Meaning and scope of educational technology

reading

1. Meaning and Scope of Educational Technology
meaning and Definition of technology: Educational technology is a wide field. Therefore, one
can find many definitions, some of which are conflicting. Educational technology can be
considered either as a design science or as a collection of different research interests
addressing fundamental issues of learning, teaching and social organization. Official Definitions
The Association for Educational Communications and Technology, the professional society for
ET, defines it as: 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. http://etec.hawaii.edu/aboutbackground.html

Modern age is the age of science and technology. The world of today is very
dynamic. The life of man in the primitive age was altogether different
from his life in this sp utnik age.
There have been tremendous changes in the life style of human beings which
may be attributed to the contribution of science and technology, science
has extended the frontiers of our knowledge in various ways and directions.
Science is consider ed to be a blessing to mankind.
Nothing better has happened than the advent of science in man’s life. The
contribution of science and technology has been experienced in almost all
the spheres of human life including education.
Before understanding the mea ning of educational technology it is essential to
know the meaning of technology. The word ‘technology‘ has been taken
from the Greek word (techniques) which means an art and which is related with
skill and dexterity.
Technology | Innovative technology fo r your business
Image Source: w.marotura.com/wp -content/uploads/2014/02/technology1.jpg

2. The term ‘technology’ implies the application of science to art. The concept
of technology has developed during the last few years.
It is a new area in the discipline o f education. Educational technology is
comprised of two words education and technology. When we apply the science
of learning and communication to teaching we evolve a technology. There are
three major factors that emphasize the linking of education with
technology.
(i) Explosion of population.
(ii) Explosion of new knowledge.
(iii) Explosion of scientific and technological development.
Educational Technology is concerned with the development, application, and
evaluation of system, techniques and aids t o improve the process of human
learning.
It could be conceived as a science of techniques, methods and media by which
educational goals could be realised.
Generally the term “Technology” denotes the systematic application of the
knowledge of science to p ractical tasks in industry. Hence, “Educational
Technology” may be roughly defined as the systematic application of the
knowledge of sciences to practical tasks in Education.
It is not primarily concerned with the task of prescribing the goal although
it does help in specifying the goals and translating them in behavioral
terms.
It is a communication process resulting from the adaptation of the scientific
method to the behavioral science of teaching/learning. Educational
Technology widely accepted as the application of system approach in the
systematic design of a learning system to bring about improvement in
teaching-learning evaluation process.
It is not an end in itself but a means to accomplish some educational and
instructional objectives already determined and clearly defined. It tries
to make the whole teaching -learning process more and more meaningful for both
the teachers and the learner s.
It modifies teacher’s method of teaching and learner’s behaviour for their
own betterment and for the betterment of the mankind. It is not the same

3. thing as instruction or education or learning but an aggressive invention
which includes in itself ever ything that helps in shaping personality.
Earlier the Concept of Educational Technology was used as a synonym to audio -
visual aids like pictures, charts, maps, and models meant for direct
teaching-learning. With the advent of physical science and electro nic
revolution there came an era of hardware and software like projectors, tape -
recorders, radio and T.V. etc.
Then came the age of mass media which led to massive communication revolution
for instructional purposes with the advent of programmed instruct ion
and programmed learning, a new dimension of educational technology came into
existence it has individualized the process of education and introduced
a system of self-learning in the form of self - instructional material and
teaching machine.
The concept of programmed learning added another dimensions to the meaning of
educational technology when some new devices and approaches such as
Micro-teaching.
In other words we can see one aspect of Educational Technology related to the
use of specific techni ques such as ‘educational television, radio,
programmed learning and other audio -visual aids.
In another aspect, Education Technology is seen as the application of
scientific and other organized knowledge to the practical problems of
education.
In the particular context of the developing countries, the emphasis is on the
application of techniques and knowledge with a view to mobilizing and
optimizing the available human as well as technological resources.
Educational technology is seen both as a means as well as service to effect
and facilitate better and more productive learning systems. It may be
defined as a separate field in the theory of education dealing with the
development and application of the use of educational resources.
Educational Technology should not be confused with teaching or instruction or
education or learning or engineering but it should be taken as a sum
total of all such aspects which go a long way in shaping the personality of
the learner in a meaningful context.
It is neither technology in education nor technology of education but both
and all pervasive which pervades the whole teaching -learning process to

4. make it meaningful for the teacher who teaches and the learner who learns and
modifies his behaviour for his own bette rment and the betterment of
mankind.

Definitions of educational technologies:
G.O. Leith “Educational Technology is the application of scientific knowledge and learning and
the conditions of learning to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching and training.”
Robert A. Cox “Educational Technology is the application of scientific process to man’s learning
conditions.”
John P. Dececco “Educational Technology is the form of detailed application of psychology of
learning to practical teaching problems”
E.E. Hadden “Educational Technology is that branch of educational theory and practice
concerned primarily with the design and use of messages which control the learning process.”
Richmond “Educational Technology is concerned to provide appropriately designed learning
situations which, holding in view of objectives of the Teaching of Training, being to bear the
best means of instruction.”
S.S. Kulkarni “Educational Technology may be defined as the application of the laws as well as
recent discoveries of science and technology to the process of education.”
S.K. Mitra “Educational Technology can be conceived as a science of techniques and methods
by which educational goals could be realized.”
Robert A. Cox Article The Process of Educational Technology: A Tool for Development 1970).
“The application of scientific process to man’s learning conditions is what has come recently to
be called ‘educational or instructional’ technology.”
D.E.S. Working Party (U.K.), “Educational Technology is the development, application and
evaluation of systems, techniques and aids in the field of human learning.”
Robert M. Gange defined Educational Technology as “The Development of asset of systematic
techniques and accompanying practical knowledge for designing, testing and operating schools
as educational systems.” http://www.publishyourarticles.net/knowledge-
hub/education/complete-information-on-educational-technology-characteristics-nature-
objectives-and-components-of-educational-technology/5364/

5. WHAT IS EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY? The reason why the term ET is misconstrued is on
account of the changing nature of ET’s second component, viz., technology. The basic tenet of
ET, viz., using all available resources (human and non-human) in a systematic manner to find
viable solutions to educational problems, does not change. However, as technologies change
and newer ones are brought into service in education (or, for that matter, into other spheres of
development), the configurations, structures, and applications of ET will also change. This
dynamic and ever-evolving nature of the discipline needs to be understood. Further, given the
fact that educational problems are diverse, so are their solutions, ranging from providing
resources in the classroom to distance education or using technologies to facilitate
communication. These multiple facets of ET make a crucial difference to the way in which the
term is interpreted. As the discipline continues to grow, we would like to give a short account of
its evolution. When the term was first coined it referred to “technology in education”, implying
the use of a variety of audio-visual aids (as they were then known) for teaching purposes.
Implicitly relying on the then widely accepted sender–receiver construct, educational writers
saw these aids primarily as transmitters of lesson content. As the concept of ET developed, the
term “technology of education” came into vogue. This looked at education in a wider sense,
and included various aspects such as entry behaviour of the learner, objectives, content
analysis, evaluation, etc. By the mid 1970s, ET borrowed the terms “systems approach” from
management studies and “corrective feedback” from cybernetics. This widened the scope of ET
as the teaching-learning process was examined in a holistic manner. The arrival of digital
convergent media encouraged interactivity and interconnectivity. This added a new dimension
to ET. It gave an impetus to its further development as a discipline. While this field continues to
evolve, we are faced with the problem of how to help learners to help themselves in learning in
an effective and interactive manner. As the Focus Group deliberated, we felt that when we talk
of the role of ET, we should direct our thoughts to education, and not to any technology and
the logistics of getting it set up. The emphasis has to be on a culture of learning rather than on
technology per se. Our perspective is that, except in the case of teacher education where ET is
taught as a subject, ET is a value addition to quality, relevance, appropriateness, and other such
attributes, transforming education by making it dynamic and responsive to the passions that
move the learners and arouse their curiosity and desire to learn. The desire on the part of some
people to leave the term ET behind is rooted in the awareness that historically the
implementation of ET in India (and many other countries too) has been centered on machines
and the educational software related to them. Such interpretations are easy to understand.
More difficult to comprehend are approaches based on processes. Here we speak of the
processes adopted by educationists to solve the difficulties that the prevalent system of
education has in enhancing learning to meet the desired educational goals. The universally
accepted definition of ET involves processes, methods and techniques, products, resources and
technologies organized into workable systems. The recognition of the need for a multilevel

6. organisation of a classroom, for instance, along with the designing of an appropriate
programme and its implementation, become as much an exercise in ET as the use of audio-
visual aids or the information superhighway. There is also a prevalent belief that modern
technologies are better than older ones. Certainly, they offer many exciting possibilities, but
both old and new serve different purposes of teaching learning, and are probably equally
relevant in different given contexts. The key phrases in ET are appropriate technology, that is,
appropriate to the task in hand for meeting specific educational objectives, and the
organization of all available resources into a workable system, which is checked again and again
to ensure that it is appropriate and changing it where it is not working. Formative evaluation
and summative evaluation are essential parts of ET. In applying the discipline of ET to the field
of education, it is imperative that the media choice must relate to instructional design as well as
to what is available and eminently usable. The same is true of methods and techniques. For
instance, the memorization of facts as a learning strategy still has a role to play. The ready
availability of multiplication tables (pahadas) does speed up computation. It is the
overgeneralization and unthinking application in inappropriate situations that has brought
disrepute to memorization as a form of learning. Charts, graphs, textual materials, experimental
kits, projected electronic aids, audio materials, computers, films, videos, the Internet, etc. can
usefully serve the purposes of education in their own special ways and together they can make
learning an enriching experience. ET could be defined in simple terms as the efficient
organisation of any learning system, adapting or adopting methods, processes, and products to
serve identified educational goals. This would involve: • Systematic identification of the goals of
education, taking into account nationwide needs (higher scalability, for instance), the system
capabilities, and the learners’ needs and potential. • Recognition of the diversity of learners’
needs, the contexts in which learning will take place, and the range of provisions needed for
them. • Recognition of not only the immediate needs of children but also their future needs in
relation to the society for which we are preparing them. • Designing, providing for, and
enabling appropriate teaching-learning systems that could realise the identified goals. •
Developing a range of support systems and training, creating the enabling systemic
conditions/materials, reaching these to the school system, and training teachers and students
to use them. • Research into existing and new techniques, strategies and technologies for
solving problems of education, enabling judicious and appropriate application of technology. •
Appreciation of the role of ET as an agent of change in the classroom, influencing the teacher
and the teaching-learning process, and its role in systemic issues like reach, equity, and quality.
(This appreciation should not be limited to educators alone, but should extend to planners and
administrators as well, since systems both at micro and macro levels will be necessary to meet
the current challenges of education.)
Characteristics of Educational Technology

7. Characteristics of Educational Technology are as follows:
1. It is based on scientific and technological advancements.
2. It is more a practical discipline and less a theoretical one.
3. It is a fast growing modern discipline.
4. It makes use of the research findings of psychology, sociology, engineering, sciences and
social psychology etc., and applies the same to the field of education.
5. It brings pupils, teachers and technical means together in an effective way.
6. It is the science of techniques and methods. It locates the problems in the field of education,
remedies them and ultimately aims at improving the education system.
7. It is bound to improve the teacher, the learner and the teaching learning process.
Nature of Educational Technology
1. The basis of educational technology is science.
2. Educational Technology studies the effect of science and technology upon education. In
other words, science and technology are used under educational technology. Hence, it is the
practical aspect of science.
3. Educational Technology is a continuous dynamic, progressive and effect-producing method.
4. New conceptions are possible only due to educational technology such as programmed
learning, micro-teaching, simulated teaching, interaction analysis, video-tape, tape-recorder,
projector and computer, etc.
5. Educational Technology accepts schools as a system. In this system, the school-building,
furniture and teachers act as input while various methods, techniques, strategies and the
teaching and examination with the help of audio-visual aids function in the form of a process.
Lastly, the output is in of form of ability of the pupils.
6. Audio-visual aids cannot be termed as educational technology. It is because its concern is
only with the process-aspect of educational technology and not with the input and output
aspects. But if these A.V. aids are used to achieve educational objectives, then it can be put in
the category of Educational technology.

8. 7. Programmed Instruction is also different from Educational Technology. Its main cause is that
the student learns himself during the programmed instructions. It does not allow interaction
between pupil and teacher.
Hence, it can be used only for limited objectives and limited subject-matter. Therefore,
programmed instruction is merely a part of educational technology.
8. Engineering Technology is not the educational technology because the engineering
technology has manufactured radio, tape- recorder, video-tape and T.V., etc., which are used in
teaching as audio-visual aids, but still engineering technology is different from educational
technology. In education, it is accepted as hardware approach only.
9. Educational Technology cannot solve each and every problem of education. It can be used
successfully in teaching and instructional system only.
10. Some people assume that educational technology will replace the teacher which will make
the teacher unemployed one day. It is their mistake. Educational technology can never replace
the teacher. It is because of three aspects of educational technology.
These are 1. Input, 2. Process and 3. Output. Input is the teacher’s job and therefore,
educational technology cannot snatch the place of a teacher.
In spite of this, educational technology develops cognitive domain only and not the affective
domain. Affective domain can only be developed when an interaction between teachers and
pupils takes place. Hence, educational technology cannot replace the teacher.
Technologizing Education Is To Optimize Learning Endeavours
In Educational Technology, both hardware and software mechanisms are involved.
Garrison (1989), opines “technology will be viewed here as having both a process (software)
and a product (hardware) component, where process is the creative application of knowledge
of purposeful activities. A subset of hardware is media, where media are the devices used to
distribute information.”
In Educational Technology, hardware covers TV, Computer, Overhead projector, Tape Recorder,
Teaching machines etc. Software includes audio/video cassettes, Filmstrips, micro films, slides
etc.
Educational Technology is comprehensive. It is associated with all aspects of educative process-
methods, teaching strategies, learning materials, handling of various equipment etc.
The following 4 M’s are the major components of Educational Technology:-

9. (i) Methods, (ii) Materials, (iii) Media, (iv) Manpower.
(i) Methods:
It is concerned with the devices such as Programmed Learning Team Teaching, Micro Teaching,
Personalized System of Instruction in Teaching Learning situations.
(ii) Materials:
Instructional materials such as Programmed Text book the material of this type may be
handwritten or printed.
(iii) Media:
The media used here are audio, or visual or audiovisual. A few examples are radio, tape
recorder, charts, films, educational television etc.
(iv) Man Power:
Man power controls educational technology in every way. Educational Technology without man
is zero.
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:
1. At home.
2. Managed by external assistance.
3. Rigorous task analysis.
4. Specification of direct behaviour.
5. Determination of pre -requisites and the gradual direct behaviour.
6. Clear specification of the problem.

10. 7. Hindrance in solving problems.
8. Management and organization of man, material, resources.
9. Availability of a few media as for example films, television, radio etc.
10. Developing software technology.
http://www.preservearticles.com/2011122018631/what -is-the-scope-of-
educational-technology.html

Educational Technology is as wide as Education itself. Educational Technology implies the use of
all educational resources – Men, Materials, Methods and Techniques, Means and Media in an
integrated and systematic manner for optimized learning. The below mentioned technologies
are included in it.

Behavioural Technology: Behavioural technology is the important component of Educational
Technology. It puts emphasis on the use of psychological principles in learning and teaching so
that the behaviour of the teacher and pupils may be modified in accordance of the teaching
objectives.
Instructional Technology: Instructional Technology means a network of techniques or devices
employed to accomplish certain defined set of learning objectives. Instructional technology
implies the application of psychological, sociological and scientific principles and knowledge to
instruction for achieving the specific objectives of learning.
Teaching Technology: Teaching is the social and professional activity. It is a process of
development teaching is system of actions which induce learning through interpersonal
relationship. Teaching technology is the application of philosophical, sociological and scientific
knowledge to teaching.
Instructional Design: In order to bring desired changes in the pupils’ behaviour, the teaching
situations, working tools and new approaches were considered important in addition to the
learning principles. The composite form of all these is instructional design.
Training Psychology: Training psychology is an important method of teaching and learning. Its
development resulted out of the research work carried out on the complicated training
problems and situations.
Training psychology emphasizes that the whole training task should be divided into three parts.
These are:

11. Preparing outline of the task. Task analysis Putting the task in sequence. The main role of
training psychology is in Teacher Education. Cybernetic Psychology: It’s a part of training
psychology. Cybernetic psychology accepts human beings as machine. Cybernetic psychology
emphasizes the fact that all the methods of feedback bring the desired changes by controlling
the behaviour of the pupil.
System Analysis: System Analysis is a problem solving process in which the needs of the
management are diagnosed and by using an appropriate method for solving the problem,
evaluation is carried out.
If you consider the working areas of Educational Technology includes the following: Curriculum
Construction, Teaching-Learning Strategies, Audio-Visual materials, Determining Educational
Objectives, Training the teachers, Feedback, Hardware and Software etc. In short, the scope of
Educational Technology extends to all resources (human and non-human) for the augmentation
and development of education