Educational Technology(also called ‘learning technology’)

It is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving

performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological

processes and resources.(Richey, R.C. (2008). Reflections on the 2008 AECT Definitions of the Field. TechTrends. 52(1) 24-25)

The terms visual education and visual instruction were used originally because many of the media available to teachers, such as three-dimensional objects, photographs, and silent films, depended upon

sight.

Later, when sound was added to film and audio recordings became

popular, the terms audiovisual education, audiovisual instruction, and audiovisual devices were used to represent

the variety of media employed to supplement instruction.

By the first decade of the twentieth century,

silent films were being produced for instructional use.

Radio was the next technology to gain attention. In 1920 the Radio Division of the U.S. Department of Commerce began to

license commercial and educational stations.

World War II provided a boost for audiovisual education. The federal government and American industry were faced with the challenging task of providing training for large numbers of military

recruits and for new industrial workers.

The next technology that captured the interest of educators was the computer. Some of the earliest work on

instructional applications of computing took place in the 1950s and the 1960s, but these efforts had little impact on

schools.

It was not until the 1980s, and the appearance of microcomputers, that many educators and public

officials became enthusiastic about computers.

These are some of the tools facilitated to students by computers nowadays:

CD-ROM DVD Microsoft Office Internet: - ePortfolio -mLearning -podcast -PodClip -Blogs -Wikis -Chat -Video Conferencing -web browser

Following are a few examples of computers being used to support

four goals:

Building student capacity for researchMaking student inquiry more realisticEnabling students to present information in

appealing formsOffering students access to learning

resources within and beyond the school

More benefits of resorting to educational technology:

Easy-to-access course materials Student motivation Wide participation Improved student writingSubjects made easier to learn.

References Dudeney G. and Hockly N. ( 2008). ‘How to Teach English with

Technology’. England. Pearson Longman. Richey, R.C. ( 2008). Reflections on the 2008 AECT Definitions of the Field.

TechTrends. 52(1) 24-25

Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_technology ‘School Technology in Education’ -2010- Retrieved from

http://www.answers.com/topic/school-technology-in-education ‘Technology's Impact on Learning’ –n.d.- Retrieved from

http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/tiol.html

Created by Eliane Custode and Cecilia Casadio