Essay on the Emerging Trend of Development and Expansion of Educational Technology

Emerging Trend of Development and Expansion of Educational Technology: These are following:

1. Continuing Education:

Continuing Education is going to be absolutely necessary for the survival and certainly for improving one’s quality of life.

2. Easy Availability of Multiple Learning Resources:

Now, we find that a Computer which not only presents visuals but also speak with the learner. In the field of telecommunications, we are also going to see many innovations.

3. Rapid Adaptability of Learning Resources to Learner’s Needs:

So far the resources of learning were mostly impersonal. They did not change according to the needs of a learner at different stages of learning. In fact, this impersonal hardware/software made even a teacher to become non-adaptive.

The changes in computer linked learning resources as well as methods emerging out of new cognitive psychology and group dynamics stream are going to facilitate learning of individuals different in their abilities, different not only in cognitive assets but also in their perceptions, attitudes, feelings etc.

Now, more and more integrated innovations in Educational Technology are anticipated because of these trends and the Technology of Education all set to help the designers of Instructional System to use changes in Technology in Education more widely and deeply.

4. Distance Education:

This is the major trends in the necessity of continuing education. The Open University or National Open Schools and such other distance learning institutions (DLIs) are striving to fulfill the needs of this market. They shall have to reach the learner at his doorstep rather than invite him to the classroom, at the time, which is convenient to them.

In order to facilitate the DLIs shall have to develop a different methodology. Previously, we called these “correspondence lessons”. But the correspondence lessons were primarily teacher determined information spraying events, in many cases not effective in terms of student learning.

Therefore, the DLIs who design such Self Learning Material shall have to study the target group in much greater details and generate resources or materials which would adapt to the learners’ differing needs.

In future, education cannot just be sold or delivered it shall have to be marketed and provided as per the contract negotiated.

5. Learning Styles:

In the context of learning styles – the manner in which learners prefer to think or learn the target groups are classified into three major groups :

(a) One group involves in what is called “Serialised Thinking” or algorithmic thinking which is more akin to deductive logic.

(b) Other group solves problems more holistically, seeing the totality of the problem, seeing various components as they are related in real life situations, not after dissection. They look at the total patterns when they try to solve the problem.

(c) There is a third group, which uses both the styles as per the situation demands.

These different approaches again are not to show that learners are by heredity or some genetic factor divided into groups. This is only to remind the instructional designers that learners may have different needs at different times; their conception of learning, their perception about the assessment process or use of that learning in the real life situations keeps varying. All these factors determine what kinds of methods are necessary for a particular learner and for him to learn the curriculum.

6. Virtual Reality:

Computer scientists are now working with concepts like Cyberspace and Virtual Reality. Cyberspace is a vast electronic thoroughfare where computer meets and exchange information.

This kind of instant access to information will change the value of ideas, bring in new business synergies and become the engine for tremendous social change. The computers have unlimited large network which gives the learner access to practically unlimited space. Networks, where computers are electronically linked to one another over a cable or satellite, are rapidly reshaping the world, changing the very way we think and talk.

The next advancement in this field is creating one’s own reality. The virtual reality can be defined as a three-dimensional computer impressive and interactive environment. In simpler words, this technology lets one see, hear, feel and control (to some extent) the environments which otherwise cannot be easily (or not at all) experienced.