Foundations of Educational Technology
Domain 1 - Foundations of Educational Technology examines the theories, frameworks, standards, and vocabulary that underpin technology use in schools. Expect questions that ask you to distinguish models rather than merely define them.
Core frameworks
- TPACK: technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge; effective integration sits at the intersections, not in TK alone.
- SAMR: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition - a lens on task redesign, not a required ladder.
- UDL: multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression; proactive design for variability, not retrofitted accommodations.
- ISTE Standards: separate sets for students, educators, education leaders, and coaches; know which audience a practice belongs to.
- Learning theories: behaviorism (reinforcement, drill), cognitivism (processing, memory), constructivism (building knowledge), connectivism (networked learning).
Worked example
A teacher moves a worksheet to a shared document where pairs comment on each other's drafts. SAMR level? Not substitution - the task changed because peer feedback is embedded and visible. It is Modification: significant task redesign. If students then co-author with a class in another country and publish to an authentic audience, that is Redefinition because the task was previously inconceivable.
Traps
- Treating SAMR as a checklist that every lesson must reach Redefinition.
- Equating TPACK with 'knowing how to use a device.'
- Calling any flexible seating or text-to-speech 'UDL' without designing options upfront.
- Mixing ISTE student and educator standards.