Scientific fields share their knowledge and recruit young researchers by offering discipline-specific study programs. Thus, study programs are a reflection of the fields they represent. As technology-enhanced learning is considered to be particularly interdisciplinary and heterogenous, it is important to better understand the landscape of study programs that represents the field. Similar to its broader and longer-established counterpart, educational technology, the research focus of TEL has led to interdisciplinary perspectives integrating theories and methods from education, psychology, and computer science. The term has not only been used to describe a research domain, it has also been the foundation for a number of higher education study programs. At the same time, there is a relative lack of research that has systematically reviewed topics, themes, and trends of curricula in study programs on TEL.
This systematic review published in International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education by Mikhail Fominykh, Joshua Weidlich, Marco Kalz, and I.D. Hybertsen summarizes the current international landscape of TEL/EduTec masters programs. The final sample consisted of 169 programs, characterized in terms of content by 44 codes. Results provide insights into which topics are most prevalent in TEL/EduTec, which of these may be considered “core” to the field, the type of degrees awarded, and the organizational units that offer these programs. Finally, cluster analyses offer insights into different types of programs, TEL practice, TEL management, and TEL balanced.
This study can be read and downloaded here.
Citation: Fominykh, M., Weidlich, J., Kalz, M. et al. (2022). What do they TEL(L)? A systematic analysis of master programs in technology-enhanced learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 19, 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00305-7