Nature of Educational Technology

For understanding the nature of educational technology, we need know the development of the term.

1. The earliest concept of educational technology was linked with the use of audio-visual aids like charts, models, maps, specimens and concrete materials.

2. With the advent of physical science and resulting electronic revolution there came an era of sophisticated hardware and software like projectors, tape-recorders, radio and television, educational technology was taken to mean sophisticated instruments and equipment used for presenting instructional material.

3. Then came, the age of mass media that led to massive communications revolution for instructional purposes. Utilization of radio, television, teletext and computer assisted instruction for individualized learning thus brought more sophistication in the use of appliances and instruments for formal and informal education

4. Then came the concept of programmed learning and programmed instruction for self-instruction and auto-instruction.

5. Then came the application of theories of teaching and learning, micro-teaching, analysis of behaviour and systems approach. The emphasis on systems approach gave rise to other aspects of education like:

• The educational planning or organization,
• The psychology of learning
• The curriculum development and course design
• The product ion of teaching-learning material
• Audio-visual method of presentation and dissemination of information, storage and retrieval,
• The allocation and management of human and non-human resources
• The cost effectiveness of medial in education
• Innovation
• Evaluations

Thus the nature of Educational Technology may be viewed from the entire teaching-learning processes like:

• Specification of goals and behavioural objectives,
• Analysis of the characteristics of the learner,
• Selection and organization of the content or subject matter to be learned,
• Methods and strategies of the presentation of the content,
• Use of aid-material, software and hardware, mass media and communication techniques,
• Effective arrangement of learning situations and learning environment,
• Effective classroom control and management, and
• Continuous feedback and evaluation of the results

Conclusion: In brief, Educational Technology is not confined to the use of audio-visual aids, software materials and hardware equipment or be limited to the use of psychological principles and instructional theories for bringing improvement and evaluation of the teaching-learning process. But a wise and judicious application of the available human and non-human resources for enhancement of the teaching-learning process and to provide appropriate solutions to the problems in education.