Technology
Technology
is the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of, techniques, and methods
of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a pre existing solution
to a problem, achieve a goal, handle an applied input output relation or perform
a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools,
including machinery, modifications, arrangements and procedures. Technologies
significantly affect human as well as other animal species ability to control
and adapt to their natural environments. The term can either be applied
generally or to specific areas, examples include construction technology, medical
technology, and information
technology.
The
human species use of technology began with the conversion of natural resources
into simple tools. The prehistorically discovery of the ability to control fire
increased the available sources of food and the invention of the wheel helped
humans in travelling in and controlling their environment. Recent technological
developments, including the printing press, the telephone, and the internet,
have lessened physical barriers to communication and allowed humans to interact
freely on a global scale. However, not all technology has been used for
peaceful purposes; the development of weapons of ever increasing destructive
power has progressed throughout history, from clubs to nuclear weapons.
Technology
has affected society and its surroundings in a number of ways. In many
societies, technology has helped develop more advanced economies and has allowed
the rise of a leisure class. Many technological processes produce unwanted
by-products, known as, and deplete natural resources, to the detriment of Earth
environment. Various implementations of technology influence the values of a
society and new technology often raises new ethical questions. Examples include
the rise of the notion of efficiency in terms of human productivity, a term
originally applied only to machines, and the challenge of traditional norms.
Philosophical
debates have arisen over the present and future use of technology in society,
with disagreements over whether technology improves the human condition or
worsens it. Neo Luddism, anarcho primitivism, and similar movements criticize
the pervasiveness of technology in the modern world, opining that it harms the
environment and alienates people; proponents of ideologies such as
transhumanism and techno progressivism view continued technological progress as
beneficial to society and the human condition. Indeed, until recently, it was believed
that the development of technology was restricted only to human beings, but
recent scientific studies indicate that other primates and certain dolphin
communities have developed simple tools and learned to pass their knowledge to
other generations.
Definition and Usage
The use of the term technology has changed significantly over the last 200 years.
Before the 20th century, the term was uncommon in English and usually referred
to the description or study of the useful arts.
The term was often connected to technical education, as in the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Technology
rose to prominence in the 20th century in connection with the. The meanings of
technology changed in the early 20th century when American social scientists,
beginning with, translated ideas from the German concept of into technology. In German and other
European languages, a distinction exists between Technik and Technologie
that is absent in English, as both terms are usually translated as technology. By the 1930s, technology referred not to the study of
the industrial arts, but to the industrial arts themselves. In 1937, the
American sociologist Read Bain wrote that technology includes all tools,
machines, utensils, weapons, instruments, housing, clothing, communicating and
transporting devices and the skills by which we produce and use them. Bain
definition remains common among scholars today, especially social scientists.
But equally prominent is the definition of technology as applied science,
especially among scientists and engineers, although most social scientists who
study technology reject this definition. More recently, scholars have borrowed
from European philosophers of technique
to extend the meaning of technology to various forms of instrumental reason, as
in Foucault work on technologies of the self.
Dictionaries and scholars have offered a variety
of definitions. The Merriam Webster dictionary offers a definition of the term,
the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area and a
capability given by the practical application of knowledge. Ursula Franklin in
her 1989 Real World of Technology
lecture, gave another definition of the concept, it is practice, the way we do
things around here. The term is often used to imply a specific field of
technology, or to refer high technology to or just consumer electronics, rather
than technology as a whole. Bernard Stiegler, in Technics and Time, defines
technology in two ways, as the pursuit of life by means other than life, and as
organized inorganic matter.
The word technology can also be used to refer to a collection of techniques. In this context, it is the current state of humanity knowledge of how to combine resources to produce desired products, to solve problems, fulfil needs, or satisfies wants, it includes technical methods, skills, processes, techniques, tools and raw materials. When combined with another term, such as medical technology or space technology, it refers to the state of the respective field's knowledge and tools. State of art the technology refers to the high technology available to humanity in any field.
Technology can be viewed as an activity that
forms or changes culture. Additionally, technology is the application of math,
science, and the arts for the benefit of life as it is known. A modern example
is the rise of communication technology,
which has lessened barriers to human interaction and, as a result, has helped
spawn new subcultures, the rise of cyber culture has, at its basis, the
development of the internet and the computer. Not all technology enhances
culture in a creative way; technology can also help facilitate political
oppression and war via tools such as guns. As a cultural activity, technology
predates both and, science and engineering, each of which formalize some
aspects of technological endeavour.
Science Engineering and Technology
The distinction between science, engineering and
technology is not always clear. Science is the reasoned investigation or study
of phenomena, aimed at discovering enduring principles among elements of the
phenomenal world by employing formal techniques such as the scientific method.
Technologies are not usually exclusively products of science, because they have
to satisfy requirements such as utility, usability and safety.
Engineering is the goal oriented process of
designing and making tools and systems to exploit natural phenomena for
practical human means, often using results and techniques from science. The
development of technology may draw upon many fields of knowledge, including
scientific, engineering, mathematical, linguistic, and historical knowledge, to
achieve some practical result.
Technology
is often a consequence of science and engineering although technology as a
human activity precedes the two fields. For example, science might study the
flow of electrons in electrical conductors, by using already existing tools and
knowledge. This new found knowledge may then be used by engineers to create new
tools and machines, such as semiconductors, computers, and other forms of
advanced technology. In this sense, scientists and engineers may both be
considered technologists; the three fields are often considered as one for the
purposes of research and reference.
The
exact relations between science and technology in particular have been debated
by scientists, historians, and policymakers in the late 20th century, in part
because the debate can inform the funding of basic and applied science. In the
immediate wake of world war II for example, in the United States it was widely
considered that technology was simply applied
science and that to fund basic science was to reap technological results in
due time. An articulation of this
philosophy could be found explicitly in Vannevar Bush treatise on postwar
science policy, Science the Endless
Frontier New products, new industries, and more jobs require continuous
additions to knowledge of the laws of nature. This essential new knowledge can
be obtained only through basic scientific research. In the late1960s, however,
this view came under direct attack, leading towards initiatives to fund science
for specific tasks. The issue remains contentious though most analysts resist
the model that technology simply is a result of scientific research.
Technology
and Philosophy
Technicism
Generally Technicism is a reliance
or confidence in technology as a benefactor of society. Taken to extreme,
Technicism is the belief that humanity will ultimately be able to control the
entirety of existence using technology. In other words, human beings will
someday be able to master all problems and possibly even control the future
using technology. Some, such as Stephen V. Monsma, connect these ideas to the
abdication of religion as a higher moral authority.
Optimism
Optimistic
assumptions are made by proponents of ideologies such as transhumanism and
singularitarianism, which view technological development as generally having
beneficial effects for the society and the human condition. In these
ideologies, technological development is morally good. Some critics see these
ideologies as examples of scientism and techno utopianism and fear the notion
of human enhancements and technological singularity which they support. Some
have described Karal Marx as a techno optimist.
Skepticism and critics of
technology
On
the somewhat skeptical side are certain philosophers like Herbert Marcuse and,
John Zerzan, who believe that technological societies are inherently flawed.
They suggest that the inevitable result of such a society is to become ever
more technological at the cost of freedom and psychological health.
Many,
such as the Luddites and prominent philosopher Martin Heidegger, hold serious,
although not entirely deterministic reservations, about technology according to
Heidegger scholars Hubert Drefus and Charles Spinosa, Heidegger does not oppose
technology. He hopes to reveal the essence of technology in a way that in no
way confines us to a stultified compulsion to push on blindly with technology
or, what comes to the same thing, to rebel helplessly against it. Indeed, he promises
that when we once open ourselves expressly to the essence of technology, we
find ourselves unexpectedly taken into a freeing claim. What this entails is a
more complex relationship to technology than either techno optimists or
techno-pessimists tend to allow.
Some
of the most poignant criticisms of technology are found in what are now
considered to be dystopian literary classics, for example Aldous Huxley Brave
New World and other writings, Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange, and George
Orwell Nineteen Eighty four. And in Faust by Goethe, Faust selling his soul to
the devil in return for power over the physical world is also often interpreted
as a metaphor for the adoption of industrial technology. More recently, modern
works of science fiction, such as those by Philip K. Dick and William Gibson,
and films project highly ambivalent or cautionary attitudes toward technology's
impact on human society and identity.
The
late cultural critic Neil Postman distinguished tool using societies from
technological societies and, finally, what he called technopolies, that is,
societies that are dominated by the ideology of technological and scientific
progress, to the exclusion or harm of other cultural practices, values and
world views.
Darin
Barney has written about technology impact on practices of and democratic
culture, suggesting that technology can be construed as an object of political
debate, a means or medium of discussion, and a setting for democratic
deliberation and citizenship. As a setting for democratic culture, Barney
suggests that technology tends to make questions, including the question of
what a good life consists in, nearly impossible, because they already give an
answer to the question: a good life is one that includes the use of more and
more technology.
Appropriate Technology
The
notion of appropriate technology however, was developed in the 20th century to
describe situations where it was not desirable to use very new technologies or
those that required access to some centralized infrastructure or parts or
skills imported from elsewhere. The eco village movement emerged in part due to
this concern.
Technology
and Competitiveness
In 1983 a classified program was initiated in the US intelligence community to reverse the US declining economic and military competitiveness. The program, Project Socrates, used all source intelligence to review competitiveness worldwide for all forms of competition to determine the source of the US decline. What Project Socrates determined was that technology exploitation is the foundation of all competitive advantage and that the source of the US declining competitiveness was the fact that decision making through the US both in the private and public sectors had switched from decision making that was based on technology exploitation to decision making that was based on money exploitation at the end of World War II.
Technology is properly defined as any application
of science to accomplish a function. The science can be leading edge or well
established and the function can have high visibility or be significantly more
mundane but it is all technology, and its exploitation is the foundation of all
competitive advantage.
Technology
based planning is what was used to build the US industrial giants before WWII
and it what was used to transform the US into a super power. It was not
economic based planning.
Project Socrates determined that to rebuild US
competitiveness, decision making throughout the US had to readopt technology
based planning. Project Socrates also determined that countries like China and
India had continued executing technology based planning, and as a result had
considerably advanced the process and were using it to build themselves into
superpowers. To rebuild US competitiveness the US decision makers needed to
adopt a form of technology based planning that was far more advanced than that
used by China and India.
Project Socrates determined that technology based
planning makes an evolutionary leap forward every few hundred years and the
next evolutionary leap, the Automated Innovation Revolution, was poised to
occur. In the Automated Innovation Revolution the process for determining how
to acquire and utilize technology for a competitive advantage is automated so
that it can be executed with unprecedented speed, efficiency and agility.
Project Socrates developed the means for
automated innovation so that the US could lead the Automated Innovation
Revolution in order to rebuild and maintain the country's economic
competitiveness for many generations.
Definitions of Technology
Etymology
The
word technology comes from two
Greek words, transliterated techne
and logos. Techne means art, skill, craft, or
the way, manner, or means by which a thing is gained. Logos means word, the utterance by which inward thought is
expressed, a saying, or an expression. So, literally, technology means words or
discourse about the way things are gained.
Contemporary Usage
Lately,
technology has come to mean
something different. In one respect, the term has come to mean something
narrower the above definition would admit art or politics as means of gain, yet
though those activities are permeated by technology now, most of us would not
consider them to be examples or subsets of technology. In another respect, this
definition is too narrow, for when most of us speak of technology today, we
mean more than just discourse about means of gain.
Working Definitions
In
this essay I will refer to technology in five different senses. Following are
some working definitions.
The Technological Process
First,
technology is the rational process of creating means to order and transform matter, energy, and information to
realize certain valued ends. The
significance of this definition will become clearer below.
Technological Objects
Second,
technology is the set of means created by the technological process.
Technological objects range from toothbrushes to transportation systems.
Technological Knowledge
Third,
technology is the knowledge that makes the technological process possible. It
consists of the facts and procedures necessary to order and manipulate matter,
energy, and information, as well as how to discover new means for such
transformations.
A Technology
Fourth,
a technology is a subset of related technological objects and knowledge.
Computer technology and medical technology are examples of technologies.
The technological system
Finally,
technology is the system consisting of the technological process, technological
objects, technological knowledge, developers of technological objects, users of
technological objects, and the worldview that has emerged from and drives the
technological process. This is what Ellul referred to as the technological
system. In the remainder of this article, I will use all five senses, but when
I use the term technology by
itself, I mean the fifth and most comprehensive sense.
Definition
The purposeful
application of information in the design, production, and utilization of goods
and services and in the organization of human activities.
Technology is generally divided into five
categories
Tangible:
Blueprints, models, operating manuals, prototypes.
Intangible:
Consultancy, problem solving, and training methods.
High:
Entirely or almost entirely automated and intelligent technology that
manipulates ever finer matter and ever powerful forces.
Intermediate: Semi
automated partially intelligent technology that manipulates refined matter and
medium level forces.
Low:
Labor intensive technology that manipulates only coarse or gross matter and
weaker forces.
What is
Technology
The
application of science, especially to industrial or commercial objectives. The
scientific method and material used to achieve a commercial or industrial
objective. Electronic or digital products and systems considered as a group.
Anthropology The body of knowledge available to a society that is of use in
fashioning implements, practicing manual arts and skills, and extracting or
collecting materials.
Information technology
Information
technology is the application of computers and
telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data,
often in the context of a business or other enterprise. The term is commonly
used as a synonym for computers and computer networks, but it also encompasses
other information distribution technologies such as television and telephones. Several
industries are associated with information technology, including computer
hardware, software, electronics, semiconductors, internet, telecom equipment,
e- commerce and computer services.
Humans
have been storing, retrieving, manipulating and communicating information since
the Sumerians in Mesopotamia developed writing in about 3000 BC, but the term
information technology in its modern sense first appeared in a 1958 article
published in the Harvard Business Review, authors Harold J. Leavitt and Thomas
L. Whisler commented that the new technology does not yet have a single
established name. We shall call it information technology their definition
consists of three categories, techniques for processing, the application of
statistical and mathematical methods to decision making and the simulation of
higher order thinking through computer programs.
Based
on the storage and processing technologies employed, it is possible to
distinguish four distinct phases of IT development, pre mechanical, mechanical,
electromechanical and electronic. This article focuses on the most recent
period, which began in about 1940.
Devices
have been used to aid computation for thousands of years, probably initially in
the form of a tally stick. The Antikythera mechanism, dating from about the
beginning of the first century BC, is generally considered to be the earliest
known mechanical analog computer, it is also the earliest known geared
mechanism. It is based on practical reasoning. Comparable geared devices did
not emerge in Europe until the 16th century, and it was not until 1645 that the
first mechanical calculator capable of performing the four basic arithmetical
operations was developed.
Electronic
computers, using either relays or valves, began to appear in the early 1940s.
The electromechanical Zuse, completed in 1941, was the world's first
programmable computer, and by modern standards one of the first machines that
could be considered a complete computing machine. Colossus, developed during
the Second World War to decrypt German messages was the first electronic
digital computer. Although it was programmable, it was not general-purpose,
being designed to perform only a single task. It also lacked the ability to
store its program in memory, programming was carried out using plugs and
switches to alter the internal wiring. The first recognizably modern electronic
digital stored program computer was the Manchester small scale experimental
machine, which ran its first program on 21 June 1948.
The
development of transistors in the late 1940s at Bell Laboratories allowed a new
generation of computers to be designed with greatly reduced power consumption.
The first commercially available stored program computer, the Ferranti Mark, contained
4050 valves and had a power consumption of 25 kilowatts. By comparison the
first transistorized computer, developed at the University of Manchester and
operational by November 1953, consumed only 150 watts in its final version.
Information
Technology is a term that encompasses all forms of technology used to create,
store, exchange, and use in its various forms business data, voice
conversations, still images, motion pictures, multimedia presentations, and
other forms, including those not yet conceived. It a convenient term for
including both telephony and computer technology in the same word. It is the
technology that is driving what has often been called the information revolution.
What
is Information Technology
The information technology director oversees the
information technology strategy for an organization, developing and
implementing the policies and goals for the IT department. The IT director
analyzes the business requirements of different departments and conducts
feasibility studies to determine the best use of technical resources. Technical
investments may include a new information system or upgrades to hardware or
software components. The IT director coordinates information systems managers
and reports to the chief information officer.
Information technology directors typically
advance into the role after years of experience as an information systems
manager. IS managers need at least a bachelor degree in computer science or
management information systems. An MBA in information technology management
broadens a manager business perspective and boosts advancement potential.
Set of tools, processes, and methodologies coding
programming, data communications, data conversations, storage and retrieval,
systems analysis and design, systems control and associated equipment employed
to collect, process, and present information. In broad terms, IT also includes
office automation, multimedia, and telecommunications.
Technology in education is most simply and
comfortably defined as an array of tools that might prove helpful in advancing
student learning and may be measured in how and why individuals behave.
Educational Technology relies on a broad definition of the word technology .
Technology can refer to material objects of use to humanity, such as machines
or hardware, but it can also encompass broader themes, including systems,
methods of organization, and techniques. Some modern tools include but are not
limited to overhead projectors, laptop computers, and calculators. Newer tools
such as smartphones and games are beginning to draw serious attention for their
learning potential. Media psychology is the field of study that applies
theories of human behavior to educational technology.
Consider the Handbook of Human Performance Technology. The word technology
for the sister fields of Educational and means applied science. In other words,
any valid and reliable process or procedure that is derived from basic research
using the scientific method is considered a technology. Educational or Human
Performance Technology may be based purely on algorithmic or heuristic
processes, but neither necessarily implies physical technology. The word
technology comes from the Greek which means craft or art. Another word,
technique, with the same origin, also may be used when considering the field
Educational Technology. So Educational Technology may be extended to include
the techniques of the educator.
A classic example of an Educational Psychology
text is Bloom 1956 book, Taxonomy of
Educational Objectives. Bloom Taxonomy is helpful when designing
learning activities to keep in mind what is expected of and what are the
learning goals for learners. However, Bloom's work does not explicitly deal
with educational technology per se and is more concerned with
pedagogical strategies.
According to some, an Educational Technologist is
someone who transforms basic educational and psychological research into evidence
based applied science of learning or instruction. Educational Technologists
typically have a graduate degree in a field related to educational psychology,
educational media, experimental psychology, cognitive psychology or, more
purely, in the fields of Educational, Instructional or Human Performance
Technology or. But few of those listed below as theorists would ever use the
term educational technologist as a
term to describe themselves, preferring terms such as educator the
transformation of educational technology from a cottage industry to a
profession is discussed by Shurville, Browne, and Whitaker.
Instructional Technique and Technologies
Children and adult people are growing up in a
vastly changing context. No aspect of their lives is untouched by the digital
era which is transforming how they live, relate and learn some examples of
these changes in the classroom include. Together they are active learning
educational technologies used to facilitate learning. Which includes physical
and process applied science can be incorporated into project, problem, inquiry based
learning as they all have a similar educational philosophy. All three are student
centered, ideally involving real-world scenarios in which students are actively
engaged in critical thinking activities. The process that students are
encouraged to employ is considered to be a technology. Classic examples of
technologies used by teachers and Educational Technologists include Bloom's
Taxonomy and Instructional Design.
As an academic discipline, the study of educational technology prepares individuals by helping them acquire a deeper understanding and mastery of,
Learning resources: messages, people, materials, devices, techniques and
settings,
Processes
for analyzing and devising solutions to those problems through research,
theory, design, production, evaluation, utilization,
The
processes involved in organization and personnel management.
The focus is on effective processes to
facilitate learning using technologies and understanding the impacts of
technology on learners and organizations. Areas of specialization may include
distance learning, human performance technology, technology integration and
management, media design and development, learning sciences, instructional
design, change management, and communications processes. It should be noted
that the field is not merely concerned with learning technical skills nor the
simplistic use of technology for technology sake in teaching, a common
misperception by non educators. Practitioners in the field typically hold an
advanced degree, Master or doctorate.
The association educational communications technology, the professional society for Education Technology.
Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources.
As a field, educational technology emphasizes communication skills and approaches to teaching and learning through the judicious use and integration of diverse media. Scholars in the field examine the uses of innovative media and technologies for education, examining all aspects from direct student learning to management and impacts on institutions. As in all forms of applied technology, the field studies how theoretical knowledge and scientific principles can be applied to problems that arise in a social context. Practitioners in educational technology seek new and effective ways of organizing the teaching and learning process through the best possible application of technological developments. These activities rely upon a body of knowledge for successful and ethical implementation, rather than routine tasks or isolated technical skills.
Research and Knowledge Base
The field provides the research base for
effective utilization of new media in education and by default is
interdisciplinary in its approaches and theories. This may include human computer
interaction and cognition, social and behavioural aspects of media in learning,
or change and innovation theory among social and cultural groupings as the
basis for research and study.
The knowledge base for the field has been well
documented by the discipline major professional organization, the. While some
programs refer to the discipline as instructional technology or instructional
design, the UHM department has taken the more current terminology of educational technology reflecting the
aspects of the field that go beyond instructional development to include the
wider social and behavioural impacts of technology on education.
Educational technology is the considered implementation of appropriate tools, techniques, or processes
that facilitate the application of
senses, memory, and cognition to enhance
teaching practices and improve
learning outcomes.
Educational technology has a multi faceted nature comprising a cyclical
process, an arsenal of tools, and a multiple node relationship between learners
and facilitators of instruction, as well as between learners themselves. This
nature makes it somewhat difficult to provide a specific definition based on
particular technologies at any given point in time. The attempt to apply
meaning to the term in this way was a primary flaw of earlier definitions of
the field. Therefore, I have chosen to develop a broader definition that is not
dependent upon any particular interpretation of technology past, present, or
future. The breadth of my definition allows the idea of technology to encompass processes, as well as objects and
artifacts, and this is essential to ensure longevity to the definition.
There are five key components of my own definition of educational
technology that are meant to tie the multiple facets of the concept together.
Key parts of the definition are implicit in the terms chosen, and I purposefully
chose this somewhat between the lines approach in order to allow for future
developments within the field as well as in service of my own preference for
economy of statement when defining anything of significant value. The
components of my definition are listed below along with a brief discussion of
each component.
Considered implementation
Any
technology, whether physical or conceptual, has value beyond the purely
philosophical when it is implemented and subsequently utilized by a population.
Implementation is essential, especially when one understands that educational
technology is about affecting particular outcomes. The idea that the
implementation should be considered
means additionally that there is an assessment loop built into the process, as
outcomes are measured, effective use of technology is repeated, while
ineffective use is either improved or abandoned. Indiscriminate implementation
is a frivolous use of intellectual, capital, and temporal resources, and it is
all too often found to be the methodology in education environments. Finally,
the considered implementation speaks to the need for effective leadership.
Appropriate tools, techniques, or processes
When thinking of educational
technology, this segment of my definition is likely the piece that first comes
to mind. Almost reflexively, the general public, as well as the seasoned
educator, looks for the silver bullet in addressing shortcomings in our system
of education, and the physical trappings of technology are especially
seductive. Certainly, these objects have demonstrable value; however, techniques
and processes in teaching and learning are at least equally important. As
educators and, more generally, as members of a society we have developed
methodologies for accomplishing tasks and obtaining desired outcomes. These
methodologies have been and continue to be refined over time, just as the
latest advancements in computing technology continue to roll out unceasingly
and with regularity. It is quite important to include the modifier of appropriate to this component,
otherwise we see an ever-increasing use of technology that adds no value to
education yet exacts a heavy price, again in multiple resource categories. The
use of appropriate tools, techniques, or processes is much more likely to
result in the outcomes that educators desire.
Facilitate
the application of senses memory and cognition
It is in this component of my
definition where I stepped the farthest away from the majority of existing
definitions of the field. My intent here was to generalize the concept of
learning both as a process of internalization as well as demonstration of
ability. This formulation might serve as summary of Bloom Taxonomy overlaid on
learner, where learning outcomes in the form of know, do, and value are
summarized by the combination of the human mind and body. But human
capabilities are not wholly adequate to the demands of the modern teaching and
learning enterprise, and this is where technology as facilitator has a role.
The use of video to bring the depths of the universe to the learner eyes the
use of the Internet to give the learner instant access to thoughts and
observations of humanity greatest thinkers these are examples of technology
facilitating the application of our own senses, memories, and cognitive
abilities.
Enhance teaching practices
Learning in our formalized education context
does not exist in a vacuum, that is, we do not simply provide learners with
access to information and resources with the expectation that they will learn
through discovery. In fact, our educational infrastructure is based largely on
the idea that the learner will progress far more quickly under the mentorship
of a skilled instructor both knowledgeable in the subject matter and competent
in instructional methodologies. In the previous component discussion I made my
case for technology as a facilitator on the learner side of education,
likewise, technology should also provide assistance and support to instructors
during the teaching and learning process. Demonstrations, illustrations,
instruction across learning styles all of these are areas in which technology
may provide those teaching with more leverage over learner gaps in knowledge
and understanding.
Improve learning outcomes
Finally, all else might turn out to be simply
exercises with no point if we are unable to improve learning outcomes. If no
improvements are made with the adoption of new technology, then there is no
point to utilizing any technology except for the most basic required to obtain
that unchanging level of learning. Therefore, to justify the continued
experimentation with and exploration of new technologies, smart classrooms, use
of podcasts, access to the Internet, laptops for every child, and on and on, we
need to assess our outcomes, make incremental changes in our methodologies to
address shortcomings, then assess again, closing the loop in order to evaluate
the efficacy of our work. We succeed when we are able to show improved learning
outcomes, and as long as our metrics accurately represent the entire cross section
of the learner experience, we have a legitimate case for the continued use of
technology in the teaching and learning endeavour.
There is a broad basis for discussion and debate within the field
regarding multiple possible definitions of educational technology. The
following sources are recommended reading on the topic.
Different Types of Technology and their Educational
Applications
Many different types of technology can be used
to support and enhance learning. Everything from video content and digital movie making to laptop computing and handheld technologies have been used in
classrooms, and new uses of technology such as podcasting are constantly
emerging.
Various
technologies deliver different kinds of content and serve different purposes in
the classroom. For example, word processing and e-mail promote communication
skills; database and spreadsheet programs promote organizational skills, and
modeling software promotes the understanding of science and math concepts. It
is important to consider how these electronic technologies differ and what
characteristics make them important as vehicles for education.
Technologies
available in classrooms today range from simple tool based applications to
online repositories of scientific data and primary historical documents, to
handheld computers, closed circuit television channels, and two way distance
learning classrooms. Even the cell phones that many students now carry with
them can be used to learn.
Each
technology is likely to play a different role in students learning. Rather than
trying to describe the impact of all technologies as if they were the same,
researchers need to think about what kind of technologies are being used in the
classroom and for what purposes. Two general distinctions can be made. Students
can learn from computers where technology used essentially as tutors and serves
to increase students basic skills and knowledge, and can learn with computers where
technology is used a tool that can be applied to a variety of goals in the
learning process and can serve as a resource to help develop higher order
thinking, creativity and research skills.
The
primary form of student learning from computers is what Murphy, Penuel, Means,
Korbak and Whaley describe as discrete educational software programs, such as
integrated learning systems, computer assisted instruction, and computer based
instruction. These software applications are also among the most widely
available applications of educational technology in schools today, along with
word processing software, and have existed in classrooms for more than 20
years.
According
to Murphy et al, teachers use DES not only to supplement instruction, as in the
past, but also to introduce topics, provide means for self study, and offer
opportunities to learn concepts otherwise inaccessible to students. The
software also manifests two key assumptions about how computers can assist
learning. First, the user's ability to interact with the software is narrowly
defined in ways designed specifically to promote learning with the tools.
Second, computers are viewed as a medium for learning, rather than as tools
that could support further learning.
While
DES remains the most commonly used approach to computer use in student
learning, in more recent years, use of computers in schools has grown more
diversified as educators recognize the potential of learning with technology as
a means for enhancing students reasoning and problem solving abilities. In
part, this shift has been driven by the plethora of new information and
communication devices now increasingly available to students in school and at
home, each of which offers new affordances to teachers and students alike for
improving student achievement and for meeting the demand for 21st
century skills describe earlier. No longer limited to school labs, school hours
and specific devices, technology access is increasingly centered on the learner
experience.
Bruce
and Levin, for example, look at ways in which the tools, techniques, and
applications of technology can support integrated, inquiry based learning to engage
children in exploring, thinking, reading, writing, researching, inventing,
problem solving, and experiencing the world. They developed the idea of
technology as media with four different focuses, media for inquiry, media
for communication, media for
construction, and media for
expression.
In
a review of existing evidence of technology impact on learning, Marshall found
strong evidence that educational technology complements what a great teacher
does naturally, extending their reach and broadening their students experience
beyond the classroom. With ever expanding content and technology choices, from
video to multimedia to the Internet, Marshall suggests there an unprecedented
need to understand the recipe for success, which involves the learner, the
teacher, the content, and the environment in which technology is used.
Instructional Technology
In education, instructional
technology is the theory and practice of design, development, utilization,
management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning, according
to the Association for Educational Communications and Technology Definitions
and Terminology Committee. Instructional technology is often referred to as a
part of educational technology but the use of these terms has changed over the years.
Educational technology is the
study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance
by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and
resources. While instructional technology covers the processes and systems of
learning and instruction, educational technology includes other systems used in
the process of developing human capability.
Definition of Instructional Technology
Since its establishment in 1923, the Association
for Educational Communications and Technology has been the leader in the field
of Instructional Technology. As the leading organization, the AECT has defined
and redefined the field over the years to respond to the changes in emerging
technologies, theories and functions of instructional technology professionals
in the field. The most recent definition of Instructional Technology published
by the AECT in the book Instructional technology, the definition and domains of
the field by Seels &, Richey. According to this definition Instructional Technology
is the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and
evaluation of processes and resources for learning. This definition was
officially adopted as the organizations and the field political stance until
recently when, technology, theory, and practice have once again changed the
field and the way professionals in the field function in the workplace. AECT
has been working on redefining the field to reflect recent changes in the
field. In January 2008, the AECT efforts resulted in approval of a new
definition for the field. The new definition indicates that Educational
Technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and
improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate
technological processes and resources. While the new definition builds on the
definition proposed in 1994, several changes can be observed. Analyzing these
changes in the definition of the field will help understand how the field is
now perceived by professionals. The following paragraphs attempts to explore
the similarities and differences between 1994 and 2008 definitions.
There area number of common themes in the 2008
definition and the 1994 definition. These themes include, the emphasis on theory and practice,
focus on use of theories and models, and importance of resources. In addition, although it appears
that the new definition does not include the domains of the
field, they are embedded in the meaning of the
concepts of creating, using, and managing. Thus, one may conclude that by
incorporating the words create, use, and manage, in lieu of design,
development, Utilization, management, and evaluation, the
definition of the field is broadened to incorporate alternative approaches
other than the Instructional Systems Approach With both the 1994 and the 2008
definition, there is still an emphasis on the blend of theory and practice.
This theme was emphasized in 1994 by using the term theory and in the 2008
definition with the word study. Also, both definitions emphasize resources for
learning.
In spite
of the similarities, there are major differences in the 1994 and 2008 definitions.
These differences include, the replacement of instructional with educational,
the emphasis on improving performance, and the inclusion of facilitating learning. First, the AECT
has replaced the term Instructional
with Educational. Professionals in
the field have used the terms Educational and Instructional interchangeably
throughout the years. Educational technology often referred to a wide range of
systems in the process of human development. Instructional technology, on the
other hand was used to specifically point to the processes and systems of
learning and instruction using the broad concept of educational technology as
its framework the current definition of the field is referring to a change in
the professionals perspective with regard to human development. This change
could also be due to the fact that the emergence of the new technology has broadened
the concept of human development and expanded the concept of instruction to
include management of technological resources. Second,
by including improving performance in the latest definition, the emphasis is no
longer placed on learning
solutions or knowledge but on the impact the products or knowledge have on an
individual or
organization. Furthermore, while an instructional technologist analyzes the
performance problem experienced
in a situation to propose a learning solution the analysis may suggest that
learning is not the
proper solution to solve the performance problem. For example, a no
instructional solution may be
changing the lighting in an office atmosphere to decrease the glare on the
computer screens and
therefore, improving performance. The term improving performance in the 2008
definition deemphasizes
the creation of learning solutions or products for all performance problems. In
other words, the
Instructional Technologist objective is to increase the productivity of an
organization or personnel.
The
emphasis on performance creates a bridge between Instructional Technology and
Human
Performance
Technology as Kenneth Silber stated. It finally clarifies the relationship of
ET to HPT in a way that will promote dialogue and cooperation between the two
highly related fields.
Finally,
the 2008 definition includes facilitating learning. Januszewski &,Molenda
contend that
this inclusion implies a shift in the concept of instruction. The term facilitating
learning clarifies the role
of the instructional designer as a facilitator of learning rather than a preparer
of products for learning.
Given this emphasis, the instruction is learner centered and situational. With
the use of context
based instruction, the learner is able to construct his her knowledge based on
prior experiences or
through peer collaboration. This can be done through a variety of delivery systems
such as computer based
instruction, web enhanced environments, or face to face instruction. By
creating the learning environments
an Instructional Technologist guides the learner rather than providing direct
instruction.
History of
Educational Technology
There
is no written evidence which can tell us exactly who has coined the phrase
educational technology. Different educationists, scientists and philosophers at
different time intervals have put forwarded different definitions of
Educational Technology. Educational technology is a multifaceted and integrated
process involving people, procedure, ideas, devices, and organization, where
technology from different fields of science is borrowed as per the need and
requirement of education for implementing, evaluating, and managing solutions
to those problems involved in all aspects of human learning.
Educational technology, broadly speaking, has passed through five stages.
The
first stage of educational technology is coupled with the use of aids like
charts, maps, symbols, models, specimens and concrete materials. The term
educational technology was used as synonyms to audiovisual aids.
The
second stage of educational technology is associated with the electronic
revolution with the introduction and establishment of sophisticated hardware
and software. Use of various audio visual aids like projector, magic lanterns,
tape recorder, radio and television brought a revolutionary change in the
educational scenario. Accordingly, educational technology concept was taken in
terms of these sophisticated instruments and equipments for effective
presentation of instructional materials.
The third stage of educational technology is linked with the development of mass media which in turn led to communication revolution for instructional purposes. Computer assisted Instruction used for education since 1950s also became popular during this era.
The
fourth stage of educational technology is discernible by the individualized
process of instruction. The invention of programmed learning and programmed
instruction provided a new dimension to educational technology. A system of
self learning based on self instructional materials and teaching machines
emerged.
The latest concept of educational technology is influenced by the concept of system engineering or system approach which focuses on language laboratories, teaching machines, programmed instruction, multimedia technologies and the use of the computer in instruction. According to it, educational technology is a systematic way of designing, carrying out and evaluating the total process of teaching and learning in terms of specific objectives based on research.
Educational technology during the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age
Educational technology, despite the uncertainty of the origin of the term, can be traced back to the time of the three age system periodization of human prehistory, namely the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age.
During the Stone Age, ignition of fire by rubbing stones, manufacture of various handmade weapon and utensils from stones and clothing practice were some of the simple technological developments of utmost importance. A fraction of Stone Age people developed ocean worthy outrigger canoe ship technology to migrate from one place to another across the Ocean, by which they developed their first informal education of knowledge of the ocean currents, weather conditions, sailing practice, astronavigation, and star maps. During the later Stone Age period, for agricultural practice, polished stone tools were made from a variety of hard rocks largely by digging underground tunnels, which can be considered as the first steps in mining technology. The polished axes were so effective that even after appearance of bronze and iron, people used it for clearing forest and the establishment of crop farming.
Although Stone Age cultures left no written records, but archaeological evidences proved their shift from nomadic life to agricultural settlement. Ancient tools conserved in different museums, cave paintings like Altamira Cave in Spain, and other prehistoric art, such as the Venus of Willendorf, Mother Goddess from Laussel, France etc. are some of the evidences in favour of their cultures.
Neolithic Revolution of Stone Age resulted into the appearance of Bronze Age with development of agriculture, animal domestication, and the adoption of permanent settlements. For these practices Bronze Age people further developed metal smelting, with copper and later bronze, an alloy of tin and copper, being the materials of their choice.
The Iron Age people replaced bronze and developed the knowledge of iron smelting technology to lower the cost of living since iron utensils were stronger and cheaper than bronze equivalents. In many Eurasian cultures, the Iron Age was the last period before the development of written scripts.
Educational technology during the period of Ancient civilizations
According to Paul Saettler, 2004, Educational technology can be traced back to the time when tribal priests systematized bodies of knowledge and ancient cultures invented pictographs or sign writing to record and transmit information. In every stage of human civilization, one can find an instructional technique or set of procedures intended to implement a particular culture which were also supported by number of investigations and evidences. The more advanced the culture, the more complex became the technology of instruction designed to reflect particular ways of individual and social behaviour intended to run an educated society. Over centuries, each significant shift in educational values, goals or objectives led to diverse technologies of instruction.
The greatest advances in technology and engineering came with the rise of the ancient civilizations. These advances stimulated and educated other societies in the world to adopt new ways of living and governance.
The Indus Valley Civilization was an early Bronze Age civilization which was located in the northwestern region of the Indian Subcontinent. The civilization was primarily flourished around the Indus River basin of the Indus and the Punjab region, extending upto the Ghaggar Hakra River valley and the Ganges Yamuna Doab, most of the part is under today Pakistan and the western states of modern day India as well as some part of the civilization extending upto southeastern Afghanistan, and the easternmost part of Balochistan, Iran.
There is a long term controversy to be sure about the language that the Harappan people spoke. It is assumed that their writing was at least seems to be or a pictographic script. The script appears to have had about 400 basic signs, with lots of variations. People write their script with the direction generally from right to left. Most of the writing was found on seals and sealings which were probably used in trade and official &, administrative work.
Harappan people had the knowledge of the measuring tools of length, mass, and time. They were the first in the world to develop a system of uniform weights and measures.
In a study carried out by P. N. Ram et al. in 2009, published in Science, computer scientists found that the Indus script pattern is closer to that of spoken words, which supported the proposed hypothesis that it codes for an as yet unknown language.
According to the Chinese Civilization, some of the major techno offerings from China include paper, early seismological detectors, toilet paper, matches, iron plough, the multi tube seed drill, the suspension bridge, the wheelbarrow, the parachute, natural gas as fuel, the magnetic compass, the raised-relief map, the blast furnace, the propeller, the crossbow, the South Pointing Chariot, and gun powder. With the invent of paper they have given their first step towards developments of educational technology by further culturing different handmade products of paper as means of visual aids.
Ancient Egyptian language was at one point one of the longest surviving and used languages in the world. Their script was made up of pictures of the real things like birds, animals, different tools, etc. These pictures are popularly called hieroglyph. Their language was made up of above 500 hieroglyphs which are known as hieroglyphics. On the stone monuments or tombs which were discovered and rescued latter on provides the evidence of existence of many forms of artistic hieroglyphics in ancient Egypt.
Educational technology during Medieval and Modern Period
Paper and the pulp paper making process which was developed in China during the early 2nd century AD, was carried to the Middle East and was spread to Mediterranean by the Muslim conquests. Evidences support that a paper mill was also established in Sicily in the 12th century. The discovery of spinning wheel increased the productivity of thread making process to a great extent and when Lynn White added the spinning wheel with increasing supply of rags, this led to the production of cheap paper, which was a prime factor in the development of printing technology.
The invention of the printing press was taken place in approximately 1450 AD, by Johannes Gutenburg, a German inventor. The invention of printing press was a prime developmental factor in the history of educational technology to convey the instruction as per the need of the complex and advanced-technology cultured society.
In the pre industrial phases, while industry was simply the handwork at artisan level, the instructional processes were relied heavily upon simple things like the slate, the horn book, the blackboard, and chalk. It was limited to a single text book with a few illustrations. Educational technology was considered synonymous to simple aids like charts and pictures.
The year 1873 may be considered a landmark in the early history of technology of education or audio visual education. An exhibition was held in Vienna at international level in which an American school won the admiration of the educators for the exhibition of maps, charts, textbooks and other equipments.
Maria Montessori, internationally renowned child educator and the originator of Montessori Method exerted a dynamic impact on educational technology through her development of graded materials designed to provide for the proper sequencing of subject matter for each individual learner. Modern educational technology suggests many extension of Montessori's idea of prepared child centered environment.
In1833, Charles Babbage design of a general purpose computing device laid the foundation of the modern computer and in 1943, the first computing machine as per hi design was constructed by International Business Machines Corporation in USA. The Computer Assisted instruction in which the computer functions essentially as a tutor as well as the Talking Type writer was developed by O.K. Moore in 1966. Since 1974, computers are interestingly used in education in schools, colleges and universities.
In the beginning of the 19th century, there were noteworthy changes in the field of education. British Broadcasting Corporation, right from its start of school broadcasts in 1920 had maintained rapid pace in making sound contribution to formal education. In the USA, by 1952, 20 states had the provision for educational broadcasting. Parallel to this time about 98% of the schools in United Kingdom were equipped with radios and there were regular daily programmes.
Sidney L. Pressey, a psychologist of Ohio state university developed a self teaching machine called Drum Tutor in 1920. Professor Skinner, however, in his famous article 'Science of Learning and art of Teaching' published in 1945 pleaded for the application of the knowledge derived from behavioral psychology to classroom procedures and suggested automated teaching devices as means of doing so.
Although the first practical use of Regular television broadcasts was in Germany in 1929 and in 1936 the Olympic Games in Berlin were broadcasted through television stations in Berlin, Open circuit television began to be used primarily for broadcasting programmes for entertainment in 1950. Since 1960, television is used for educational purposes.
In 1950, Brynmor, in England, used educational technological steps for the first time. It is to be cared that in 1960, as a result of industrial revolution in America and Russia, other countries also started progressing in the filed of educational technology. In this way, the beginning of educational technology took place in 1960 from America and Russia and now it has reached England, Europe and India.
During the time of around 1950s, new technocracy was turning it attraction to educations when there was a steep shortage of teachers in America and therefore an urgent need of educational technology was felt. Dr. Alvin C. Eurich and a little later his associate, Dr. Alexander J. Stoddard introduced mass production technology in America.
Team teaching had its origin in America in the mid of 1950's and was first started in the year 1955 at Harvard University as a part of internship plan.
In the year 1956, Benjamin Bloom from USA introduced the taxonomy of educational objectives through his publication, The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, The Classification of Educational Goals, Handbook I, Cognitive Domain.
In 1961, Micro teaching technique was first adopted by Dwight W. Allen and his co-workers at Stanford University in USA.
Electronics is the main technology being developed in the beginning of 21st century. Broadband Internet access became popular and occupied almost all the important offices and educational places and even in common places in developed countries with the advantage of connecting home computers with music libraries and mobile phones.
Online
learning facility has opened infinite number of doors of opportunities for
today learner to make their life happier than ever before.
What is scope of the Educational Technology
By scope of educational technology we mean the
jurisdiction, the limits or the boundaries within which it works. It needs
demarcation of the boundaries within which the process of education can go on.
Being a fast growing modern discipline it is almost practical all through and
is expanding with a tremendous speed, aiming at all round development in the
area of education.
National Policy on Education, recommends that, Educational
Technology will be employed in the spread of useful, information, the training
and retraining of teachers, to improve quality, sharpen awareness of art and
culture, inculcate abiding values etc., both in the formal and non formal
sectors. Maximum use will be made of the available infrastructure. The scope of
Educational Technology can be accessed from the following points.
Determination of
Objectives
Educational
Technology provides different methods and techniques for writing instructional
objectives in behavioural terms such as Bloom Taxonomy Magar Approach and RCEM
Approach.
The
needs and requirements of the people and hence education need be revised from
moment to moment. Educational technology helps in fixing up the right
objectives in the light of the changed circumstances and changed environment.
Improvement in Teaching
Learning Process
It
helps in improving the teaching learning process and makes it more purposive.
It tries to discuss the concept of teaching, analysis of teaching process,
variables of teaching, phases and levels of teaching, principles of teaching,
maxims of teaching and relationship between teaching and learning.
Development of Teaching
Learning Material
Teaching
learning materials are also as important as anything else in the teaching
learning process. In this age of science and technology, the materials of
teaching cannot be unscientific.
Everything
of the society including values of life need be reflected in the materials.
Only right type of material will be able to modify the behaviour of the learner
suitably making him a fit person for the society.
Improvement
in Teaching Training
The
change of environment with ne curriculum and new materials need be handled by
the teachers. The teachers equipped with old strategies and methodologies of
teaching will remain misfits.
Right
type of training to the teachers is the need of the hour. Educational
Technology can render its valuable help in the training of teachers also. The
use of video tapes and close circuit T.V. will help the teachers to remodel and
reshape their teaching behaviours suitably.
It
includes micro teaching, simulated teaching, term teaching, teacher effectiveness,
modification of teacher behaviour, class room interaction and interaction
analysis, etc.
Development
of Teaching Learning Strategies
A
strategy plays an important role in the hands of a teacher in every learning
situation. The strategy has to be the right one which should be according to
the materials and is able to bring about effective teaching learning.
The
different strategies are being evolved by educational technology. The knowledge
of those strategies is a must for every teacher. Then only the teacher will be
able to do justice to their jobs.
It
tries to describe the ways and means of discovering selecting and developing
suitable strategies and tactics of teaching in terms of optimum learning and
available teaching learning resources, the availability of the different types
of teaching methods, devices and models of teaching their appropriate selection
and use for the optimum results.
Proper
Use of Audio Visual Aids
Audio
Visual aids have always played an important role in the teaching learning
process. They need be used according to the times.
The
software aids, the hardware aids, the computer and other such appliances,
equipment etc., have to be used in the present type of teaching learning
environment. Computer assisted instructions will help the learner as well as
the teacher to achieve the goals of education more conveniently.
Utilization of the Sub System of Education
Educational
Technology considers education as a system operating in a systematic and
scientific way for the achievement of educational objectives.
For
the coverage of its systematic approach, it tries to include the topics dealing
with the theory and principles of a system approach, explaining education as a
system, its different sub systems in terms of input and output. It is helpful
in solving scientifically educational administrative problems with the help of
system analysis.
Development
of Curriculum
Educational
Technology is concerned with the designing of a suitable curriculum for the
achievement of the desired objectives.
It
is helpful in describing the ways and means of the selection of suitable
learning experiences, organisation of the contents in a suitable framework in
order to bring better results. It provides the scientific foundation to education
as well as develops theories of teaching and learning.
Proper
Use of Hardware and Software
These
days hardware and software are playing an effective role in the attainment of
educational objectives. Educational Technology helps in the proper use of these
aids. It tries to describe these resources in terms of their specific
functions, their solution, proper handling and maintenance.
According to Technical Working Group for Educational Technology in Asia under APEID - 1995 defined educational technology as: "Educational technology is a separate field dealing with the theory of education with development and application of the educational resources which implies following principle:
Clarifies educational objectives.
Placing content of elements in a logical order.
Specifies the process of teaching learning
Acquires the knowledge through development of
models of teaching.
Adjoining the teaching learning process with
feedback.
Selection, evaluation and optimization of media.
Scope of Educational Technology
Educational
technology is a process oriented technique. Educational technology is not
limited to teaching and learning process and theories still teaching learning
process is influenced much more by educational technology. Theories have been
shifted from learning to teaching only due to educational technology.
If
the educational technology is limited to audio visual aids, mechanical and
electronic gadgets the scope of educational technology becomes limited, but
educational technology is not limited to all these things rather, it pervades
all over. Educational technology should go into.
The
Advantages of Technology
Technology is the electric machines and systems
that most people use daily. Technology has developed a lot during those years,
and two important devices that most people use daily are the cellular and
computer. The strongest advantage that technology can bring us is the much
easier communication, and entertainment.
Technology could bring us a much easier
communication by the internet or by the cellulars. In the old days communication
was much harder, people that were in different countries or cities either
couldn't communicate with each other, or had to travel days to initiate
communication with one another. Also when a person used to travel her family
knew nothing about her or probably lost, since none of her family would want to
travel great distances in order to know about news. Nowadays this great
advantage of long distance communication would keep all the family together,
even if both families were very far from each other.
Technology could also bring us entertainment by
the millions chatting programs, multiplayer games, and movies. In the old days
people didn't have those kinds of entertainments, so they used to spend their
leisure times by something that is probably concerned more boring. If someone
in the old days had to be alone for like couple of months, then he would get
very bored, and probably start going crazy. Nowadays even if someone was alone
for years, there are always those entertainments to not get very bored as much
as before. This advantage of the internet makes it very easy for anyone to
social around.
Technology could bring us a much easier communication by the internet or by the cellulars. In the old days communication was much harder, people that were in different countries.
communicate with each other, or had to travel days to initiate communication with one another. Also when a person used to travel her family knew nothing about her or probably lost her, since none of her family would want to travel great distances in order to know about her news. Nowadays this great advantage of long distance communication would keep all the family together, even if both families were very far from each other.
Technology could also bring us entertainment by
the millions chatting programs, multilayer games, and movies. In the old days
people didn't have those kinds of entertainments, so they used to spend their
leisure times by something that is probably concerned more boring. If someone
in the old days had to be alone for like couple of months, then he would get
very bored, and probably start going crazy. Nowadays even if someone was alone
for years, there are always those entertainments to not get very bored as much
as before. This advantage of the internet makes it very easy for anyone to
social around.
First of all, the products of new
technologies like electronic devices are very useful in daily life. People can
save a lot of time by using computers, mobile phones etc. This is especially
beneficial in the workplace where employees can handle their work faster than
they could in the past by using computers and the Internet. Also, new
technologies such as mobile phones and the Internet have revolutionized the way
of communication and finding information. The new way of communication requires
less number of spent time and money. As a result, the economy benefits.
However, using new technologies
could also have negative effects. Many people use electronic devices too
intensive and they become addicted. Moreover, we consume a lot of energy by
using and developing new technologies. This may cause a disruption in the
atmosphere and climate changes. Besides, not the all products of new
technologies are made for simplification human’s lives. Atomic bombs, guns,
radiation etc all this stuff was made with one purpose, to kill humans. So, new
technologies aren’t always harmless for society.
Advantages of
Technology in Education
Technology
has definitely become a major influence in how people live. Decades ago, we use
to do things manually. As time passed by, we invent tools that can help use
accomplish task more quickly and efficiently. For business, there are
technologies today that can be used to make the daily operation more
productive. For example, there are now phones such as. The same is true when it
comes to education. Below are some of the advantages of technology in
education.
Access to information: Many
years ago, particularly before the Internet was invented, people has to go to
libraries or buy books just to have the information they need in making book
reports, projects, researches, theses, and other related academic papers. For
mothers, they have to buy recipe books just to learn cooking new recipes.
Fathers have to buy newspapers just to get updated about the latest news. Business
people have to buy business magazines just to get updates about economic
growth. Fashion savvy people have to buy fashion and lifestyle magazines just
to get updated about fashion trends. All these are costly and consume time and
effort. Today, all these are eliminated as information is easily accessed
through the Internet.
As the, computers have become part
of every school and household. Today, students can access online libraries if
they are looking for certain books and journals. This makes academic work more
convenient. With the creation of electronic mobile devices that can be used to
surf the net. Some of these are smart phones and tablet computers. For example,
an individual can use his Samsung Galaxy S4 to access Google and do searches.
An iPad can be used to make presentations.
In addition, these devices are capable
of downloading videos and applications. With this, people can download
educational videos and apps such as dictionaries and encyclopaedia to make
information handy. Another technological innovation that has become possible
because of the. People can now instantly avail of the books that they need in
electronic format. This is also very convenient since you don’t have to spend
and you have to carry heavy and bulky books.
Various
ways of improving teaching efficiency: Attention span is one of the issues that have to be
addressed by teaching professionals. With technology, they can have more than
one ways to keep the attention of the students. For example, audio visual
presentations that are visually appealing can make them keep their focus on the
discussion. Moreover, there are now projectors widescreen televisions that can
be used to show movies related to the topic. In these ways, the challenge of
making the comprehension level among students at its highest is achievable.
Helps in protecting the environment: A
school is an institution that can be found in every state or country. With
this, one could only imagine how many billion sheets of paper are consumed
yearly. Apart from it being costly, it also contributes in the faster depletion
of the forests. That is why with tablet computers and smart phones, the need to
print more books is lessened. Actually, there are now schools that use
especially designed computers for their classrooms and libraries. This also
lessens the need to reproduce information in black and white.
Disadvantage
of Technology in Education
Most of the
disadvantages relating to the use of technology in education relate to the cost
of equipment and training teachers, as well as security issues. A further
disadvantage is virtualization, whereby machines replace man hours, however,
virtualization in education can free teachers and administrators to provide
higher value added services such as one on one coaching and mentoring to
students.
Disadvantage of Technology in our life
We have
stepped into the G string and the world has given us some unbelievable
technology that sometimes it seems to be a dream. But when we look at the
backside of the latest technology, we find that we have made these technologies
for our destruction if wrongly used by the wrong people. If the people of the
world use these technologies in a right way, we all are going to be benefited
out of it, but if the motive of a human being is not positive, he can enter
your extreme privacy by misusing the technology and hiding it in the camera to
en cash it for money when the time comes for him.
Modern
Technology and its disadvantages
While Modern Technology has given us unbelievable results and improved our lifestyle a lot , it has also given us many disadvantages at the same time.
People are spending more time playing computer
games, using social networks for fun and knowledge, chatting and interacting
with unknown people and making friends online. They don't think of going out
and making real friends. At a later stage, this may lead them to loneliness,
frustration when betrayed by unknown people besides social isolation.
Modern technology has replaced humans as the robots are doing the most of the jobs on production lines which was to be done by humans. Of course, this has increased the production in different field of business, but also increased the unemployment of youths.
People are nowadays remaining dependent on modern tools like a calculator, counting of currency notes etc., as a result people don't use their brain that reduces the creativity of a human being.
Modern technology has provided us many modern war weapons ranging from Missiles, Rockets and nuclear bombs. If these weapons get into the hands of criminals, they can use them for their selfish reasons which may yield into mass destruction of innocent people as a whole.
Future Technology
Future
technology is beyond the reality of science
and technology. Future technology is completely and essentially different with
high tech, the latest and cutting edge technology. The latter represents just
an advanced human invention created and been able to master and use recently.
Future technology emphasizes human expectations or unforeseen things, which
have not yet been invented or used. Only in a certain period, human beings
maybe master and use future technology.
We look at several aspects to think about the future development of technology.
Of course, this is inseparable from our current life. Future technology largely
focus on implementing real-time scenario. It shapes different fields like medical
technology, business technology, educational technology and green technology
with suitable applications.
Advanced Technology and
Future Technology
Largely focus on recognition of
the human behavior, gesture, writing, speech, etc. at real time through
computer, camera and some other advanced electronics equipments. Systems like
handwriting recognition, speech recognition, video surveillance, parking
control etc. are some examples of advanced systems. Both advanced technology
and future technology are closely related with each other.
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