This collection of five articles presents the viewpoints of experts on various aspects of the field of instructional technology (IT). Wesley C. Meierhenry traces the history of IT from its original emphasis on audiovisual media to its current concern with instructional design and the use of systems and systematic approaches. Henry T. Ingle presents a menu of new information technology developments and suggests some implications for IT professionals. The history of IT research is reviewed by Vernon S. Gerlach, who questions the validity of research focusing on the superiority of individual nonprint media over books and other types of media, as well as the utility of computers for instruction. He calls for disciplined research and increased attention to the behavior of instructional developers. Robert K. Branson cites and reviews the significance of several cases involving applications of instructional systems technology to training problems associated with business/industry and government/military institutions. Barry Bratton and Kenneth H. Silber note some recent changes in the field and efforts to discipline and upgrade IT professionals through certification and accreditation. They conclude by relating their observations to recent national critiques of education and indicating changes in IT performance and career goals that may result. (BBM)