Instructional technology is a subset of educational technology that applies principles of psychology and learning theory to instruction. It helps instructors and learners achieve instructional objectives through analyzing content, creating logical sequences of elements, providing continuous reinforcement, and allowing individualized learning. Instructional technology determines appropriate media, methods, and materials to achieve objectives in a given teaching-learning situation. It assists teachers and learners by helping set objectives, select instructional materials and methods, create an optimal instructional environment, and evaluate learning outcomes.

1. Instructional Technology
Dr. Shabir Ahmad Bhat
Faculty of Education
University of Kashmir South Campus

2. Instructional Technology
 Instructional technology is a another subset of educational technology, based
on the concept that instruction is a subset of education.
 It is an application of psychological, sociological and scientific principles and
knowledge of instructions for achieving specific objectives of learning. Its origin is
based on psychological laboratory experiments.
 Main contributors :
B. F. Skinner
Robert Glaser
N.K Crowder
Mager & Gilbert
 Education is a comprehensive process and imparting of instruction is one of the
means to achieve the goals of education .
 It helps the instructor and the Lerner in the desired instructional task in a given
teaching-learning situation for the realization of the stipulated instructional
objectives.

3.  Instruction stands for certain type of command meant for getting
some specific information, knowledge, and understanding about
the thing, system, or process.
 It includes the means and materials concerning individualized
instruction and self –learning including teaching machines and
computer assisted learning, independent of teachers and their
acts.
 Simply it is a type of technology meant for bringing improvement
in the instructional process.
 IT, first try to plan what type of instruction and instructional
material are needed in a particular teaching–learning situation
and then suggests ways and means for utilization of this
instructional material for proper realization of objectives which
are mostly cognitive (development of knowledge and
understanding) in nature.

4.  Affective and psychomotor domains of the learner’s behavior is
almost neglected in service provided by instructional technology.
 It makes the learner quite independent in his learning task with
the provision of self-instructional material, through programmed
instructional packages, teaching machines, computer assisted-
learning.
 He/she is no more in need of a tutor or teacher for carrying out
the instructional work and realizing the teaching –learning
objectives.
 Learning task becomes quite simple, systematic and interesting
according to the learner’s needs, abilities and pace of learning.
 Definition: It is a subsystem of educational technology which
helps the instructor or the learner himself as a part of his self
learning or auto-instruction by determining the media, methods,
and materials for the realization of the stipulated instructional
objectives in a given teaching learning situation.

5. Assumptions of Instructional technology
 Content matter can be divided into its elements and these
elements can be presented independently.
 External learning conditions can be created by arranging
elements in a logical sequence.
 Appropriate reinforcement can be provided continuously.
 Students can learn according to their needs and rate of learning.
 Students can learn successfully without the physical presence of
a teacher

6. Characteristics of instruction technology
 Cognitive: Cognitive objectives can be achieved through
instructional technology.
 Analysis of content: The content matter can be divided into
elements and each element can be presented independently. It
provides a deep insight into the content, structure, and sequence
of its elements. Thus students get opportunity to learn according to
their own ways.
 Learning Conditions: External learning conditions can be created
by arranging the elements in a logical sequence.
 Continuous Reinforcement: Appropriate reinforcement can be
provided continuously with the use of instruction. Right responses
of students are confirmed by providing feedback.

7. Characteristics
 Effective use of aids: Strategies and tactics of instruction can be
used for achieving certain well defined set of instructional
objectives.
 Individual learning: The learner gets an opportunity to learn at his
own pace. (individualized instruction and self learning including
teaching machines and computer
assisted learning).
 Learning theory: Instructional technology incorporates the
psychological learning, theories and principles.
 Instructional theory: Instructional theory may be developed by
using this technology in learning
process. It involves employing ideas, tools, A-V material, devices,
techniques, procedures for making learning more effective.

8. How IT helps teacher & learner in task of instructions
& learning in a particular teaching learning
situation
i. Setting of
Instructional
Objectives
ii. Taking
Decision
about
Instructional
material
iii. Taking
Decision
about the
media &
methods
iv. Taking
Decision
about Proper
instructional
environment
v. Helping in
the task of
evaluation

9. i. Setting of instructional objectives
 Instructional objectives make the core and heart of instructional process.
 What type of behavioral changes are to be expected after going through the
piece of instruction to the learner is to be decided & set before proceeding.
 Take decision according to:
1. The age and grade level of the learner
2. The physical, emotional, social and mental potential of the learner.
3. The previous experience of the learner related to the subject and topic
4. the men-material resource available for imparting instruction.
 For setting instructional objectives, for particular instructions and group help may
be taken from content material of IT. E.g.
for Taxonomy of instructional objectives, in cognitive and affective domain
(Bloom’s Taxonomy approach) and in psychomotor domain (Simpson &
Harrow approach).
For writing instructional objectives in behavioral terms ----Mager’s and Robet
Miller’s approach or RCEM approach can be used.

10. ii. Taking decisions about instructional material
 In view of set objectives what type of learning experiences
should be provided according to the needs are decided here.
 Selects the teaching-learning experience, organize and
integrate them properly for utilizing the course of instruction.
 Instructional material is divide into properly related and
sequential units by following the principles of simple to
complex, specific to general, theory to practice etc.
All such decisions are facilitated by the knowledge and skills
provided by instructional technology.

11. iii. Taking decisions about media & methods
 There are variety of media & methods available for imparting instructions.
 Single media or method is not suitable for imparting all types of instructions.
 A teacher has to take proper decision while selecting particular media & methods.
 Depending upon the nature of the piece of instruction and resources and environment
available in a particular teaching – learning situation.
 Instructional Strategies: Lecture strategy, Demonstration, tutorial, narration, description,
explaining, illustration, role playing, gaming, group discussion, question-answer, discovery
or heuristic, problem solving, excursion, assignment, brain storming, etc.
 Special instructional procedures for carrying out auto-instruction or self-learning like
programmed learning instruction, instruction carried out with the help of teaching
machines, computer assisted instruction, personalized system of Instruction(PSI) ,learner
controlled instruction etc.
 Cooperative or group instructional strategies like working on a project, living and learning
in a community, team teaching, etc.
 Knowledge and application of various types of A-V aids & instructional material like, radio,
TV, tape recorder, projectors, charts, maps, diagrams, models etc.

12. iv. Taking decisions about the proper instructional
environment
 Instructional technology makes us aware or conscious regarding
the needs, selection, and organization of suitable instructional
environment.
 It emphasizes that a particular type of environment is suitable for
carrying out particular type of instruction.
 It helps teacher as well as learner for organization of type of
instructional environment.

13. v. Helping in the task of evaluation.
 Evaluation is real key and controlling agency for any type of
instructional activity, ether carried by teacher or in shape of
auto-instructions.
 Helps to know how far a teacher or a learner has been
successful in realizing the stipulated instructional objectives
through a well planned strategy of evaluation.
 Teacher made test, standardized test, construction of the
achievement test, self-evaluation test, etc. helps to evaluate
cognitive, effective and psychomotor changes in the pupils
behavior.