The primary resource for looking at educational technology as an ecological metaphor is a paper written by Yong Zhao and Ken Frank (2003), titled “Factors Affecting Technology Uses in Schools: An Ecological Perspective.”

Yong Zhao is the Presidential Chair and Associate Dean for Global Education at the University of Oregon. As well, he is a director for the the Center for Advanced Technology in Education and a fellow of the International Academy for Education. Zhao’s academic interests are likely synonomous with many of those in the MET program, where Zhao focues on educational policy, teacher adoption of technology, computer-assisted language learning and computer gaming in education. You may be interested in Zhao’s website, Zhao Learning. At the time that Zhao co-authored the paper mentioned above, he was a University Distinguished Professor at the College of Education at Michigan State University.

Ken Frank is a professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education, within the College of Education at Michigan State University. He is also a professor in the Fisheries and Wildlife, within the College of Agriculture and National Resources at MSU. Frank’s work seems to focus on social relationships and interactions, in conjunction with fisheries studies, invasive species and ecological interactions.

References