Research Commentary: Technology-Mediated Learning—A Call for Greater Depth and Breadth of Research

Abstract

Universities and corporate training facilities have been investing in information technologies to improve education and training at an increasing rate during the past decade. Many new companies are emerging to provide tools and services to enable the effective design of IT-based learning solutions. Although research on technology-mediated learning has increased in recent years, it still lags behind developments in practice. This essay suggests potential research avenues in the area of technology-mediated learning. It seeks to motivate greater depth of research into the question of how technology enhances learning. This question requires an explicit consideration of relationships among technology capabilities, instructional strategy, psychological processes, and contextual factors involved in learning. The essay also recommends attention to a greater breadth of research questions, including issues of how technology-mediated learning affects program design and what structures and processes universities can employ to facilitate innovation.