Abstract
Today there is a range of technologies available to those who design learning events, from the old and simple to the new and complex. Key attempts have been made to develop theoretical frameworks of learning technologies and are reported in the literature of the fields of higher education, human resource development, and instructional design. These three fields are not discrete and some overlap occurs. For example, commentators in the field of instructional design state that their designs are intended for learning in many contexts including schools, higher education, organizations, and government (Gagné, Briggs, & Wager, 1995; Reigeluth, 1983). In many cases the theoretical frameworks are intended to guide the selection of learning technologies but often the conceptualizations have not kept pace with the changes in existing technologies and with the advent of new technologies. A review of the literature of these fields will help to evaluate the suitability of conceptualizations of learning technologies to their selection in the process of designing learning events.