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Top1. Introduction
Technology changes daily human life at a rapid pace, and impacts every field of work, including education. From chalk and blackboard in classroom, to slide projector and interactive projector, all these could be considered as forms of technology (Arnold & Sangrà, 2018). When modern technology is applied systematically to an organized educational process, it can be used in three domains, such as tutor, teaching tool, and learning tool (Lazar, 2015). By focusing on the benefits of the chosen tools and applications, teachers and administrators can acknowledge the value of Educational Technology when it is properly integrated into programs or curriculum. Nowadays, educators are more and more familiar with tools that can be used in distance education, educational games, and simulations; many researchers also pay more attention to the effects that technology can bring about (Morrison et al., 2010; Waxman et al., 2013). Many studies suggest the use of technology could inspire positive effects among students, such as improve academic performance, increase students’ competitive capabilities, and elevate learning motivation (Clark, Tanner-Smith, & Killingsworth, 2016; Lai & Bower, 2019; Merchant et al., 2014), therefore the growth and trends in the field of Educational Technology deserve attention and discussions.
In addition, the definition of technology itself could lead to numerous ramifications. In some recent studies, educational technology is defined as tools that help learners gain cognitive knowledge, enhance communication skills and develop problem-solving abilities (Lee, Yeung, & Cheung, 2019; Warner, Bell, & Odom, 2018). Based on this definition, the emphasis would fall on computer-related technology (Doyle et al., 2019). However, from the initial collaboration with personal computers in the 1980s, through the explosive development with the Internet in the 1990s, and into the age of multimedia content with portable devices, the advancements in Educational Technology in recent years have been astonishing (Pedro, de Oliveira Barbosa, & das Neves Santos, 2018). In the past, the focus of Educational Technology was on computers; after the popularization of smartphones, other interactive devices are also included in the technologies that support both teaching and learning (Jack & Higgins, 2019).
Not only the instruments of learning are being revolutionized by technological advancements, so are the pedagogies and mindsets of educators. With the ongoing development of technology, both learners and teachers need adjustments and creativity in order to best utilize the benefits that technology can bring.
Academic journals are an essential platform to disseminate and exchange professional thinking and knowledge among scholars. They have become a medium for researchers and practitioners to learn the known and to identify the unknown. As pointed out by Shafique (2013), “Studying the kind and content of the knowledge produced by a field can inform about the justification and contribution of the field as well as its evolution and future prospects.” Thus, examining articles published in academic journals can help determine the influential literature and research trends about Educational Technology, to quickly understand the newly emerging topics in this field. Moreover, such retrospection can reveal the predominant evolutions of the field and provide an overview of the knowledge structure of the domain (Chen et al., 2020; Li, Antonenko, & Wang, 2019).