Technological advances have evolved over the years, involving various disciplines. The area of learning is one of them, being one of the most important for the development of human knowledge from the school. Therefore, we will see that educational technology comes to facilitate teaching processes through ICT.
To achieve this, it is necessary that we resort to cutting-edge technology, since it is constantly evolving. So, both parents and teachers must adapt to the Scientific advances that every day innovate in the way of teaching, in order to facilitate the learning process.
Meaning of educational technology
In principle we must know that the word technology has Greek roots and means skill and knowledge. For its part, education involves all the processes that we associate with forms of teaching that we apply from school.
Thus, we achieve a fusion of mastery science that includes skills and techniques developed over time. Since, we allocate it to the satisfaction of needs and apply them in the learning methodsto obtain educational technology.
According to these meanings, it allows us to integrate virtual information and communication resources to the teaching process. Thus, it will facilitate education in a digital and organized way through the internet and computers.
In addition, the development of teaching is focused on theory and practice. On the other hand, we will get the specialized equipmenthardware, software that will help us in the transmission of knowledge and in its exchange.
What is educational technology according to authors?
The teaching process has had to adapt to the advances of the digital world over the years. Therefore, we will get various backgrounds that reveal to us that spirit of development that exists in the educational world. For the authors, educational technology began manually, through the use of tablets and wood engravings.
The appearance of the computer constituted the interaction between techno-scientific knowledge. Its benefit was to obtain information to schoolchildren and in turn the communication through the internet.
In 1954, Burrhus Frederik Skinner, told us that its origin is associated with programmed teaching, with the development of behavioral ideas, in order to enhance the efficiency of the teaching process. While those methods are based on self-learning.
Later, UNESCO describes it as the systematic way of conceiving, applying and evaluating everything related to the teaching process. Starting from the fusion of resource management, with technology we seek the humanization of the teaching and learning processes.
What is educational technology in psychology?
Educational technology has helped us to cover different sciences so that students can learn effectively. In this area consists of psychological planning within the classroom, through the application of human technology.
In this way, we generate behavior models, based on scientific laws that govern student behavior. We also consider it as a branch of psychology that is dedicated to the study of learning and human wisdom within educational centers. Its goal is to improve knowledge through psychosocial principles and educational interventions.
What is educational technology for?
Its goal is to create programmatic content through the use of technological tools, which seek to improve and monitor student performance and teachers from school. In addition, it allows us to generate strategies interactively, adapted to new models of work and study, which currently govern the world economy.
This facilitates professional training for the teacher and can be used in person or remotely. They also serve as teaching materials in order to obtain greater acceptance in the students. All this is possible, with the use of smartphones, computers, among others.
What are the characteristics of educational technology?
The reality is that we are in a fairly broad teaching area, but we can highlight some rather interesting features:
- Integrative: the contents remain organized, both theory and practice, framed in the student understanding.
- Interactive: Allows the exchange of ideas between teachers and students.
- Innovative: It is an option for create content improvements through the use of devices and the internet.
- Varied: It allows us to understand in a simple way the academic programmingdue to the variety of formats that display the information sought.
Explanatory map of what educational technology is
The best way to understand this science is by breaking down its most outstanding elements, since it is formed by the integration of various aspects. For that reason, the technology evolution It has allowed us to dramatically improve the education sector.
- Traditional education: Schools, teachers, students and parents.
- Technology: Internet and electronic devices (mobile phones, computers, tablets).
The fusion of both worlds has allowed us integrate traditional techniques of learning to the digital world:
- Usual media: Books, homework, maps, school supplies.
- Technological development: Programming, software, hardware (audiobooks, virtual classes, educational platforms, among others).
What is the importance of educational technology?
With the use of this discipline we will promote communication between students and teachers through the virtual world. Besides, we will minimize the costs of education face-to-face, taking into account that the use of some school supplies decreases, at least their wear and tear during the school year.
Similarly, the importance of educational technology lies in the connection to various parts of the world, providing the opportunity to learn from other cultures. Also, it is possible reach every corner with the purpose of teaching and providing the opportunity to study to children around the world.
How many types of educational technologies are there?
With the evolution of the virtual universe, there are many types of technologies that exist, the most recent or famous being artificial intelligence (AI). The important thing is to make sure that we use clean technology, in order to preserving the environment. However, we will mention some of the most common in recent times:
- Online learning software, allows us to find content through the internet.
- Virtual platforms, in order to access studies remotely.
- Communication and collaboration tools, in order to to interact with the rest of students, share information and exchange ideas.
- Educational mobile applications, suitable for phones and computers.
- Learning management systems (LMS), make it easier for teachers do your planningmonitoring and evaluation of students.
What are the stages of educational technology?
Despite the advances in the world of technology, we must emphasize that the process of adaptation of the traditional structure educational. In fact, it was the covid-19 pandemic, which in 2020 forced those who had yet to accept technology in schools to understand its importance.
Therefore, when we talk about the stages of educational technology, we refer to that period of adaptation, development and conditioning. The purpose is to take advantage of these, for example, the installation of computers in schools and the instruction of teachers, parents and students on the use of ICT.