ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY In the 21st Century

Education

Instructions should be student-centered

Education is no longer about listening to the teacher talk and

absorbing the information.

Education should be collaborative

• Students must learn to collaborate with others.

Students should be encouraged to work together to discover information, piece it together, and construct meaning.

Learning should have

The teacher can make a point of helping students to

understand how the skills they are building can be

applied in their lives. Students will be much more

motivated to learn something that they can see

the value in.

Important Functions of Educational Technology

1. Improvement of teaching

Educational Technology analyses the process of teaching thoroughly. It tries to find out the different variables of teaching, their interlinks, effects upon each other, relationships, theories of teaching, phases of teaching, principles of teaching, maxims of teaching.

2. Analysis of the Teaching – Learning Process

Educational Technology aims at analyzing the process of teaching – learning thoroughly. It tries to find out the different variables of teaching their interlinks effects upon each other, and relationships.

3. Improvement of Learning

Educational Technology analyses the process of learning and the related theories. It facilitates more and more of learning in less time. It takes the help of various empirically established generalizations from psychology, sociology, physical sciences and engineering.

4. Enhancing Goals of Education

The objectives of education are being reviewed and revised with the passage of time – educational technology helps in finding out the right objectives. Everything in this universe is undergoing tremendous changes and with a very fast speed. Educational Technology helps in enhancing the right objectives in the light of the changed circumstances and changed environment.

5. Training of Teachers The changed type of environment with

new curriculum and new materials is to be handled by the teachers. 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.

6. Development of Curriculum

Keeping in view the objectives of education, which have been finalized by education technology thereafter, comes the question of developing right type of curriculum. Only a suitable type of curriculum will help in the attainment of goals.

7. Development of Teaching – Learning Materials

Teaching – learning materials are also as important as anything else in the teaching – learning process. They have to be in accordance with the environment of the learners. In this age of science and technology, the materials of teaching cannot be unscientific. Everything in the society including values of life need to be reflected in the materials. Only right type of materials will able to modify the behavior of the learner suitably making him a fit person for the society.

8. Teaching – Learning Strategies

A strategy plays an important role in the hands of a teacher in every teaching – 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 envolved by educational technology. The knowledge of those strategies is a must for every teacher.

9. Development of Audio – Visual Aids

Audio – Visual aids have always played an important role in the teaching – learning process. They need to be used according to the times the software aids, the hardware aids, the computer and other such as appliances, and equipments have to be used in the present type of teaching – learning environments.

10. Help in Overall Improvements

Educational technology helps in locating the problems in the different areas of education. It also helps in remedying the draw – backs. Evaluation of the teaching – learning process is also made better because through feedback; things are improved thoroughly and there is better control over the process of education. Thus, educational technology can revolutionize the whole process of teaching learning.

11. Identification of Needs of the Community

Educational Technology identifies the needs of the community from time to time. Then it tries to improve the community in every possibly way.