Difference between Technology of Education and Technology in Education

Educational Technology is a systematic application of relevant technological processes and resources in teaching, with the goal of improving the performance of students. It involves a disciplined approach to identifying the needs of students, applying technology in instruction, and tracking their performance. In a densely populated country like India where mass education is the need of the hour, only educational technology is appropriate. Programmed learning materials such as software programs can make mass education easily available. Various programmed materials such as linear, branching, math can be applied according to the intellectual level of the learner. Almost all types of courses can be programmed keeping in mind the age level of the student. Educational technology has immense potential for the teaching-learning process. It makes curriculum creation and selection of teaching- learning  strategies easier and makes teaching-learning more effective.

 Educational technology helps in improving the quality of teaching by providing a variety of programs through TV and other media. Educational  Technology motivates children to learn. It increases the motivation among the learner to learn by using various new machines such as video, computer tape recorder, TV and other different types of projected aids.

Educational technology has almost eliminated the barriers to mass education. Educational opportunities accessible to all can be easily communicated through a variety of programmes developed by different experts for a large population of students: It breaks the barrier of learners of all classes regardless of economic, social or geographical status and makes education available to all. For examples such as , through mass media, TV, radio, film etc. It makes education easily accessible to all. It also acts as a distance method of learning.

Education technology makes provision of self-learning materials, which provide an opportunity to both talented and backward children to move ahead in the learning process at their own pace.

 Technology in education refers to the application of engineering principles in the development of electro-mechanical devices used for teaching purposes. This type of technology is known as with the name of ET-I or hardware. Beginning with simple audio-visual aids, as popular in the early 1960s, charts, slides, film-strips to the most sophisticated electronic gadgets such as radio, television, computers, videotext, videodiscs, etc. fall under this type of ET. Even before this, technologies such as paper, ink and print were invented based on the principles of physics and later used for educational purposes. The use of media in education including teaching-learning and educational management has revolutionized the educational system all over the world. The three main contributions of media in the educational field are preservation of knowledge, transmission of knowledge and imparting quality education to an unlimited number of students.

It must be understood that no medium is superior or inferior to the other, as every medium has its own capabilities and limitations. Depending upon the educational capabilities of the media, two or more media can be combined to achieve more complex objectives. Such type of an approach is known as multi-media approach.

 Educational System technology is also a process and a way of thinking about a problem. ET developed out of the significant contributions of social sciences, particularly theories of psychology, Skinner’s operant conditioning, etc.Technology of education is concerned with applying the principles of learning psychology to solve practical teaching problems. It emphasises a scientific approach to teaching, focusing on the design, structuring and implementation of teaching methods to achieve specific objectives.As a result, a greater variety of strategies are being used to meet the different needs and learning types of students. This type of technology is also known as ET-II or software.

The above two types of categories of educational technology complement each other. Technology in education has given us a number of tools (media) with tremendous capabilities to facilitate the learning process of a group of students. Technology of education suggests us the best way to use those media to accomplish specific objectives. Thus, technology in education is a hardware approach, while technology of education is a software approach.

Major Approaches of Educational Technology

According to Lumsden educational technology can be classified into three different types on the basis of its multidimensional concept. These are

1. Hardware Approach
2. Software Approach
3. System Approach

1. Hardware Approach

From a general concept it can be called the use of  engineering machine in the teaching-learning process. We should remember that the fathers of educational technology are physical science and engineering technology. Hardware approach is the application of physical and engineering technology in the teaching-learning process.

There are three aspects of human knowledge (1) preservation, (2) transmission and (3) development. The uncountable growth of knowledge and tremendous exploding population demand the use of mechanism in the field of teaching-learning process. The contribution of hardware approach in education can be summarized as follows:

The mechanical and technological revolution has mechanized the teaching-learning process and has contributed a lot in making education accessible to the masses with great ease and economy.

It is not possible for a teacher to convey knowledge to the masses or to the far flung people, but through the mechanization system of education, amazing changes have taken place in the teaching-learning processes. Thousands of people have benefited from this method of mechanization system of education.

2. Software Approach

Software technology is a behavioral technology. It has originated from behavioral science related to the psychology of learning. It may be named instructional technology, teaching technology or behavioral technology. Software technology does not use engineering machines. The psychological theory of teaching and learning provides definite techniques to bring about desirable changes in the behavior of students.

The software system has originated from the learning theories developed by Skinner. This technology attempts to produce appropriate teaching-learning materials, teaching-learning strategies, evaluation techniques, etc. to achieve maximum benefit in the teaching-learning process.

Software technology basically lays importance on the development and use of software materials such as programmed materials, teaching learning strategies etc. based on the psychology of learning Hardware approach generally lays importance on the production and use of audio-visual aids, sophisticated equipment and gadgets and mass media to assist the teacher and the learner so as to achieve better results in the teaching-learning process. In software approach it attempts to use learning psychology in designing software materials, teaching-learning strategies, assessment tools and other tools of teaching and learning.

3. Systems Approach

The third type of educational technology is systems approach or systems analysis. It is also known as management technology. It was developed after the Second World War. The core of systems approach technology is computer science. Thus it has a scientific basis. It provides scientific basis in designing, implementing and evaluating the educational process to achieve the desired specific educational objectives. Systems approach being scientific in its basis helps in studying the problems of educational administration and management in a more scientific, more economical and more effective manner. It also helps in formulating scientific instructional framework. It is a systematic application of educational technology in the entire system of education, and considers the process of education as a whole from entry behaviour to final behaviour. It includes all aspects and all parts of the entire system of education, such as students, teachers, curriculum, content, teaching materials, teaching strategies, physical environment and evaluation of the best people at the best time and best price.

“Systems approach in instruction-Instructional media, hardware and personnel is an integrated programmed complex of whose components are structured as a single unit with time and sequential phasing.” If the system does not function properly in achieving the desired objectives then there is a provision to use alternative strategies. Modifications can be made by applying the most suitable and feasible practices or strategies. In systems approach, through constant comparison of the various roles played by man, machine and media, a continuous effort is made to modify the system and to prepare a correct and appropriate, scientific instructional design to accomplish all the objectives mentioned.

Objectives of Educational Technology

The objectives of educational technology are presented in this subsection;

1. The first and foremost objective of educational technology is to organize the methods and techniques of teaching and learning in a modern way. The main objective is to bring more effectiveness in the teaching-learning process to meet the requirements as per the need of the changing era.
2. The second objective of educational technology is to bring desirable modifications or changes in the behaviour of the teacher and students by modifying the teaching, learning and evaluation system as per the need of the situation.
3. The third objective of educational technology is to provide valuable assistance in the teaching-learning process so as to achieve the best possible results in an economical manner. It attempts to make classroom teaching easier.
4. The fourth objective of educational technology is to assist man in his continuous progress by providing him with various facilities to solve the most complex problems of his life.

Objectives of Educational Technology or Objectives at Micro Level Keeping in View the Specific Classroom Teaching:

1. To identify the characteristics of the students and analyse the educational needs accordingly. 2. Decide on specific classroom objectives after observation and state them in practical form.
2. Analyse the material to be taught and arrange them in sequence.
3. Identify teaching-learning materials and resources.
4. Indicate the nature of interaction among students, teaching materials, content of instruction and teaching method.
5. Plan the series of materials to be taught to students and use the available physical resources to achieve the set classroom objectives.
6. Evaluate the effectiveness of classroom teaching by testing the performance of students or observing changes in behaviour patterns.
7. Give appropriate feedback to students as well as teachers.

Objective of Educational Technology Keeping in view the broad educational goal or objective at macro level:

1. To identify the educational needs and intellectual aspiration of the community.
2. To find out the broad strategies and structure of education to achieve these particular goals.
3. To develop an appropriate curriculum with the interaction of science, art and human values.
4. To develop some teaching-learning models to improve the process of educating the child.
5. To select and develop appropriate aids and tools to accomplish the desired goal or objective.
6. To identify the major objectives and find out ways and means to overcome them.
7. To provide educational opportunities to the masses, especially the neglected sections of the community.
8. To manage the entire educational system i.e. planning, implementation and evaluation phase.

Educational Technology as a System

The systems approach to the design and analysis of teaching/training situations is the basis of the vast majority of developments relating to modern educational technology. This type of technology is called ET-III or Operating System or Management Technology. This concept refers to a dynamic order of parts and processes in mutual interaction. For example, the class room is an arrangement of a larger system, the school and the goals of all the systems are consistent with the overall goal of the larger system. The systems approach refers to the methods of performing functions, i.e., the systematic way of designing, operating and evaluating the total process of education to meet pre-determined objectives set before education. The basic assumption of the systems approach is that teaching is a science, a professional activity aimed at achieving certain educational objectives.

The tremendous explosion of knowledge has changed the very stage of the teaching-learning process of education. We cannot underestimate the importance of educational technology at this time, where serious threats have arisen due to the population explosion. In a densely populated country like India where mass education is the need of the hour, only educational technology is appropriate. With the help of educational technology, the selection of teaching learning strategies can be done easily. Educational technology attempts to find out the educational needs and aspirations of the community and the resources available in that community for fulfilling these needs and aspirations. Educational technology attempts to design the curriculum suitably to achieve the desired objectives. In the entire teaching-learning process, the teacher is the main controlling authority. Thus educational technology makes arrangements to prepare teachers to face the responsibilities of teaching with full trained knowledge. Robert A. Cox has defined, “Educational teleology is the application of scientific process to the learning conditions of men”. According to senior technical advisor S.S. Kulkarni educational technology as “the application of laws as well as recent discoveries of science and technology in the process of education”. Educational technology can be classified into three different types based on its multidimensional concept. These are hardware approach,  software approach and system approach.

Read Also:

1. Concept of Educational Technology
2. The US Educational System
3. Importance of Data Science in Education
4. 10 Ways to Improve The Quality of Education in The United Sates
5. History of Education in America| System, Timeline & Evolution

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