Proposal for the Creation of a Subdiscipline: Education Informatics

Abstract

“Education Informatics” is the name for an emerging new sub-discipline of education. We define “Education Informatics” as the application of technology to discovering and communicating education information. This article will provide an historical and theoretical foundation for the emergence of this new sub-discipline. Existing definitions of informatics, the literature on education informatics, and the evolution of academic disciplines will be examined. The authors will explore commonalities between the two disciplines from which education informatics is derived: information science and education. They will justify the foundation of the sub-discipline, grounding it within the existing discipline of education. The article will conclude with a discussion of how this new sub-discipline might impact research and practice; a plan for incorporating the new sub-discipline in the educational system; and a proposed research agenda.