The digital and technological revolution of the past few decades have affected all aspects of our lives – from how people to communicate to how we get our information. Smartphones are used by more than 50% of the US population, and at least 80% of Americans use the Internet. The vast majority of students at the middle and high school level also use smart phones and tablets.
However, the full integration of technology into teaching and education is still limited. Just eight percent of teachers say they are fully integrating technology into their classrooms, a recent national survey of 1,000 high school teachers found. That same study found that 43% of students think they are unprepared to use technology as they go to college or transition into the workforce.
To help students to be prepared for their future education and adult lives, many teachers and aspiring teachers earn a master’s degree in instructional technology. This program provides you with advanced technology skills that you can use to teach students more effectively in the classroom. You also can use such a degree to teach other educators how to use technology more effectively in their own classrooms.
With this master’s you can work in these jobs with advanced technology educational skills:
- Teacher: Many professionals will use their instructional technology degree to become a more effective teacher. It is very important today to be able to use technology in the classroom effectively with high school students, given the fact that technology is all around them in their daily lives.
- Instructional coordinator: Oversee the curriculum for schools as well as teaching standards. They are responsible for developing instructional materials, coordinating how they are implemented and also assess effectiveness of curricula with technology. You may also observe teachers as they perform in the classroom, review test data of students and do research on curricula by interviewing staff and principals. You can also expect to use your technology skills to teach new curricula to teachers.
- Training and development manager: You will plan, direct and coordinate programs that will boost the knowledge and skills of employees in an organization. Companies rely on these technology educational professionals to provide education to their employees so that they can stay as competitive as possible in business. You will teach training programs and manage staff and budgets for a company, or will possibly serve in this capacity for a consulting company.
Why Earn a Master’s in Instructional Technology?
Teaching professionals who have a master’s in instructional technology are very highly valued in many educational and training situations. You can use your technology skills in the education field not just to be a better classroom teacher. Some other examples of what you can do with this degree are:
- Develop instructions and training for government organizations, such as NIH, FDA, or the the Department of Defense
- Manage a training program for a business or corporation. You also may be able to manage staff training in a healthcare facility.
- Devise custom learning solutions for many different corporate clients as a consultant.
- Support teachers from K-12 or even in universities as you show them how to incorporate new technologies into their teaching
- Develop new instructional software with different types of advanced media
Technology is so important in everything we do today, so it also is very important for most business, public and government entities you could conceivably work for. This master’s degree could give you the chance to work for schools, corporations, universities, community colleges, medical facilities, libraries, school districts and others.
Admission Requirements
Typical admission requirements for this degree program are:
- 0 GPA
- GRE scores may be required
- Official college transcripts
- Bachelor’s degree in education or a related field
- 3 recommendations
- Writing samples
Curriculum and Courses
For professionals who want to earn a high quality master’s in this field, consider the Master of Educational Technology from Boise State University. This program can be taken entirely online, and may be completed in two years.
This program will teach you the most advanced educational technologies in use in the classroom today, and you will be able to leverage these new skills in many types of teaching positions either in the public or private sector.
Your required classes include the following:
- EDTECH 501 Introduction to Educational Technology
- EDTECH 502 The Internet for Educators
- EDTECH 503 Instructional Design for Educators
- EDTECH 504 Theoretical Foundations of Educational Technology
- EDTECH 505 Evaluation for Educational Technologists
Career Outcomes and Job Titles
You can expect to be working in these types of positions with this master’s degree:
- Instructional Design/Course Engineer
- Instructional Designer/Trainer
- E-learning Instructional Designer & Project Manager
- Instructional Designer/Product Development Specialist
- Sales Instructional Developer
- E-learning Curriculum Developer
- Training Analyst / Instructional Designer
- Director of Training
- Training Specialist
- Learning Consultant
- Performance improvement specialist
- Instructional Technologist
Job and Salary Outlook
- Instructional Coordinator — This job field is expected to see a 7% increase in demand by 2024, which is as fast as average. Employment growth will likely occur as schools are focusing on improving the curriculum and the effectiveness of teachers. Instructional coordinators are going to be necessary to provide more training for teachers as curricula are updated. This job is becoming more important today as there is more focus on states and school districts being accountable for the achievement of students. Some states and districts are using graduation rates and test scores to check accountability to see if the curriculum is effective. Median pay is $62,200.
- Training and Development Manager — This field will see 7% growth by 2024, which is about as fast as average. Today more companies are seeing greater competition and they want to retain their employees and get as much out of them as possible. This makes it logical to have training sessions for employees and to increase their skills affordably. Technology is continuing to improve, and training and development managers are needed to enhance the quality of training programs and to provide programs that offer maximum value. Median income for this position is $102,000.
- High School Teacher: Job demand in this field will grow by 6% by 2024, which is average. However, teachers with master’s degrees and expertise in educational technology will be highly regarded in most schools. Technology is important to teach high school students effectively more than ever. The median salary is $57,200.
Scholarships and Grants
- TCEA Scholarships: This organization offers the following scholarships to students who are studying educational technology: Robert E. Knight Professional Scholarship, Richard A. Brown Student Scholarship, and the Jeri Hodges Leadership Scholarship.
- Foundation for IT Education: This foundation provides scholarships for students who are studying information technology or education technology at the master’s or bachelor’s level.
Additional Resources
- Microsoft Free Tools for Educators: If you want to implement more technology in your classroom, Microsoft offers free software and tools at its website to help. Students also can get Microsoft Office for free at qualifying schools.
- Educational Technology Network: This website offers training and ideas for integrating Powerpoint in your classroom. There are many advantages to using Powerpoint in your classes. They provide an easy way for students to learn information and they also are faster for you to create and share with your students and other teachers.
