The Post-Larson Years:
1972-Current
The beginning of this time period was marked by the retirement of Ole Larson in 1972. Following his retirement, the IST Division underwent several major changes that had profound impacts.
First, Mendel Sherman was appointed as division director. Edgar Richardson was chosen to head the AV Center. Although much of the unity between these two groups was lost when two separate division chairmen were appointed, it remained difficult to separate the operations of the two groups during the next few years.
Mendel Sherman
Sherman was much more democratic in the way he ran the department than Larson. He relied heavily on input from other faculty members, something that Larson did not often do. Faculty members found themselves with more control within the division. This change affected not only the faculty but also the students and others associated with the division.
Second, shortly after the retirement of Ole Larson, Dean David Clark felt the need for more control over the academic structure within the IST division. Therefore, the division was moved into the School of Education, where it remained as a division until 1978.
This marked a crucial turn in how things proceeded within the division. The success of the division became tied to the School of Education and no longer to the AV Center cash cow. This forced the division to look elsewhere for funding, something that had not previously been a problem, but would soon become one.
During the 1950's and 60's there had been few retirements within the faculty of IST. In the 1970's and 1980's however, there was a period of time when many of the "old giants" of IST retired. Most of the retiring faculty were labeled as purely researchers, developers, disseminators, or evaluators according to Ole's Research, Develop, Disseminate & Evaluate (RDD&E) model.
The faculty who were hired to replace the retirees were different, though: they were not purely researchers, developers, disseminators, or evaluators. Evaluation had been moved to another department and dissemination had become an emphasis unto itself. Each new faculty member cut across research and development. They had a mix of interests, skills, and emphases. This has been a major factor affecting the makeup of the current faculty.
In 1974, IST graduates dispersed to all parts of the world. Thirty-six became associated with colleges or universities in a variety of capacities, nine joined educational institutions or activities including educational media, research laboratories and government agencies or public schools, and five went to industries and private institutions.
The IST Division continued to display its prominence during 1974-75. In the second half of that school year, the Division was listed as the first choice of schools with programs of this type in Change magazine. The magazine polled deans of schools of education in making the selection.
In 1975-76, the Division had the highest number of graduates in its thirty-six year history - 126 degrees were granted. Degrees granted were: 25 Ph.D., 26 Ed.S., and 75 M.S. All doctoral and specialist graduates seeking positions that year were placed.
Also in 1976, John Moldstad replaced Mendel Sherman as Division Director. Moldstad continued to run the department much like Sherman had. The faculty had input and control into what happened within the department.
During 1976, the Division continued its tradition of co-sponsoring the Summer Media Conference with the AV Center. That year marked the 26th conference. The theme was "The Role of Technology in Higher Education."
At the end of the 1976-77 school year the Division again broke its own record with 162 graduates. Awarded were 23 doctoral, 29 specialist, and 110 master's degrees.
Finally, during the 1976-77 school year, the teacher preparation program was strengthened when a new faculty member was hired for the Indianapolis campus. This was the first time IUPUI had an on-site person to coordinate and develop media services for faculty.
Later in 1977, Ivor Davies was appointed as Distinguished Visiting Professor to the Western Australian Institute of Technology and presented several addresses on instructional technology. Additionally, Michael Molenda was awarded a Senior Fulbright Lectureship in Educational Technology, which he served in Lima, Peru.
In 1978 the School of Education reorganized. The Division of Instructional Systems Technology was renamed the Department of Instructional Systems Technology.
The Spring 1979 issue of Chalkboard reported that graduates of the IST program held positions in 48 states. Additionally, alumni were involved in instructional systems technology in 83 countries including seven provinces in Canada, 19 countries in South America, 24 countries in Asia and the Far East, 21 countries in Africa, and six countries in Europe as well as Australia, England, and Iceland.
In 1978, Malcolm Fleming and Howard Levie received two national awards for their book, Instructional Message Design, the Annual Achievement Award from the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) and the Outstanding Communications Award from the National Society for Performance and Instruction (NSPI).
Robert Heinich
Robert Heinich was named as Director of the IST department in 1979. It was also during this time period that the problem of funding began to surface. The economy of the School of Education began to slow down and decline. This was a general problem affecting education throughout the United States and resulted in the downsizing of many education departments in higher education institutions. The faculty roster in 1979-80 for the IST department contained 18 members.
Funding for IST projects began to be harder to come by. It was about this time that the emphasis within the department took a swing towards corporate training. Funding for corporate projects was much easier to secure and most IST graduates were looking towards the corporate world for employment. Bob Heinich established two separate tracks within the IST program: educational media and corporate training. The emphasis toward corporate training would drive the department well into the late 1980's.
Also during this time frame the number of IST students from the United States was declining, and the number of foreign students rising. The Master's degree program was approximately a 50/50 split between foreign and U.S. students. The doctoral program was rapidly shifting to a majority of foreign students. It was at this time that a recruitment campaign was started to convince U.S. students that they could get good jobs after graduation and financial aid while in school.
In 1979-80, 6 Bachelor (with emphasis on IST), 83 Master, 21 Ed.S., 9 Ed.D, and 22 Ph.D. degrees were awarded to IST graduates. The department generated 2,970 credit hours in Bloomington and 117 credit hours at IUPUI.
Later in 1981, the Summer Media Conference was attended by 150 people. Fourteen states, the District of Columbia, and two foreign countries were represented.
Dennis Pett
At the 1983 annual meeting of AECT and the Audio-visual Association, IST faculty member Dennis Pett was tricked into helping unveil a "special award" which turned out to be a very large citation bearing a portrait of Pett and the signatures of nearly 400 of his former students. Also formally presented to Pett was the Edgar Dale Award for sustained professional achievement over many years.
In January 1985 Pett became the IST department chair. An emphasis on training and development resulted in many internship opportunities for IST students in locations such as Arthur Andersen, the Machinist's Union, the Smithsonian, and the IU Medical Education Resources Program.
Later in 1985, Tom Schwen organized an invitational conference that brought together leaders from all the major instructional technology programs in the nation to discuss the future of the field. Also during that time, Gene Faris was appointed by Lt. Governor Mutz to a task force responsible for assisting in the development of a new telecommunications system for Indiana (INTELNET).
Also during this time period the IST department was acknowledged with the publication of "The International Encyclopedia of Education," in which five of the authors - Harbans Bhola, Malcolm Fleming, Howard Levie, John Moldstad, and Dennis Pett- were from the department.
In January 1988, Michael Molenda began his service as IST department chair. The same year, the department was ranked number one in the nation by two noted scholars - David M. Moore and Roberts A. Braden. This ranking represented the thinking of professionals in the field of instructional technology across the country. It was published in the March 1988 edition of the Performance and Instruction Journal.
Tom Schwen
It was during this time that the pendulum of change started to swing again within the department.
In January 1991 Charles Reigeluth was appointed chair of the department. During Dr. Reigeluth's tenure as chairman the emphasis within the IST department began to even out between education and corporate training.
Increased funding and the desire to improve schools by restructuring brought many new IST projects into the department. Many of the faculty members switched from the corporate training emphasis to an emphasis on improving education within the schools.
Tom Schwen was named as department chairman on July 1, 1993, and served as the chairman. The department emphasis remains split between corporate training and education.
Elizabeth Boling
Elizabeth Boling was named as department chairman on August 1, 1999, and serves as the current chairman. The department emphasis remains split between corporate training and education.
Current faculty roster