Experimental Research and Educational Technology

Experimental research in educational technology informs both researchers and practitioners of what works. For example, experimental research has informed us of the minimum size of projected letters and colors to use in our design of materials. Similarly, research has shown us how to use pictures and diagrams as well as which instructional strategies are best used under differing conditions. The research methods used in educational technology are based on methods developed in psychology. As in psychology, the roots of the experimental methods employed in educational technology can be traced to the psychology lab Wilhelm Wundt opened in 1879 in Leipzig, Germany. This entry describes the history of experimental research in educational technology, the experimental methods that have been used in the past half century or ...