Mount Kenya University

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

NAME: HASSAN AHMED ADAN

REG.NO: BECD/2019/53363

LECTURER’S NAME: NJOROGE BENSON WANJIRU

UNIT TITLE: EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

UNIT CODE: BET4108

Instructions:

Respond in word Format only. No scans or PDFs.

CAT 1 and 2

Instructions

1. Using Edgar Cone of Experiences, Elucidate the importance of Educational media. Use
relevant examples in your area of specialization for emphasis. (20mks)

Educational technology is the combined use of computer hardware, software, and educational
theory and practice to facilitate learning.

It is a term used to describe a wide array of teaching and learning–related software and hardware
that's increasingly being used in school university classrooms. Educational technology refers to
technology that usually helps facilitate collaboration in an active learning environment.

It is basically the technological tools and media that assist in the communication of knowledge,
and its development and exchange.
According to Edgar cone of experience, educational technology is very crucial in the teaching
and learning process. This is illustrated in the following discussion.

According to Dale’s research, the least effective method at the top, involves learning from
information presented through verbal symbols, that is, listening to spoken words. The most
effective methods at the bottom, involves direct, purposeful learning experiences, such as hands-
on or field experience. Direct purposeful experiences represents reality or the closet things to
real, everyday life.

The cone charts the average retention rate for various methods of teaching. The further you
progress down the cone, the greater the learning and the more information is likely to be
retained. It also suggests that when choosing an instructional method it is important to remember
that involving students in the process strengthens knowledge retention.

According to one of the principles in the selection and use of teaching strategies, the more senses
that are involved in learning, the more and the better the learning will be but it does not mean
that concrete experience is the only effective experience that educators should use in transferring
knowledge to the learner. The experiences in each stages can be mixed and are interrelated thus,
a balance must be achieved between concrete and abstract experiences in order to cater the and
address all the need of the learner in all the domains of development and in order to help each
learner in their holistic development.

These are first hand experiences which serve as the foundation of learning. In this level, more
senses are used in order to build up the knowledge. Also, in this level, the learner learned by
doing things by him/herself. Learning happens through actual hands-on experiences. This level
explains and proves one of the principles in the selection and use of teaching strategies, the more
senses that are involved in learning, the more and the better the learning will be.

Dramatized experiences. In this level, learners can participate in a reconstructed experiences that
could give them better understanding of the event or of a concept. Through dramatized
experiences, learners become more familiar with the concept as they emerge themselves to the
“as-if” situation.
One of the most important benefit of educational technology, is to improve the quality of
education and enhance the learning process. Most importantly, technology should magnify the
teaching and learning process as well as facilitate better performance of educational systems as it
emphasises upon effectiveness and efficiency.

Media can be a component of active learning strategies such as group discussions or case studies.
Media could be a film clip, a song you hear on the radio, podcast of a lecture or newspaper
article. Students can also create their own media. For example, student video projects can be a
powerful learning experience.

The use of media to enhance teaching and learning complements traditional approaches to
learning. Effective instruction builds bridges between students' knowledge and the learning
objectives of the course. Using media engages students, aids student retention of knowledge,
motivates interest in the subject matter, and illustrates the relevance of many concepts.

Educational technology helps meet state standards while, at the same time using fresh
contemporary media content which students love.

It Increases the ability and proficiency of students to communicate and disseminate their
thoughts and ideas in a wide range of print and electronic media forms and even international
venues.

Media literacy's "inquiry process" transforms teaching and frees the teacher to learn along with
students -- becoming a "guide on the side" rather than a "sage on the stage."

By focusing on process skills rather than content knowledge, students gain the ability to analyze
any message in any media and thus are empowered for living all their lives in a media-saturated
culture.

2. Describe the reasons behind multichannel learning. Give relevant examples for
emphasis (10mks)

Multi-channel learning refers to the process of learning across multiple channels which may
include in-person learning or virtual learning. This may include: In-classroom training sessions,
Instructor-led virtual sessions, Giving away printed learning modules, Podcasts, Pre-recorded
training videos, Presentation-based modules with human voice-over.
The reasons behind multichannel learning include;

- new generation of students

We now face a new generation of students, called the virtual generation, mainly due to dramatic
changes in their daily environment. And as a matter of fact, this evolution has led them to adopt a
multichannel way of learning. Internet, videogames, music and video everywhere, are at the
heart of this upheaval. This enables us to have comparable data.

- A revolution in learning style

In multichannel learning, our students are now accustomed to new media that enable them to
engage in many different activities. These are supported by three categories of internet
technologies. Asynchronous download: it refers to people who surf the web to simply access
information, whatever its format. Asynchronous communication: one-to-one, one-to-many,
many-to-many, through the use of e-mail, forums, blogs, etc. And these technologies also enable
synchronous communication: once again, one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many, but this time
through such tools as chats, instant messaging, audio and video conferences, etc.

As interesting as it may be, though, this typology does not include many activities that developed
more recently, and that represent a growing part of Internet use: share and creation. Hence, we
deem necessary to introduce a fourth category: asynchronous upload, which relates back to the
use of tools or websites that enable to put information at the disposal of others, in as many
formats as possible, so that this information is commented, transformed, reused, etc.

This activity is also one-to-one, one-to-many and many-to-many, and is illustrated by websites
such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Myspace, etc. This category is most important, since it refers to the
co-creation of content by users, a supposedly key characteristics of this generation. Thus, this
Virtual Generation is characterized by connectivity, redundancy, a lot of free information, speed,
self-pacing, snowballing from hyperlink to hyperlink, and impersonal interactivity. But this
evolution does not necessarily appear when it refers to educational learning.

- A need for alignment hindered by many obstacles.

The alignment of teaching and learning styles is necessary to avoid a disconnection between
teachers and students. Alignment is also supposed to improve teaching as it adapts to the
evolution of learning styles. However, despite many changes over the last years, there is still as
great discrepancy between the evolution of students’ way of learning and our own ways of
teaching. Achieving this alignment objective is not easy, as it is hindered by many impediments.
Firstly, there is usually a technological gap between the two populations. Indeed, one major
difference is that, very often, teachers are less computer literate than their students are.

Multi-channel learning provides individuals with learning, communication, and physical access
difficulties the necessary hardware and software solutions to lead more productive and
independent lives. These techniques can also be used by individuals without learning,
communication, or physical difficulties to access complex environments.

Trainers consider this multi-channel as virtual learning environment technology because it

removes constraints of time and space and, through properly constructed and developed
instructional procedures, allows desktop computers to affordably provide many training options.
While effective use of multi-channel tools in virtual learning environments can aid all learners,
they can be particularly important to those who have disabilities and need assistive multimedia
technologies. These individuals should be given the same opportunities as others to experience
the benefit of virtual learning environments through multiple-channel technology devices. Both
ethical and legal considerations support this observation. This situation supports the importance
of evaluating the effects of combining multi-channel assistive technologies in virtual learning
environments, which was the purpose of this study.

References:

Corpuz, B., & Lucido, P. (2008). Educational technology 1. Quezon City: Lorimar Publishing,
Inc.

Corpuz, B., & Salandanan, G. (2011). Principles of Teaching 1. Quezon City: Lorimar
Publishing, Inc.

Ritschel-Trifilo, P. (2009). The effect of learning styles on cognition and satisfaction in online
biology laboratories for nonscience major undergraduates. (Doctoral dissertation) Capella
University.