Educational Technology and Instructional Design in East Asia: Program Curricula and Career Opportunities

It is important for educators to explore the relationship between a program curriculum and career opportunities to best prepare students for future careers. Facilitated by Dr. Robert Reiser, three experienced and well-established professors – Dr. Meifeng Liu from China, Dr. Katsuaki Suzuki from Japan, and Dr. Innwoo Park from Korea offered their insights through a panel discussion at the AECT Convention 2015. Their discussion, “Educational Technology and Instructional Design in East Asia: New Academic Programs and New Career Opportunities” attracted a wide audience including students, professors, and educational technology professionals. The panel discussion inspired many students like us. The four authors, who are graduate students of Educational Technology, followed up on their discussions by interviewing and exploring their topic with the panelists. This paper is a reflection and synthesis of these three experts’ thoughts and perspectives on the Educational Technology program design, its future development, and job opportunities in East Asia. The three professors will be introduced, then their thoughts and perspectives on the topic in discussion will be provided. …