The development of educational technology abroad can be roughly divided into four stages.

The first stage is the exploration stage of media and tools. At present, educational technology mainly focuses on how to use new media and tools to improve the efficiency and quality of education. Researchers began to study how to use new technologies such as film, television, recording and computer to create more attractive and efficient learning methods.

The second stage is the development stage of educational technology theory. At this stage, the focus of research has shifted from media and tools to learning process and learners. Researchers began to pay attention to how to better understand and promote the learning process by using new technologies, and put forward many new learning theories and models, such as behaviorism learning theory, cognitive learning theory and humanistic learning theory.

The third stage is the integration stage of educational technology. The research focus of this stage is to explore how to integrate educational technology into the education system, including curriculum design, teaching strategies and evaluation system. Researchers began to study how to use new technology to change the traditional teaching mode and teaching methods and promote the reform of the education system.

The fourth stage is the stage of innovation and transformation of educational technology. At present, the development of educational technology mainly focuses on how to use new technology to create new educational models and methods and promote educational innovation and change. Researchers began to study how to use big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other new technologies to change the nature and mode of education and promote the digital transformation of education.

Generally speaking, the development of foreign educational technology has gone through many stages, from the initial exploration of media and tools to theoretical development, and then to integration and innovation, each stage has its own unique characteristics and research focus. These researches and developments are of great significance for promoting educational progress and improving educational quality.