Donald P. Ely (1930-2014)
By Farahd (Fred) Saba, Founder, Distance-Educator.com
It is with sadness that I report the passing of Donald P. Ely a pioneer in educational technology who literally defined the filed in his outstanding career as a teacher, a guide and a friend to many of his students. I met Don in the Summer of 1969 when he was the Chair of the Department of Instructional Technology (later to become Instructional Design, Development, and Evaluation) at Syracuse University. I had just arrived in Syracuse to begin my doctoral studies. I asked Don what will I learn in this program? Without hesitation he responded “tolerance for ambiguity.” Over the years as I have encountered many puzzling situations Don’s phrase has become more meaningful to me. I am sure his many students have similar stories to tell about Don, as his teaching touched them deeply both in class and in guiding them how to orient themselves for their future careers.
Don Ely’s professional life was rich and multifaceted. Although his focus was always on educational technology, he was very much interested in the role that information technology played in our field, many years before “IT” had become so prominent. He was an advocate for distance education and supported his students in implementing several national projects both here in the United States and other countries of the world. His leadership in the Association of Educational Communications and Technology guided many professionals to achieve outstanding positions in their respective organizations. Don’s optimistic character and friendly disposition was truly inspirational, even in the most difficult circumstances.
His scholarship focused on defining the field of educational technology as it was growing in the past few decades. This is perhaps best exemplified by two volumes both titled Classic writings on instructional technology; one published in 1996, and the other in 2001. Another series of books titled Trends in educational technology chronicled the growth and conceptual development of the field.
Don will be missed greatly by many of his students and colleagues throughout the world.
