The communication process remains one-way and fairly static using this approach. Adoption of pedagogical innovation allows for two-way, dynamic communication between the instructor and learners as well as among the learners and possibly topic experts and practicing professionals outside the institution. Electronic communication enables learners with common intellectual interests to interact and share in learning communities that transcend institutional boundaries of semesters, majors, and required courses. A variety of learning community websites blur the distinctions between teacher and learner and eliminate hierarchies that sometimes create barriers to lifelong learning. Challenge to Educators Differences between instruction before and after adoption of instructional technology depends more on pedagogical paradigm shifts than on the technology itself.
Instructional technology provides contemporary teachers with more assistance than ever before.
But, as with any powerful tool, instructional technology requires careful use by skilled operators. In order to be effective, the technology must be transparent to the learner and allow for ubiquitous learning opportunities. The Internet offers an opportunity to explore and dialogue about this issue from the perspective of personal visions for the future of education rather than from formalized paradigms such as constructivism and problem-based learning. Consider adoption of pedagogical innovation made possible via instructional technology. Then, submit your ideas to the dynamic website designed to allow faculty to disseminate and share their responses to the challenge.