Instructional Technology Careers

According to the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), instructional technology refers to the "the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning, Degrees in instructional technology are available at different levels including bachelors, masters and doctorate. The level that you decide to get enrolled in will depend on your prior education as well as future career plans. Many people complete a degree while being employed. For such people, online programs are a great option since they allow a great deal of flexibility and enable students to study according to their own schedule. They also prove to be cost effective as travelling costs are reduced.

Careers in Instructional Technology include instructional coordinators, instructional coaches, curriculum specialists, or assistant superintendents of instruction.

What Do Instructional Coordinators Do?
Instructional coordinators are usually responsible for developing and monitoring school curriculums and teaching standards. Instructional coordinators design instructional material and work in collaboration with teachers and principals to ensure that it is properly implemented. At regular intervals, they take steps to assess the effectiveness of the curriculum. They may observe how teachers are delivering instruction in the classroom, review performance of the students, and interview faculty members and principals to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum. Based on their evaluation, they may recommend desirable changes in the instructional design, teaching design and curriculum.  Instructional coordinators also organize and conduct training session for teachers with the purpose of helping them improve the way students learn. Instructional coordinators may particularly deal with specific courses or grade levels.  They may also choose to focus on a narrow area like special education or English as a second language. Those who wish to pursue an Educational Technology Job typically pursue a master's degree. Relevant work experience is also looked on favorably by prospective employers. Several years of experience of being a teacher or a principal may be helpful. If you want to work in public schools you may have to be a licensed teacher or administrator. The rules vary depending on the state where you decide to work.

Instructional Technology is a very diverse field. Its specialists may find themselves working in K-12 education, colleges and universities, and libraries. Besides the education sector, they work in other departments as well including health care, private companies, government organizations, the military, not-for-profits etc. In addition to the position titles mentioned above, some other position titles that you may come across in the field of educational technology include:

• Training coordinator
• Evaluation and assessment specialist
• Technology support specialist
• E-learning consultant
• Instructional designer
• Web or multimedia designer
• Distance learning developer
• Educational video producer
• Technology director
• Education software developer

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2012, instructional coordinators earned a median wage of $60,050 per year.  Employment of instructional coordinators has been forecasted to increase by 13 percent during the ten year time period of 2012 to 2022. This growth rate is at par with the average job growth rate.