Technology is impacting education. It is influencing some of the major question marks of education. Those question marks are when, where, and how students will learn. The use of technology in education has made things easier for students and teachers as well. Technology has influenced the ways of learning for students. Let’s take an example. In the peak times of COVID-19, educational institutes switched to online mode. This switching opened new gates of technology concerning education. The sole purpose of these educational technology right approaches is to enhance a student’s learning.
Approaches of Educational Technology
There are various approaches to educational technology that serve multiple purposes. Each approach of technology plays a different role in students’ learning. Some of the approaches might look like they overlap, but this is not the case in reality. Mainly, there are two kinds of approaches, i.e., hardware and software. A brief description of both approaches to educational technology is as follows;
1. Hardware Approaches
The hardware approach refers to the use of physical science in learning. Physical science means using machines or electrical tools in a student’s learning process. We can also call it the traditional way of learning. Teachers in the past used to make models of scientific inventions. They used to demonstrate those models in front of the whole class. This way, the students were learning things in the past. This is a hardware approach to educational technology. But now students spend most of their time learning other things. They learn things that are not taught in school. Such things can include taking courses online on machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Characteristics of Hardware Approach
The concept of the hardware approach is derived from the application of physical science to the learning process. Some characteristics of the hardware approach are as follows;
- The instructor can deal with a larger group. The machines and mechanical things allow teachers to interact with many students. It is also economical since it costs less too.
- The development of machines is done by following engineering principles. This development in itself is a great learning opportunity.
- Teachers of the past effectively used this educational technology for teaching the students.
2. Software Approach
The software approach is based on using software concerning students’ learning. It also uses principles of psychology for the students’ behaviour analysis. The software approach refers to the use of media and technology in the teaching-learning process. This approach is a process-oriented approach for producing a suitable teaching-learning environment.
Software Tools of Learning
With advancements in educational technology, teachers must adopt new methods. The advanced techniques of teaching are always beneficial for students. For example, in COVID-19 time, most of the learning shifted online. Teachers came out of their comfort zones and adopted new methods. Some of the software tools of learning are as follows;
Presentation
Teachers used to write on board with chalks or markers in the past. But nowadays, with improvement in technology, presentations are in demand. Teachers make use of software like MS PowerPoint for developing eye-catching visuals. These presentations help students in grabbing the concepts readily. An important thing here is that they can also take them home and learn any time of the day. But the problem is that most teachers are not familiar with MS PowerPoint. The instructors need to know how to use software tools first. Otherwise, students won’t be able to learn things required for the future.
Subject Related Software
The next thing that teachers should do is teach subject-related software. It will help the students immensely in learning. The foundation of our future world is based on software technologies. Educational institutions must ensure the teaching of software in courses of all degrees. The traditional methods of learning are no more effective in today’s modern world. Software-based education helps students comprehend problems more effectively.
Characteristics of Software Approach of Education Technology
Below are some characteristics of the software approach;
- In the software approach, the basis of all learning is ensured through behavioural science and software-oriented education.
- A teacher with the added knowledge of software can effectively teach students. He can also prepare his students better for future challenges.
Final Thoughts
The approaches mentioned above regarding educational technology are only the major ones. Teachers and students should use those approaches in courses collaboratively. Without these approaches and the much-needed collaboration, there will be no learning. Without any learning, how students can do well in their assignments. Students would prefer to buy assignment writing services in such situations.
