Job Opportunities
Below is a screenshot taken from the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, showing the current listings available for individuals possessing technological education degrees.
As the above job search illustrates, there are an array of opportunities available to trained educational technologists, and with both the demand and focus on 21st Century skills and multi-literacies, opportunities are on the rise. According to the University of Hawaii's Faculty of Education, which offers programs in educational technology, "our graduates are in high demand and have multiple job opportunities upon graduation." As stated on the University of Hawaii Faculty of Education website, there is no single job title for educational technologists in organizations, rather positions range from technical support specialist to educational video producer and education software/ games developer.
Primary Employment Streams
In an effort to narrow the focus within this site, we have chosen to focus on three primary employment streams - Teachers/Educators, Administration and Instructional Designers.
Teachers and Educators
Classrooms that utilize learning technology practices and tools hold many instructional benefits for teachers/educators such as:
From a teacher/educator perspective, enrollment within the MET program provides valuable knowledge, insight and practical experience with the plethora of online applications, software, tools and platforms that makes 21st century teaching and learning so exciting and rewarding. Simultaneously, there is a strong emphasis on the provision of a solid pedagogical foundation for the implementation and integration of learning technologies within K-12, as well as adult, classrooms.
Although it includes the word "technology", the Master of Educational Technology degree is awarded within the field of education. Completion of the degree is generally expected to yield many new opportunities for both domestic and international teachers/educators. In fact, within Canada, completion of the MET program as a Master's degree in Education generally improves the teacher/educator's category standing within that respective province's Teacher's Association or College of Teachers. There is usually a resulting increase in salary, as well as introduction of new options, such as qualifying teachers for employment application within school administration.
References:
Robin, B. R. (2006). The educational uses of digital storytelling. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of society for information technology & teacher education international conference 2006, 709-716. Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
Sadik, A. (2008). Digital storytelling: A meaningful technology-integrated approach for engaged student learning. Education Tech Research Development. SpringerLink, 56, 487-506. doi: 10.1007/s11423-008-9091-8
Lowenthal, P. (2009). Digital storytelling: An emerging institutional technology? In K. McWilliam & J. Hartley (Eds.), Story circle: Digital storytelling around the world, 297-305. West Sussex, UK: Blackwell Publishing.
Administration
Most educational systems have migrated from traditional paper-based to technological-based systems. For example, a student who registers for their university classes today will login to their university student account to view the courses being offered, and at a set registration time, they will be able to register for the classes they wish to take for the upcoming school year. In the past, a student would have had to phone in to the university or stand in line at the University's registration office and register in person. This example illustrates that technology is on the rise for staff in education.
The MET program aids in giving administration the edge that is needed to address the growth of technology in education systems. The MET degree not only helps people develop a foundation of technology knowledge that is needed in Administration today, but also trains them to be innovative leaders and critical thinkers who will further implement new technology into existing systems to improve administrative processes.
Instructional Designers
As technology becomes more and more prominent in education, instructional designers become more and more in demand. According to Athabasca University's website: "Instructional design is a developing field with changing needs. As distance education and web-based learning grows and evolves, so too does instructional design. Professional instructional designers and educators with instructional design skills are in demand."
In addition to MET degrees, degrees, certificates and diplomas that focus in instructional design are also on the rise. Athabasca University being just one of the Universities that offer this concentration.
Teachers and Educators
Classrooms that utilize learning technology practices and tools hold many instructional benefits for teachers/educators such as:
- student engagement in the learning process
- enhancement and acceleration of comprehension
- enhancement and acceleration of retention
- promotion of discussion
- facilitation of understanding of abstract conceptual concepts
- aid in development of 21st century literacy skills (Robin, 2006; Sadik, 2008 & Lowenthal, 2009)
From a teacher/educator perspective, enrollment within the MET program provides valuable knowledge, insight and practical experience with the plethora of online applications, software, tools and platforms that makes 21st century teaching and learning so exciting and rewarding. Simultaneously, there is a strong emphasis on the provision of a solid pedagogical foundation for the implementation and integration of learning technologies within K-12, as well as adult, classrooms.
Although it includes the word "technology", the Master of Educational Technology degree is awarded within the field of education. Completion of the degree is generally expected to yield many new opportunities for both domestic and international teachers/educators. In fact, within Canada, completion of the MET program as a Master's degree in Education generally improves the teacher/educator's category standing within that respective province's Teacher's Association or College of Teachers. There is usually a resulting increase in salary, as well as introduction of new options, such as qualifying teachers for employment application within school administration.
References:
Robin, B. R. (2006). The educational uses of digital storytelling. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of society for information technology & teacher education international conference 2006, 709-716. Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
Sadik, A. (2008). Digital storytelling: A meaningful technology-integrated approach for engaged student learning. Education Tech Research Development. SpringerLink, 56, 487-506. doi: 10.1007/s11423-008-9091-8
Lowenthal, P. (2009). Digital storytelling: An emerging institutional technology? In K. McWilliam & J. Hartley (Eds.), Story circle: Digital storytelling around the world, 297-305. West Sussex, UK: Blackwell Publishing.
Administration
Most educational systems have migrated from traditional paper-based to technological-based systems. For example, a student who registers for their university classes today will login to their university student account to view the courses being offered, and at a set registration time, they will be able to register for the classes they wish to take for the upcoming school year. In the past, a student would have had to phone in to the university or stand in line at the University's registration office and register in person. This example illustrates that technology is on the rise for staff in education.
The MET program aids in giving administration the edge that is needed to address the growth of technology in education systems. The MET degree not only helps people develop a foundation of technology knowledge that is needed in Administration today, but also trains them to be innovative leaders and critical thinkers who will further implement new technology into existing systems to improve administrative processes.
Instructional Designers
As technology becomes more and more prominent in education, instructional designers become more and more in demand. According to Athabasca University's website: "Instructional design is a developing field with changing needs. As distance education and web-based learning grows and evolves, so too does instructional design. Professional instructional designers and educators with instructional design skills are in demand."
In addition to MET degrees, degrees, certificates and diplomas that focus in instructional design are also on the rise. Athabasca University being just one of the Universities that offer this concentration.