Approaches to Educational Technology

Educational technology, a field that leverages technology to enhance learning, has evolved significantly. Here are some of the key approaches:

Hardware-Based Approach

• Focus: Physical devices used in education.

• Examples: Computers, tablets, interactive whiteboards, projectors, and 3D printers.

• Benefits: Provides hands-on experiences, visual aids, and opportunities for experimentation.

Software-Based Approach

• Focus: Digital tools and applications used in education.

• Examples: Learning management systems (LMS), educational games, simulations, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR).

• Benefits: Offers personalized learning, interactive content, and flexibility in terms of access and use.

System Approach

• Focus: The interconnectedness of various components in an educational technology environment.

• Examples: Integration of hardware, software, curriculum, and pedagogy.

• Benefits: Creates a cohesive learning experience that supports specific educational goals.

Individual Approach

• Focus: Tailoring technology to meet the unique needs of individual learners.

• Examples: Personalized learning platforms, adaptive assessments, and differentiated instruction.

• Benefits: Promotes learner autonomy, engagement, and mastery of content.

Mass Media Approach

• Focus: Using technology to reach a large audience of learners.

• Examples: Distance education, online courses, and educational television programs.

• Benefits: Provides access to education for a wider population, often at a lower cost.

Note: These approaches often overlap and complement each other. For instance, a system approach might involve using both hardware and software to deliver personalized instruction to individual learners. The most effective approach depends on the specific educational goals, the learners' needs, and the available resources.

Hardware Approach of Educational Technology

The hardware approach refers to the use of machines and other mechanical devices in the process of education. Its origin lies in the application of “physical science” to education and training system. The process of teaching-learning has been gradually mechanized through the use of teaching machines, radio, television, tape recorder,video-tape, projectors etc. The teacher can deal with a larger group of students at the same time by his discourse-through these machines.

The hardware approach is based on the application of engineering principles for developing electro-mechanical equipment for instructional purposes. Motion pictures, tape recorders, television, teaching machines, computers are called educational hardware.

Hardware approach mechanises the process of teaching so that teachers would be able to deal with more students with less expenditures in educating them.

Human knowledge has three aspects:

·  Preservation,

·  Transmission and

·  Development.

The history of preservation of the knowledge isbelieved to exist since the printing machines started. The knowledge is preserved with these machines in the form of books which are shelved in the libraries, tape recorders and films.

The second aspect of human knowledge is its transmission. A teacher can impart knowledge himself to his pupils. Nowadays, transmission of the knowledge is supported by machine like mike, radio and television. With these, thousands of pupils can enjoy this home-delivery of such benefits.

The third aspect of human knowledge is its development. For this aspect, provisions are made for research work. In the research programmes, the main function is the collection and analysis of data. For this purpose, presently the researcher uses the electronic machines and computers.

Hence, all the three aspects of knowledge allow the use of machines. In short, the teaching process has been mechanized. The mechanization of teaching process is termed as the Hardware  Approach.

 Basis of Hardware Approach

·  Hardware Approach has physical science and applied engineering as its basis.

·  Hardware Approach has mechanised the whole teaching-learning process.

·  Hardware Approach adopts a Product-oriented Approach.

·  Hardware Approach has the potential to handover the educational benefits to the mass with greater ease and economy.

 Characteristics of Hardware Approach

·    Silverman,  called this type of educational technology ‘Relative Technology’. Based on physical science and applied engineering field approach. The concept of hardware approach is derived from the application of “physical science” to education.

·  The new mechanism of teaching-learning with improved technology as its basis. Suggesting innumerable new ways of doing things to the class-room teachers

·  The job and the duties of the teacher are likely to have multifaceted changes as they are to deal with many new gadgets for teaching and learning.

·  Engineering principles are used for the development of these types of technical equipment. The teacher can deal with larger group of students with the help of these mechanical device ’or‘ Machines’.

·  The teacher can deal with larger group of students with the help of these ‘Mechanical device’ or ‘Machines’, resulting in less cost economy in finances.

 Software Approach of Educational Technology

The pioneering work in software approach was done by Skinner and other behaviourists. The programmes which such a technology produces are often called software. Software Approach is also termed as Instructional Technology or Teaching Technology or Behavioural Technology.

It originates from behavioural sciences and their applied aspects concerning psychology of learning.The software approach used the principles of psychology for building in the learners a complex repertory of knowledge or modifying his behaviour . Psychology of learning provides solid technology for bringing desirable behavioural changes in the pupils and serves the cause of education of laying down definite instructional procedure, teaching behaviour and behaviour modification devices.

Newspapers, books, magazines, educational games, flash cards may also form part of software. Software approach is characterised by task analysis, writing precise objectives, selection of appropriate learning strategies, immediate reinforcement of responses and constant evaluation.

Software approach refers to the application of teaching- learning principles to the direct & deliberate shaping of behavior. Its originlies in the application of  “behavior science” to the problems of learning& motivation.

Educational technology is closely associated with the modern principles & theories of teaching. Models of teaching, theory of instruction, theory of teacher- behavior &principles of programmed learning. It is characterized by task analysis, writing, objectives in behavioral terms, selection of the appropriate teaching strategies, reinforcement for correct responses & continuous evaluation.

Software Approach is concerned with teaching objectives in behavioural terms, principles of teaching, methods of teaching, reinforcement of instructional system, feedback, reviews and evaluation. Software approach tries to develop all the three basic components of technology, i.e. Input, Process and Output.

 Basis of Software Approach

·         In software approach, the basis of all thinking and working is behavioural science and psychology of learning.

·         Software approach uses the principles of psychology for the purpose of behaviour modification.

·         A teacher with added knowledge of software approach can use the films,flashcards,tapesetc., for various purposes.

·         A teacher can plan better teaching which results into better learning. There is not end to his thinking.

Characteristics of Software Approach

·         This view of educational technology is closely associated with the modern principles of programmed learning and is characterised by task analysis, writing precise objectives, selection of appropriate

·         learning strategies, reinforcement of correct responses and constant education.

·     Silverman termed this educational technology as ‘constructive educational technology.’ Also known as‘Management Technology’.

·         A modern approach in educational administration and organisation. It has brought to educational management a scientific approach for solving educational administrative problems.

·         Origin of software approach lies in the application of ‘behavioural science’ to the education. It refers to the application of teaching- learning principles in the shaping of behaviour.

·         Its application while writing objectives in behavioral terms, selection of appropriate teaching, strategies, reinforcement for correct response etc

Software Tools

Word processing, database, spreadsheet, telecommunications, presentation, authoring, graphic paint programs. Teachers need to know how to use them, how to teach them to students, and how and why to use them in the classroom.

Software Types

Drill and practice, tutorials or computer-based instruction, and simulations. Teachers need to know what these areas as well as why, when, and how to incorporate them into their teaching. 

Software Review and Evaluation

How to select appropriate software for specific grade levels and content areas, how to evaluate the effectiveness of this software, and what types of software are available. Teachers need to be thoroughly familiar with many of the software options available and understand when and how to use them in the classroom.

 Comparison of Hardware and Software Approach

 Role of hardware and software technologies in modern educational practices

1.        Making the task of teaching-learning interest, purposeful and productive

2.        Use the multimedia and multi-sensory approach to teaching-learning

3.        Management of the affairs of educational practices in an efficient and productive way

4.        Providing proper input and process for the best possible outcomes (products)

5.        Fulfilling the expectation of distances and correspondence education

6.        Individualization of instruction

 SYSTEMS APPROACH:

System approach is a systematic attempt to coordinate all aspects of a problem towards specific objectives. Webster’s dictionary defines a system as “a regularly interacting or independent group of items forming a unified whole. ”The characteristics of a system of may be explained with the help of an example –various parts of the digestive system may be called as components of digestive system.

Every component of the digestive system contributes to as supports in functioning of the digestive system as a whole.

In the context of education, system is a unit as a whole incorporating all its aspects and parts, namely, pupils, teachers, curriculum, content and evaluation of instructional objectives. The teaching-learning process is viewed as communication and control taking place between the components of a system. In this case, the system is composed of a teacher, a student and a programme of instruction, all in particular pattern of interaction.

The System Approach focuses first upon the learner and the course content, learning experiences and effective media and instructional strategies. Such a system incorporates within itself the capability of providing continuous self-correction and improvement. It is concerned with all elements of instruction including media, including hardware and software. Its purpose is to ensure that the components of the organic whole will be available with the proper characteristics at the proper time to contribute to the total system fulfilling the objectives.

In the systems approach to instruction, the teacher has to plan completely the utilization of selected resource material and the classroom activities. The teacher should have a good overall view of the subject, know his/her limitations, know all abou this/her pupils and the individual differences in their learning capacities and plan accordingly. The system approach involves continuous evaluation of learning outcomes and utilization of knowledge gained by analysis of results of evaluation to suitably modify the plan of approach to achieve the stated objectives.

INDIVIDUAL AND MASS-MEDIA APPROACH

The utilization of the Mass Media Approach is of vital importance for achieving the goal of education for all. In rapidly increasing availability of new, improved channels of communication has contributed to a coordinated spurt in effort to tap and harness the vast potential of media in promoting the goal of education for all. In a country such as India—so replete with challenging regional, cultural, and linguistic diversities—the role of media as an immensely powerful tool, which can be used to penetrate cultural and attitudinal barriers and reach communities in the shortest possible time, acquires a significance that is doubly important. 

 Importance of Mass Media

• Mass Media provides information to the mass within a short time.

• It takes a wide coverage of information regarding anything that is happening in any corner of the world.

• It brings the entire world to the individual or to the classroom. Children spend hours together sitting in front of the television and can visualize, hear, and acquire knowledge about the world.

• These media easily reach groups, allow repeated use, give more reality, influence attitudes, show cause-and-effect relationships, and ultimately motivate the audience.

• It sends information to remote places and helps in distant learning.

• It helps in modification of attitudes, inculcation of desirable values, and acquaintance with cultural heritage.

• Mass media acts as an agency of social change.

• Mass media is useful for reinforcing group dynamics and interpersonal communication.

• Mass media, as a means of communication, makes ideas clear to children and helps them acquire correct knowledge. They help in simplifying and giving vividness to explanations.

• Mass Media makes instruction concrete and stimulates interest and curiosity in things.

Demerits of Mass Media

Sometimes, mass media creates misunderstandings among people by providing false and baseless news. Besides, satellite channels often telecast vulgar programs that damage the moral character of the young generation. People who watch violent films through mass media may commit crimes easily and engage in illegal activities. It is true that people regularly exposed to violent media usually grow up to be completely normal. But, the number of these people is very few because not everyone in a country or society follows or observes mass media. Besides, a large group of people in society is still out of reach of modern technology.