All too often, educational technology has been touted as a panacea for training and educational needs. The reality is that the uncritical adoption of educational technology can lead to a substantial capital investment in a technology-based learning approach without an equally substantial return in educational and performance outcomes. I'd like to suggest that what's generally missing is a genuine understanding of how educational technology impacts the end-user population, and the degree to which an independent learning process can effectively be supported and maintained.
Education is a complicated construct.
Although there is a broad theoretical and experiential base from which to draw, there is an equally broad range of competing perspectives, each with specific and legitimate ways of characterizing process and outcomes. The problem for the educational technologist is defining an instructional paradigm that is contextually appropriate and instructionally sound from this myriad of conceptual frameworks. What seem to be the critical determining factors are the quality of instructional design, contextual appropriateness, learner support, and the intelligent and judicious integration of supportive media. A key condition of success, therefore, is ensuring that a comprehensive strategic plan addressing these factors is committed to and clearly articulated. That's not to say that this is always simple or easy to achieve.