Roles and functions of educational technology in the 21st century education

Roles and Functions of
Educational Technology in
the 21st Century Education

1. Instruction should be student-centered
 Student-Centered Instruction (SCI) is a teaching strategy that
fundamentally breaks many of the traditional boundaries governing the
manner in which students have—by and large—been conditioned and
expected to learn for centuries.
 It shift the focus of activity from the teacher to the learners. These
methods include active learning, in which students solve problems,
answer questions, formulate questions of their own, discuss, explain,
debate, or brainstorm during class; cooperative learning, in which
students work in teams on problems and projects under conditions that
assure both positive interdependence and individual accountability; and
inductive teaching and learning, in which students are first presented
with challenges (questions or problems) and learn the course material
in the context of addressing the challenges.

What is Student-centered Learning?
 Information and content are
relevant and interesting to the
students.
 Content is built to expand on
their current knowledge base.
 Focuses on the student rather
than the transmission of
information.
 Students can experiment with
their learning
 Learning is more meaningful.
 Students are more engaged.
 Learning is deeper and long
term because they were able
to relate it to their own ideas
and experiences.

2. Education should be collaborative
 In which students team together to explore a significant question or
create a meaningful project. A group of students discussing a lecture or
students from different schools working together over the Internet on a
shared assignment are both examples of collaborative learning
 Students must learn how to cooperate with others to gather information
or ideas from other peoples point of view.
 In small groups, students can share strengths and also develop their
weaker skills. They develop their interpersonal skills. They learn to deal
with conflict. When cooperative groups are guided by clear objectives,
students engage in numerous activities that improve their
understanding of subjects explored.

3. Learning should have context
 Students are encouraged to learn in different ways, the
teacher still provides guidance as to the skills that need
to be acquired. The teacher can make a point of helping
the 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.

The Role of
Technology in 21st
Century Learning

Technology allows for 24/7 access to
information.
Constant social interaction, and
Easily Created and shared digital
Content.

Fundamental building block into education in
three broad areas:
1. Use Technology comprehensively to develop
proficiency in 21st century skills.
 Even if all students mastered core academic subjects, they still
would be woefully underprepared to succeed in post secondary
institutions and workplaces, which increasingly value people
who can use their knowledge to communicate, collaborate,
analyze, create, innovate and solve problems. Used
comprehensively, technology helps students develop 21st
century skills.

2. Use Technology comprehensively to
support innovative teaching and learning.
 To keep pace with a changing world, school needs to
offer more rigorous, relevant and engaging opportunities
for students to learn and to apply their knowledge and
skills in meaningful ways. Used comprehensively,
technology supports new, research-based approaches
and promising practices in teaching and learning.

3. Use Technology comprehensively to
create robust education support systems
 To be effective in schools and classrooms, teachers and
administrations need training tools and proficiency in
21st century skills themselves. Used comprehensively,
technology transforms standards and assessments,
curriculum and instruction, professional development,
learning environments, and administration.

Important Functions of
Educational Technology

1. Improvement of Teaching
 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 etc. By developing the
theories of teaching, it helps in improving the quality of
education.

2. Analysis of the Teaching-Learning
Process
 It tries to find out the different variables of teaching their
interlinks effects upon each other, relationship etc. It is
also concerned with various phases of teaching. The
principles of teaching and the maxims of teaching are
also evaluated by it. Over all, it tries to establish better
relationship between teaching and learning.

3. Improvement of Learning
 It facilitates more and more of learning in less time. It
takes the help of various empirically established
generalizations from psychology, sociology, physical
sciences, engineering etc.

4. Enhancing Goals of Education
 Educational technology helps in finding out the right
objectives. Everything in this universe is undergoing
tremendous change 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 to Teachers
 The teachers equipped with old strategies and
methodologies of technology will remain misfits. The
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
 Curriculum is the total teaching-learning environment,
which has to be modified and remodeled in the light of
latest thoughts. Educational technology can do this job
of developing a suitable curriculum appropriately.
 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. Everything in the society including values of
life need to be reflected in the materials. Only right type
of materials will be able to modify the behavior of the
learner suitably making him a fit person in 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 evolved 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 be used
according to the times. The software aids, the hardware
aids, the computer and other such appliances,
equipment etc., have “to be used in the present type of
teaching-learning environment.”
 Computer assisted instructions will help the learner as
well as the teacher to achieve the goals of education
more effectively.

10. Help in Overall Improvement
 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. It helps in providing equal education
opportunities to backward people, disadvantaged
students and deprived sections of the society.
Educational Technology aims to identify the need of the
community from time to time. Then it tries to improve the
community in every possible way.

Submitted by:
Alcantara, Glory Fe A.
Educ2D, 3:30-4:30pm
Submitted to:
Ms. Maria Estela Balbuena

Roles and functions of educational technology in the 21st century education

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