Seeking knowledge and learning is a time-intensive exercise for both teacher and student, and the process of the dissemination of said knowledge using tools and resources is often agreed upon as the definition of educational technology.
It is related to many facets of the utilization of tools for learning, such as the use of tech in learning.
Educational technology definition is the culmination of the methods used in the utilization of tools and resources, the processes involved in arriving at those methods, and the evaluation and management of the learning process and its tools and resources.
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Educational technology is responsible for introducing tablets and laptops into the learning system.
it is responsible for the application of the internet in learning at schools, as a result, today we have e-libraries and web-based learning.
Educational technology in Nigeria has contributed enormously to the development of the educational sector as a whole.
For instance, Edufirst and Skool Media’s programs and activities are deliberate attempts at developing the learning curriculum through the application of technology, now that is a basic example of educational technology. In another instance, teachers are getting training on virtual teaching.
In this digital age, these technologies have the most influence, but the ordinary whiteboard and marker is an example of educational technology also, it was a resource for learning and it has helped develop academic performance outstandingly.
So, the definition of educational technology varies somewhat because of the differences in technological age each tool is found. But despite the times, the basic principle still remains the same, which is the deliberate application of theoretical and practical uses of resources/tech for learning into the educational system.
Educational Technology is a concept and idea that deals with one of the biggest sectors in any country, education, so surely it is bound to have great impacts on the sector.
Educational technology is designed to improve and develop further, the learning process, so the effects of its presence are mostly always positive. Some of the ways educational technology is affecting education in Nigeria are listed below.
There is an improvement in how lessons are taught because educational technology encourages old learning methods to be revised, and with a paradigm shift like that in the curriculum you are sure to expect an improvement in the way lessons are being taught in the class.
Technology enabled people to save documents in the cloud, share them whenever they want, and create and edit them at will.
It made students feel safer and more comfortable now when relating to their learning materials, because they have backups and can access them anywhere, anytime.
Educational technology or ed-tech as it is sometimes called, has made knowledge sharing more reliable with the introduction of technologies that enable us to do as we wish with documents, from creating to editing and sharing them.
YouTube videos specifically tailored for little kids have sprung up all over the place, there are thousands of YouTube Channels for kids, and the kids love them, strictly because they are colourful enough and interactive enough, so it gained their love.
Educational technology has always been about making the latest useful tool (whether from the web or otherwise) to become instrumental in learning, therefore, when the interactive videos started they were an obvious choice with educationists and parents.
The videos were made interactive by the use of slides and images and animations, because of this the attention of young learners was grabbed fully, thereby, improving their retention rates during lessons.
Some schools allow their nursery pupils to watch early morning kids television shows because of the success of this method.
With more and more tools and resources being introduced into the school system, learning is becoming more and more efficient in terms of saving time and cost.
Books that would have been nearly impossible to find can now be accessed with a tap on your mobile devices.
Students have the ability to view 3D models of the circulatory digestive system, skeletal system and respiratory and other human systems from their devices and computers.
The efficiency brought about as a result, has made learning easier, thereby cutting down on the time needed to study or cram one particular topic.
The faster you can learn something the better, schools, especially private ones, are known to adopt methods they can find that boost their students’ academic performance, allowing their kids to graduate school earlier than most of their peers.
Flexibility is one of the top qualities you will need when learning. Institutions of learning will need to be flexible with their time, and will need to be flexible with their teaching methods, so that if there is a sudden change in the teaching curriculum it doesn’t have to be difficult for them to adapt.
They will need to be ready to tackle students’ problems and challenges, they need to keep up with evolving tech and so on. All of this is being dealt with, directly or indirectly by educational technology in schools in Nigeria.
Because of the revisions, utilization of tools and resources, and the theoretical improvements of the learning processes, education in Nigeria is flexible and becoming more so every day, and it is able to adapt to changes and fixes.
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There are three (3) main types of educational technology, and they comprise of the following;
This type of educational technology takes two forms as you have read from the name title, the asynchronous type whereby the learner has the freedom to learn at their own pace, online courses are a great example of this.
And then there is the synchronous type, whereby the learner is a participant in a group, it is usually led by an instructor, and is built upon communication and collaboration with other students at the same time or same place.
Learning that is done autonomously is often referred to as Linear learning. It is simple and straightforward, an example includes learning a step-by-step process of something.
This type of educational technology is a little more complicated than the others, it is a bit of the synchronous and linear learning put together.
This is where collaboration is fostered between students. So, sharing of files, working on a project together all fall under this category. Creatives find this alluring.
Educational technology and learning to harness its potential is of great importance to us and our educational system. Learning institutions big and small, all come in contact with it one way or the other.
Understanding it more will help us implement it better, so that both students and teachers can improve as a result.