Issues and Trends in Instructional Technology: Consistent Growth in Online Learning, Digital Content, and the Use of Mobile Technologies

Abstract

We continue the tradition of reporting the past year’s issues and trends that shape attitudes and approaches to instructional technology. This chapter is comprised of four sections: Overall Developments, Corporate Training and Development, Higher Education, and K-12 Settings. The trends and issues described are based on major annual reports sponsored and/or conducted by organizations, including the Association for Talent Development (ATD), EDUCAUSE, Gartner Incorporated, New Media Consortium, Online Learning Consortium (formerly the Sloan Consortium), and Project Tomorrow. These reports require time in terms of data collection, interpretation, and publication, the shortest of which take a year to complete and, therefore, reflect the issues and trends of large groups over long periods of time. For a more immediate review of trending topics in instructional technology, please refer to the authors’ biweekly podcast, Trends & Issues in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, & Learning Sciences(Brown & Green, 2017).