EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Dr. Sam Thomas Joy

Educational Technology

• “Technology is commonly thought of in

terms of gadgets, instrument, machines,
and devices…. most (educators) will defer
to technology as computers”

• Educational technology is a holistic

application of learning theories to
enhance communication through the use
of instructional tools to impact learning.
• Combination of two terms
Education + Technology

• Education - process of bringing up or leading out

the inherent potentialities from the pupil.
• It is the process by which the knowledge, skills
and attitude are transmitted to the members of
the society.

• Technology - refers to the techniques as well as

technical contrivances which enhance a process
• It is a systematic way of applying the technique
to achieve an objective
Educational Technology – first view

• ET refers to application of technology to

instrumentation useful to the process of teaching

• Finn and his Colleagues

• It lays stress on the use of hardware in education

Educational Technology –second view

• ET refers to application of scientific principles to

instruction

• Skinner, Gagne, and others

• It empasises the psychological principles of learning

Educational Technology – third view

• Incorporates both first and second views through

application of the Systems Approach to education
and training

• Davies and Hartley

• Education should be considered a system in which

men, machine, methods, media and materials (5M’s)
are inter-related
• Educational technology is not primarily the
establishment of new physical resources or the
introduction of new machines.

• It is an approach helpful to improve and

innovate education and vitalise the teaching
learning process.

• Educational technology makes education more

productive and more individualistic.
• Educational Technology
It can be therefore defined as the systematic
application of technology in the field of
education

• According to G.O.M. Leith ‘Educational

Technology is the application of scientific
knowledge about learning and the conditions
of learning to improve the effectiveness and
efficiency of teaching and learning.’
Nature and Characteristics of
Educational Technology
• ET is the application of scientific principles
to education

• It lays stress on the development of methods

and techniques for effective teaching-learning

• It emphasis the designing of measuring

instruments for testing learning outcomes

• It involves input, output and process aspect

of education
Nature and Characteristics of
Educational Technology
• It is not synonym of use of audio-visual aids

• ET is a comprehensive term and is not to be

viewed in terms of its parts or processes.

• It includes instructional technology, teaching

technology, programmed learning, micro- teaching
etc..

• ET includes instructional design, audiovisual

media, learning process, teaching strategies and
evaluation techniques.
 Significance of
Educational Technology
• Helps to release the teacher from the routine
role of information giving

• More time for planning, arranging and

evaluating learning experiences and
outcomes

• Creation of multi-media learning

environments in classrooms
 Significance of ET
Contd…

• Involvement of maximum senses

• Utilises maxims of teaching

Proceed from known to unknown
Proceed from simple to complex
Proceed from easy to difficult
Proceed from concrete to abstract
Proceed from particular to general
 Significance of ET
Contd…

• Attention compellers
• Motivating force
• Reduce verbalism and monotonous teaching
• Helps in clarifying concepts
• Substitute for direct experience
• Meets inadequate resources
• Develops scientific attitude
 Significance of ET
Contd…

• Helps in better learning and retention

• Makes teaching learning attractive,

inspirational and effective

• Cater to individual differences of students

Approaches of Educational Technology

• Hardware Approach

• Software Approach

• System Approach
 Hardware Approach
• This approach implies the use of mechanical
materials and equipments in education.

• The term first introduced by James O. Finn &

others.

• This type of educational technology has its

origin in physical sciences and engineering and
is based on the concept of service, i.e., using
technology in education (Silverman 1968).

• While teaching in a big hall, a teacher uses

microphone for making his voice audible, he
may be said to approach such type of
educational technology for making his
teaching effective.
 Hardware Approach Contd…

• Using technology in the process of education.

• In this approach the main feature is the use of

audio-visual aids such as charts, models,
slides, filmstrips, audio cassettes, CD, pen
drive and sophisticated equipment and gadgets
such as film projectors, OHP, slide projector,
radio, tape recorder, LCD projectors, DLP
projector, record player, CD players, DVD
players, television, computers, etc. for
educational purposes.

• This help for knowledge explosion.

Hardware Approach Contd…

• The mass media movement, a result of this

approach, is now contributing a lot to reach
the educational benefit to masses with great
ease and in a cost-effective way.

• In this way, hardware approach to

education has resulted in improving the
overall efficiency of educational system and
reducing the cost of education.
 Software Approach
• While the first type of educational technology
(hardware approach) has originated from the
physical science and applied engineering, the
second type of educational technology
(software approach) owes its origin to the
behavioural sciences and their applied
aspects concerning the psychology of
learning.

• This approach implies the use of

Psychological principles and learning theories
in education.

• Term first introduced by Skinner & Gagne.

Software Approach Contd…

• Psychology of learning provided solid

technology for bringing the desirable
behavioural changes in the students and
thus serves the cause of education by laying
down definite instructional procedure,
teaching behaviour and behaviour
modification devices.

• It is in this sense that the second type of

educational technology is sometimes referred
to as instructional technology, teaching
technology or behaviour technology.
 Software Approach Contd…

• Having originated from the theories of

learning, this type of technology tries to
adopt a process-oriented technique for the
production of suitable teaching-learning
material, teaching learning strategies, and
evaluation techniques for the optimum
results in the process of teaching and
learning.
• .
 Software Approach Contd…

• Thus, in this type and approach, educational

technology basically stands for the technique
of developing and utilizing software and,
that is why, it is referred to as the software
approach.

• In this sense, the materials, such as the

programmed material and teaching learning
strategies based on psychology of learning
are usually known as software and the
equipment and gadgets are called hardware.
• .
Software Approach Contd…

• In hardware approach, we are more

concerned with the production and
utilization of audio-visual aid material,
sophisticated instruments, gadgets, and
mass media for helping the teacher and
learners to achieve better results.

• On the other hand, in software we try to

exploit the psychology of learning for the
production and utilization of software
techniques and material in terms of learning
material, teaching~learning strategies, tools
of evaluation, and other devices to soften
and smoothen the task of teaching and
learning.
 System Approach
• This type of educational technology is
related to the concept of systems
engineering which owes its origin to
computer science.

• It represents the latest concept in technology

of education.

• In this type and approach, educational

technology stands for a systematic way to
design, carry out and evaluate the total
process of education in terms of specific
objectives.
System Approach Contd…
• System: A system is any collection of
interrelated parts that together
constitute a large whole. A number of
units working together for a particular
goal.

• These component parts, or elements of

the system are intimately linked with
one another, either directly or indirectly,
and any change in one or more elements
may affect the overall performance of
the system, either beneficially or
adversely.
System Approach Contd…
• Term first introduced by David & Hartley

• Definition: System approach is an

integrated, programmed complex of
instructional media, hardware and
personnel whose components are structured
as a single unit with a schedule of time and
sequential phasing.

• System Approach involves three stages

• System Analysis
• System Design and implementation
• System Evaluation
System Approach Contd…

• In the case of education, Education also

can be analysed in terms of three
components, namely Input, Process and
Output.

• System Analysis will help the teacher to

establish meaningful relationship between
Output, Input and Process.

• This System design should act as the

guidelines for the teacher in what to teach,
when and what manner.
System Approach Contd…

• Immediate feedback, diagnosis and

remediation at every stage should be the
main role to be played by system evaluation.

• Evaluation has to be done continuously and

should involve formative as well as
summative.
Education is a system which can
be represented as follows:
System Approach Contd…

• Thus, it means systems approach

organize educational system
effectively and economically, keeping
in View the educational objectives and
available man-material resources.
Advantages of System Approach
• It provides a framework to build plans
for implementing changes in
education

• It helps to identify the suitability of

the resource material to achieve the
specific goal

• Technological advance could be used

to provide integration of machines,
media, and people for attaining the
definite goal
Advantages of System Approach
Contd…

• Continuous evaluation and feedback

ensures quality

• Problems in education can be

systematically identified and solved
Communication Media

• Communication Media refers to the

means of delivering and receiving
data or information
Multimedia – Meaning

A judicious mix of various media such

as text, audio, video, graphics and
animation
Components of Multimedia
• Text

• Audio

• Video

• Graphics

• Animation
(Animation refers to the artificial
movements of text or other multimedia
objects created in virtual environments
using specialized software packages)
Multimedia Materials in Education
• Computer Simulated Packages

• Educational interactive CD ROM

• Online materials

• Educational Computer Games

• CAI materials

• Programmed Learning Materials

Disadvantages of Multimedia

• Expensive

• Require special hardware

• Not always compatible

Advantages of Multimedia
• Increases learning effectiveness

• Is more appealing over traditional,

lecture-based teaching methods

• Offers significant potential in

improving personal communications,
education and teaching efforts

• Is easy to use

• Frees the teacher from routine task

• Creates interest in students

Multisensory – Meaning

The effective use of various senses for

receiving information from various
sources is known as multi sensory
approach
Advantages of Multisensory Approach
• Makes learning more permanent

• Supplies a concrete basis for conceptual

thinking

• Create interests in students

• Offers reality of experience

• Give depth and variety to the learning

materials
Advantages of Multisensory Approach
Contd…

• Helps to develop continuity in thought

• Helps to provide motivation, interest,

accuracy and more productivity in
learning

• Helps to realise the Learning objectives

more effectively