AudioVisual Communication Review (Vols. 1 through 25, 1953 – 1977); published quarterly.

In the inaugural issue, Edgar Dale (1953) commented on the significance of the launch of this new journal:

  The inauguration of this new journal is a sign that we are anxious to discipline our field by rigorous, analytic, systematic, objective study; that we think more time and energy and devotion should be given to the field of audio-visual research; and this illuminating research will proceed best as it is closely related to fundamental theories about communication and learning theory.  

Special mention of certain key people was made by the last AVCR editor, Robert Heinich: to James Finn who was the driving force behind the founding of AVCR, William Allen for guiding AVCR through its seventeen years, Ken Norberg as department editor in the early years, and George Gerbner, Robert C. Snider, and John B. Haney for making the AVCR’s book review section an important part of the intellectual growth of the field as well as to Gerald Torkelson for summing up the twenty-five years of AVCR.

Torkelson’s (1977) twenty-five years review of AVCR showed that:

  • the older terminology of audiovisual education evolved to audiovisual communications, to educational media, and to educational/instructional technology
  • we recognize the complexity of teaching-learning processes,
  • we pursue the advantages and disadvantages of technological approaches as solutions for instructional problems,
  • we have controversies related to aptitude-treatment interaction, both theory and practical,
  • we are still uncertain if we are the foremost educational communication specialists
  • research evidence that supports media usage in definitive ways is at best equivocal.

In judging the progression of the profession and using Finn’s (1955) criteria for a profession, Torkelson contended that:

  • “We have developed an intellectual technique
  • We have still to apply that technique successfully to practical affairs,
  • We still have not standardized and accredited long periods of training before entering the profession
  • We do have an association of the profession with some closely knit groups, but not cohesive to the extent that there is mutually beneficial interchange among the various groups in devoting combined energies to common problems
  • There are developing standards for judging scholarship, and an ethical code, at least in AECT
  • We have a body of theory, but not organized or integrated to provide bases for judging the relative merits of theories nor for organizing future inquiry on any agreed-upon path.” (p. 356)
Educational Communication and Technology (Vols. 26-36, 1978 – 1988)

(vol. 26, 1st volume under the new name)
Editor: Robert Heinich
Managing Editor: Vita Pariente
Book Reviews: Harold E. Hill
Research Abstracts: Donald P. Ely
Associate Editors: Theory/Gerald M. Torkelson, Research/ Richard E. Clark

Major purposes were to:

  1. “Publish the results of relevant research studies, theoretical constructs, and critical analyses that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field.
  2. Provide a vehicle for relevant information and thought on problems of educational communications in modern society as viewed by representatives of associated disciplines, such as sociology, social psychology, and social anthropology, in order to encourage an interdisciplinary approach to the field.
  3. Provide a means by which the practitioners can review the results of research studies and examine new theoretical constructs that can guide them in making professional decisions.
  4. Provide a vehicle through which professional educators in the various academic disciplines who are interested in instructional strategies in their fields can share their research efforts and theoretical constructs with specialists in educational communications and technology.” (ECTJ, 1978, vol. 26, no. 1, p. 4)

Editor (vol. 36, no. 4, last issue): William Winn

(Department Editors and the Editorial Board are the same as in vol. 37 of ETR&D except for the Editor. Also, Holloway, R., Zenor, S., and Winn, W. were members of the Editorial Board during this time).
Journal of Instructional Development (1978 – 1988, vols. 2-11)

v.2 1978-1979
v.3 1979-1980
v.4 1980-1981
v.5 1981-1982
v.6 1982-1983
v.7 1984
v.8 1985
v.9 1986
v.10 1987-1988
v.11 1988

A publication of AECT devoted to the emerging field of instructional development. Merged with ETR&D in 1989.

Editor (vol. 11, no. 4, last issue): Norman Higgins

(The editor, editorial assistants, production editor and editorial board were the same as in the first volume of ETR&D-development section).
Education Technology Research and Development (ETR&D) 1989 – present, (Vols. 37 – present)

Editors (vol 37, 1st issue)
Research Section, Howard Sullivan
Development Section, Norman Higgins

Department Editors
International Review, Nicholls Eastman
Research Abstracts, Donald Ely
Book Reviews, Roberts Braden

Editorial Assistants
Maria Harper-Marinick, Ann Igoe, Cecilia López

Editorial Board
Research Section
Michael Streibel (1989-1989); Michael Hannafin (1987-1989); Charles Reigeluth (1988—1990); Robert Tennyson (1988-1990); M. David Merrill (1989-1991); Richard Mayer (1989-1991)

Development Section
Allison Rossett (1987-1989); Sharon Shrock 1987-1989); Robert Reiser (1988-1990); Walter Dick (1989-1991); Rob Foshay 91989-1991)

Ex-officio Editorial Board Members
Stanley Zenor and Lucy Ainsley

ETR&D represents the consolidation of Education Communication and Technology Journal and the Journal of Instructional Development. It was the AECT Executive Board’s decision to co-publish the research journal and the development journal of AECT. Only t he first introductory issue was not divided into two separate sections—research and development section—but the following issues did with its own editor and editorial board.

References

Dale, E. (1953). What does it mean to communicate? AudioVisual Communication Review, 1(1), 3-5.
Torkelson, G. (1977). AVCR—One quarter century: evolution of theory and research. AVCR, 25(4), 317-358.

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