See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/330289200

Scope for Educational Technology in Primary Education Education Technology

in Primary Education

Chapter · January 2016

CITATIONS READS

0 1,966

1 author:

Sushma Rani
Lingaya's University
31 PUBLICATIONS   2 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Sushma Rani on 10 January 2019.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 13 Scope for Educational
Technology in Primary
Education

Sushma Rani

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without

accepting it.”
- Aristotle
Introduction
Today, there is an emphasis placed on technology based learning that support the
active construction of knowledge and skills. That is a shift from educational environment,
which supports the passive acquisition of isolated facts, to environment in which the
learner actively explores the world and constructs their own models of understanding.
Although the lens to future is clouded, must be filtered through the past and present,
the ability to stand back and think about the impact of technologies on students
learning and teacher education will undergrid research in technology for education of
students, children’s and youths and adults in the 21st century. We must view the
coming change, and they will be massive, from the perspective that technology provides
access to learning but doesn’t control it, that technologies are not the content of
education a rather, they provide a Cornucopia of tools for learning.
Objectives
 To explore the recent trends in communication technologies on primary education.
 To create awareness about the use of technology in the field of primary education.
 To give idea regarding the innovative technologies in primary education.
 To mobilize the available digital resources for primary education.
 To share innovative ideas for technology in primary education.
 To enhance the technology-based knowledge in the field of primary education.
Technological tools and resources that are used to communicate, to create,
disseminate, store, and manage information.” They “include hardware, software and
Netware, as well as institutional, financial, cultural and application- related parameters
that determine how educational technology will shaped and developed by society at
large for improving quality in primary education.”
 Scope for Educational Technology in Primary Education 125

Education Technology in Primary Education

Educational technology has a potential to “bridge the knowledge gap” in terms of
improving quality in teacher education which increases the quantity of quality
educational opportunities, making knowledge building possible through borderless
and boundless accessibility to resources and people; and reaching populations in
remote areas to satisfy their basic right to education. Educational technology involves
technical can cognitive proficiency to access, use, develop, create, and communicate
information appropriately, using technological tools. Moreever educational technology
may be considered into two technologies one is low technologies and other is the high
technologies.
“Low technologies” or “traditional technologies” usually demand a low budget
for integration and implementation into the classroom. Teacher training for incorporating
traditional technologies in the classroom may simply involve imparting knowledge
about where in the curriculum they should be integrated and when to schedule their
use in the class period. While “High technologies” are those that enable students to
become active participants in their own learning process. Such technologies are called
“interactive technologies”. For example: E Learning, Blended learning, M-Learning etc.
The role of educational technology in the primary education as follows -
 To access to the technologies and guidance in using them in a way that will
enhance their learning.
 In a Technology-supported learning environment, teachers need to act as a
guide to facilitate student-centered learning.
 School leaders must communicate a vision for Educational technology in the
educational institutions and foster a culture that allows all school students,
staff and users to be regular users of educational tools or devices.
Table 1: Types of Technology

Content Synchronous Technologies Asynchronous Technologies

Meaning It is a 2 way- communication process No fixed time and place

having fixed time and place
Examples Online chat, Text based, Audio, Video,
Video- conferencing, Telephone etc.
E-mail, Discussion forum, blogs, E-
groups (Electronic groups yahoo,
gmail or any service provider),
Wikkipedia, Podcasting, Tablet PC,
e-book etc.

To improve the quality and access to teacher education through the use of
information and Communication technologies in India: -
 Assess the current Teacher Education program in terms of its quality and
accessibility of learning support.
 Develop and pilot test an appropriate ICT-based learning support system.
 Assess whether the use of ICTs improves the quality and access of learning
support.
 Formulate recommendations from the research findings for a national teacher
educational policy.
126 Development of Education in India

 Examine learning satisfaction and access to the ICT- supported teacher education
from gender perspectives.
Educational system consists of three factors that lead to growth on increased
productivity: capital deepening (the use of equipment that is more productive than
earlier versions), higher quality labor (a more knowledge workforce that is more
productive), and technological innovation-the creation, distribution and the use of
new knowledge. These three productivity factors serve as the basis for three
complementary, somewhat overlapping approaches that connect education policy
economic development.
Learner-Centered Education
Technology makes the world faster, so educational technology also improves the
quality of Education by various methods: -
 Motivating to learn: It motivates the students as well as the teacher educators to
motivate to learn.
 Facilitating the acquisition of basic skills: It helps in facilitating the primary
students, teachers/teacher educators to acquire the basic skills and concepts
for higher order thinking skills facilitate creativity amongst the teacher-educators
and the students.
 Enhancing skill-based learning: It directly and indirectly enhancing the teacher
-training.
 Simulation and Good Practice: New technologies, both computer and web-based
allow for simulation of specific skills through mini and micro lessons that can be
watched, manipulated and tested.
 Saving in Time and Expenses: With in the short span of time we can teach huge
masses thus saving money and time.
 Training (and learning) on Demand: Educational technology allows teaching
learning to take place any time, any place. For example Videos, CD-ROMS,
Internet and various educational softwares allow teachers to learn things on
demand-when they feel the need for that.
 Professional and Peer-Support: Educational technology can break the
professional isolation by permitting among educators, communication, and
exchange of information, chat rooms, bulletin boards, and discussion forums.
Learner Centered Approach
It helps in the transform of learning environment into learner-centered by making
Teacher-educators, students and stakeholders as: -
 Active learning: It provides the students a platform, with the active learning
environment for enquiry, analysis and construction of new information and
ideas.
 Collaborative learning: It motivate the students, teacher-educators and experts
to interact with the co-operative learning so as to make them aware about the
different cultures and capable of understanding the communication skills, to
reach to the global level.
 Creative learning: Through ICT, we can promote the existing information level
helps in the creation of the real world products.
 Scope for Educational Technology in Primary Education 127

 Integrative learning: We can use integrative learning into the traditional classroom
so as to make a bridge between the theory and practice.
 Evaluative learning: Educational technology, is the student-centered and
diagnostic technique. It is not only bound to text or print –based educational
technologies and also provides the students with exploration and discover of
new information and ideas.
Educational Implications
The Educational technology has its various implications in the filed of the primary
educations.
 Preschool Software: Computer programs and systems that help preschoolers
learn to read, write and conceptualize. Using a simple keyboard or a touch-
sensitive screen, the computer can present images of letters, animals or other
objects. Many systems can also recognize and repeat sounds.
 Educational software: Computer programs that enable children to learn math,
spelling, geography and other subjects, often in the form of a game of adventure.
Software for both individual and collaborative learning exists.
 Computer Simulations: Programs with sophisticated graphics and commands
that let a child practice real-world knowledge and decision-making skills to, for
example, plan and manage a city.
 On-line services and the Internet: Bulletin-board services and databases which
give children access to vast amounts of information and enable them to interact
with other people around the world.
 Graphics: New creative tools allowing children to draw and to design their own
original art and other imaginative creations.
 Computer in the classroom: Having a computer in the classroom is an asset to
any teacher. With a computer in the classroom, teachers are able to demonstrate
a new lesson, present new material, illustrate how to use new programs, and
show new websites.
 Class website: An easy way to display your student’s work is to create a web
page designed for your class. Once a web page is designed, teachers can post
homework assignments, student work, famous quotes, trivia games, and so
much more. In today’s society, children know how to use the computer and
navigate their way through a website, so why not give them one where they can
be a published author. Just be careful as most districts maintain strong policies
to manage official websites for a school or classroom. Also, most school districts
provide teacher webpages that can easily be viewed through the school district’s
website.
 Class blogs and wikis: There are a variety of Web 2.0 tools that are currently
being implemented in the classroom. Blogs allow for students to maintain a
running dialogue, such as a journal, thoughts, ideas, and assignments that also
provide for student comment and reflection. Wikis are more group focused to
allow multiple members of the group to edit a single document and create a truly
collaborative and carefully edited finished product.
128 Development of Education in India

 Wireless classroom microphones: Noisy classrooms are a daily occurrence, and

with the help of microphones, students are able to hear their teachers more
clearly. Children learn better when they hear the teacher clearly. The benefit for
teachers is that they no longer lose their voices at the end of the day.
 Mobile devices: Mobile devices such as clickers or smartphone can be used to
enhance the experience in the classroom by providing the possibility for
professors to get feedback.
 Interactive Whiteboards: An interactive whiteboard that provides touch control
of computer applications. These enhance the experience in the classroom by
showing anything that can be on a computer screen. This not only aids in visual
learning, but it is interactive so the students can draw, write, or manipulate
images on the interactive whiteboard.
 Online media: Streamed video websites can be utilized to enhance a classroom
lesson (e.g. United Streaming, Teacher Tube, etc.).
 Digital Games: The field of educational games and serious games has been
growing significantly over the last few years. The digital games are being provided
as tools for the classroom and have a lot of positive feedback including higher
motivation for students. There are many other tools being utilized depending on
the local school board and funds available. These may include: digital cameras,
video cameras, interactive whiteboard tools, document cameras, or LCD
projectors.
 CAI, ICT and Programme Instructional based learning. The education with the
help of the computer-based instruction, informationa nd communication
technologies and programmed learning makes teaching-learning effective and
enthusiastic.
 The use of various educational technologies such as Internet, Telematics, World
Wide Web, E-mail, E-Commerce etc. are imparting in the primary education.
There are several others educational tools available on the internet such as
directories, search engines, ask the experts, net snippets, on the on-line
conferencing, video conferencing, e-conferencing, Internet forum, news groups,
blogs, wikkipedia, discussion board, chat rooms, e-journal, digital libraries etc.
which can be utilized in the teaching –learning process.
 Electronic Portfolios: Keeping electronic records of a child’s work, which allows
teachers and students to have easily accessible information.
ICT Applications in Primary Education
The students of Primary education can be directly affected by the educational
technology, once it may be incorporated with the present curriculum.
Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence: The ability to think, communicate, and create
through words both in speech and in writing.
 Computer software which allows young children to write and illustrate their own
stories before their fine motor skills are developed enough to allow them to do
so by hand.
 Word processing software stimulates learners to interact more closely with their
work.
 Scope for Educational Technology in Primary Education 129

 Audio and video recording can give students instant feedback on their story-
telling skills and can help them develop them further.
 Multimedia software helps students produce multimedia reports.
 Telecommunications programs link students who correspond in writing.
Logical/Mathematical Intelligences: Memorize and perform mathematical
operations, ability to think mathematically, logically, and analytically and to apply that
understanding to problem solving.
 Multimedia products that graphically illustrate physics concepts.
 Providing challenging visual/spatial tasks which develop mathematical and
logical thinking.
 Develop higher-order mathematical thinking by making abstract ideas concrete.
Visual/Spatial Intelligence: The ability to understand the world through what we
see and imagine and to express ideas through the graphic arts.
 “Paint” programs that allow students who are unskilled with paper and brush
create art on computer screens.
 Databases of artwork.
 Desktop publishing.
 Camcorders to create documentaries.
 Internet links to museums and virtual tours.
Musical Intelligence: The ability to understand, appreciates, perform, and create
music by voice or instruments or dance.
 Students can hum into a synthesizer and make it sound like any instrument they
want.
 Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) makes it possible to make music on
an electronic keyboard, which can be made to sound like any instrument and
then can be orchestrated electronically.
 Interactive presentations of renowned classical music let students understand
music on many different levels; listening to it, seeing the score as it is played,
hearing individual instruments played alone, reviewing biographical material
about the composer and learning about the music’s historical and cultural
backgrounds.
Interpersonal Intelligence: The ability to work cooperatively with other people
and to apply a variety of skills to communicate with and understand others.
 Clusters of students working together on computers learn more than individual
students working alone.
 Electronic networks linking students with their peers within the community and
around the world.
 Lumaphones allow students to see a picture of the person with whom they are
speaking.
Intrapersonal Intelligence: The ability to understand, bring to consciousness,
and express one’s own inner world of thoughts and emotions.
 Multimedia gives teachers the tools to turn the classroom into centers of student-
directed inquiry.
 Technology offers tools for thinking more deeply, pursuing curiosity, and
exploring and expanding intelligence as students build “mental models” with
which they can visualize connections between ideas on any topic.
 130 Development of Education in India

 Individual growth plans, developed jointly by the student, parents and teacher
can encourage the development of intrapersonal intelligence. Technology
supports such plans with electronic records, videotaped interviews, and
multimedia portfolios of student work.
Limitations
 Primary Education is not a mandatory subject.
 Traditional conservative syllabus.
 Continuous mushrooming growth of various institutes running without basic
infrastructure.
References
Good; C.V. (1973); “Dictionary of Education”; Mc Graw Hill Book Company.
Skinner, B.F. (1968); “The Technology of Teaching”; Prentice Hall Inc.
World Development Report: Knowledge for Development.1999. New York: Oxford University
Press.
NCERT; “A Research Journal”, (Indian Education Review) Vol.XI NO.1.January 1976, New
Delhi.
NCERT; “Innovative practices in elementary Teacher Education Institutions in India” Vol.
NO.1, New Delhi.
University News (2011). ‘Use of Technology in Education: A Paradigm Shift from little media
to M-Learning’, University News, PP. (1-8).
Kerlinger, H. and Cuban, L. (1998);”Computer makes kids smarter-right?”, Electronic version.
Technos Quarterly, Vol 7, No.-2, http://www.technos.net/tq_07/2cuban.htm.
Lisle de Peter.(2000); “Information and Communication technologies for supporting cross-
curricular teaching in secondary schools”, University of Pretoria, http://
imnovaleonline.info/Index.php.
Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education. 2002. Basic Principles [Online]
Available: http://www.aace.org/site [2002, February 20].
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_education.html

View publication stats