize in education technology are similar to those of traditional classroom teachers, who currently average salaries in the mid-forties. Without teacher licensure, an education technology graduate may serve outside the public school system or in one of the related fields described above. Pay in both corporate and healthcare-related fields is usually higher than in educational institutions. By contrast, nonprofit organizations generally have lower pay scales.

Explore Related Career Pathways

Education Administrators
Instructional Coordinators
Teachers, Adult Literacy
Teachers, Postsecondary
Teachers, Special Education

Certification and Licensure

There is no specific certification required for educational technology specialists unless theyThere is no specific certification required for educational technology specialists unless they want to teach, in which case licensure is awarded by state. Professional associations like the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) offer professional support, networking and continuing education opportunities.

Explore Related Degree Programs

- Adult Education Degree
- Corporate Training Degree
- Curriculum Design Degree
- Distance Education Degree
- Educational Technology



Copyright 2005 World Wide Learn


Featured Universities

Online Degrees & Certificates
Educational Technology Degree
Universities offering online educational technology degree programs:

- American InterContinental University Online
- Walden University
- University of Phoenix
- Kaplan University

Related Categories

Looking for Online Education?
Explore these links for online & distance learning resources:

- Online Degree Programs
- Online Courses & Training
- Career Training Programs

Walden University

Learning Essentials

- Get Started in E-Learning
- Tips for Learning Success
- Learning Styles

Accreditation Answers

Accreditation Answers
What is it and why is it important?

- Importance of Accreditation
- US Accreditation
- WWL Quality Assurance

More Questions?

Need More Help?
Explore the links below for more information:

- Learning Library
- Career Pathways
- Education Resources
- Site Help
- Site Map

grayhorizontal.gif

"The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size."
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Online Degrees | Online Colleges & Universities | Online Associate Degrees | Online Bachelor Degrees | Online MBA Programs | Online PhD Degrees | Career Training
Home | About World Wide Learn | Site Map | Press Room | Partner With Us | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

worldwidelearn.com
"The World's Premier Online Directory of Education"
World Wide Learn. Copyright 1999 - 2008. Last updated on November 07, 2007.