Recognizing the importance of audio-visual materials as tools of effective teaching specially for distance students, the original audio-visual unit of the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) was expanded to a fully-fledged Educational Technology Division (ET) with the technical assistance from Japan in 1993. Since then the ET division became a service provider for all the faculties to produce instructional audio-visual materials.

Subsequently, the ET division strengthened its capacity by establishing a research cell to conduct institutional research in 1994.

The division is responsible for training staff to produce state-of-the-art techniques in teaching and learning including online materials.

So far the division has won 9 international awards for educational videos from Japan, Iran and UNDP.