EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY: HISTORY, EVOLUTION, CHARACTERISTICS, USES, EXAMPLES - TECHNOLOGY - 2025

The educational technology is the process of integrating technology resources in learning processes in order to facilitate an education, whether formal or informal, more diverse and optimized.

It is also defined as the pedagogical intellectual space whose object of study is Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as ways of representing, disseminating or giving access to knowledge and in educational contexts ranging from schooling, formal education, informal, remote and superior.

Educational technology is the process of integrating technological resources in learning processes. Source: Pixabay

It can be said, therefore, that educational technology has a double meaning. On the one hand it is the theory and practice of educational approaches to learning. On the other are all the technological tools, physical hardware, processes and software that help in the dissemination of knowledge and its exchange.

Throughout its years of development, the term has encompassed several domains ranging from the theory and practice of educational approaches to learning, technological tools and means that help to share knowledge, learning management systems (SGA, or in English LMS), online learning and m-learning or mobile e-learning.

History and evolution of educational technology

Educational technology emerged as a concept in 1941 in the Encyclopedia of Educational Research, so it is in the middle of the 20th century in North America that it emerged as a pedagogical discipline.

The advent of social media and the Second World War were historical events with a strong impact on the development of educational technology.

From then on, educational research institutes were created in which research and development projects in this area played a leading role. At the same time, entering the sixties, the educational application of the mass media began to be seen and communication processes within the classroom began to be studied.

Meanwhile, in European countries the development of programmed teaching begins, which is based on the proposals of the behavioral psychologist Burrhus Frederic Skinner. It was about applying operant conditioning theory and behavior modification principles to learning situations.

Arrival in the seventies and with the development of information technology the use of computers for educational purposes was consolidated. Computer-aided teaching software (EAO) arises, which from that moment would generate great influence on the design of teaching materials.

Until now, this first phase of educational technology has been characterized by focusing on the means and instructional resources, based on the behavioral perspective and then, with cognitive psychology, a rethinking of the teaching aids towards the curricular approach has been generated.

By the mid-1980s, UNESCO raises this discipline between the study of the media and the study of teaching processes. So in its definition it focused on the use for educational purposes of the media born of the communications revolution.

But at the same time he conceived it as the systematic way of conceiving, applying and evaluating the set of teaching and learning processes, in order to obtain a more effective education.

A broader perspective

The technocratic vision prevailed until the 1990s when one can speak of a reconceptualization of educational technology. At present, a series of ideas are being handled that show an evolution of this field towards a multidisciplinary and critical perspective, of which two can be highlighted:

1- Educational technology studies multimedia teaching strategies where old and new technologies are integrated, so it should not be confused with educational informatics.

2- It is essential to establish multidisciplinary teams where education, educational psychology, sociology of culture, communication theory, information theory and curriculum theory converge, among others. In this way, it is assumed as a form of humanism, a way of channeling creativity, with solid conceptual foundations.

characteristics

Educational technology facilitates access to education. Source: Pixabay

Perhaps as a remnant of the technocratic vision of educational technology, in principle the characteristics that come to mind are linked to the use of hardware or software; however, it involves many other properties.

Scholars of this discipline such as Professor Julio Cabero Almenara, from the University of Seville, have thus managed to provide a broader perspective when characterizing it:

Immateriality

Information is its raw material, so it focuses on facilitating its access and processing.

Interactivity

It refers not only to the relationship of participation between users, but also between user and machine.

Instantaneity

Spatial-temporal barriers to access information are broken.

Higher technical quality

Thanks to digitization, information such as images and sounds can be manipulated more easily and without losing properties.

Focus on processes

In addition to the information obtained, skills related to the process of searching and relating the information are developed.

Penetration in all sectors

The use of technology transcends computers and is integrated into life itself.

New codes and languages

Hypertext, hypermedia, multimedia, emoticons are examples of the new codes and languages, even if they are clearly expressive.

Automation

It allows the realization of activities controlled from the same system, which allows generating more personalized educational processes for the user.

Innovation

Educational technology is constantly improving and pursues the premise of novelty and the improvement of its tools or processes that precede it.

Diversity

The variety and quantity of functions that it can perform ranges from the simplest such as processing a text, to the more complex as a videoconference.

Storage

It manages a significant information storage capacity in increasingly smaller spaces.

Interconnection

It allows the combination of various individual technologies that together give rise to new expressive and communicative realities.

Uses and examples

Technological tools have been present in academic life for decades. It is only necessary to observe the routine of a teacher or a student to detect word processors, calculators, printers and of course computers.

But the combination of the internet and mobile technology has opened up the range of possibilities even further. Interactive whiteboards, virtual classrooms and a host of electronic resources have been incorporated into schools and universities.

This has generated a trend towards interactivity thanks to the presence of web 2.0 and social networks, but also personalized learning with the use of the smart cloud. In addition, the ease of sharing content, facilitate access to books that were not previously available in some countries and greatly reduce production costs.

Educational media and tools allow modifying procedures and processes, facilitate access to sources of knowledge and provide alternative ways of representing it.

In these three areas, in addition to the implementation of audio and video, the use of computers, tablets and mobile devices or the creation of virtual rooms, the emergence of social and collaborative learning through blogs, wikis and virtual communities can be identified.

Among the most prominent trends of the 21st century in educational technology are the flipped classroom model, massive online courses or MOOCs, mobile applications, tablet devices, learning through games and rewards, learning analysis of data, mobile learning or use of mobile devices and augmented reality is expected to be a tool that will soon be integrated into the educational area

Advantages and disadvantages of educational technology

Advantage

One of the first benefits to mention of educational technology is that it opens the possibility of adapting education to the individuality and needs of each student. This allows each student to work at their own pace.

It also simplifies access to education, as the programs are available to a wider audience, they may be implemented over a long distance, and online materials or resources are more easily available, even if they are less expensive.

Studies have shown that students generally learn more in less time when they receive computer-based education, they can also solve problems independently, they go at their own pace and their attitudes are generally more positive.

Some educational apps can promote group work and collaboration to solve problems.

Disadvantages

In contrast, there are some disadvantages that must be considered. One of them is the impact that the use of videos can have on babies, for which the linguistic experience is limited and their learning of new words is much less.

Also, teacher-student relationships can be compromised in terms of levels of trust, care, and respect, as well as increased potential for cheating.

Students may be more susceptible to distraction and diversion with the use of online educational applications, in addition, the flow of data interferes with focus and learning, since there is an overstimulation of the brain and the tendency to multitasking is promoted (quickly changing tasks).

References

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