Role of Educational Technology in the Knowledge Society Essay Example

compete with their present human resources in a global economy that regards Information as an essential asset to design, produce and deliver goods for the changing consumer habits within a dynamic global market.

Educational technologies play a major role for dealing with information and its transformation Into knowledge, which Is a basic requirement for citizens to become effective participants in this new scenario. Consequently, there is a more urgent need to improve the quality and equity of education to bridge the gap between developed ND developing nations, and educational technologies are perceived as necessary tools for this purpose.

Therefore, the development of the knowledge based society is dependent on the creation of knowledge, on its spreading via educational institutions and on Its dissemination via communication and involvement in technological innovation. 1. The Role of Educational technologies in Education Technologies have been utilized by education ever since man started learning, but they have been massively present In schools only since the early 1 sass. Developed countries have applied them to develop knowledge societies because some of the seasoning found in the literature is as follows: S A new society requires new skills: leisure, and health).

Because Educational technologies are the preeminent tools for information processing, new generations need to become competent in their use, should acquire the necessary skills, and therefore must have access to computers and networks during their school life. There is an equity issue in this argument related to the need to prioritize access to educational technology resources to the more undeserved population, which is being left behind on a digital divide.

S Productivity enhancement: Schools are information- and knowledge-handling institutions; therefore, Educational

technologies should be fundamental management tools on all levels of an educational system, from classrooms to ministries. S A quest for quality learning: Schools should profoundly revise present teaching practices and resources to create more effective learning environments and improve life-long learning skills and habits in their students.

Educational technologies are versatile and powerful tools that can help in this purpose and should therefore be present in every classroom, library and teacher room. It must be said, Educational technologies have provided a large-scale breakthrough in learning improvements. They are still promises with great potential. Understanding the Knowledge Society It is commonly thought that knowledge has replaced industrial organization and production as the major source of productivity.

The term 'Knowledge Society generally refers to a society where knowledge is the primary production resource instead of capital and labor. It may also refer to the use a certain gives to information: a knowledge society 'creates shares and uses knowledge for the prosperity and well-being of its people'. Globalization and the changing world economy are driving a transition to knowledge-based economies. In particular, developing countries need knowledge-based economies not only to build more efficient domestic economies, but to take advantage of economic opportunities outside their own borders.

In the social sphere, the knowledge society brings greater access to information and new forms of social interaction and cultural expression. Individuals therefore have more opportunities to participate in and influence the development of their societies. According to Veers (2000), characteristics of a knowledge society are: Its members have attained a higher average standard of education in comparison to other societies and a growing proportion of its labor force are employed

as knowledge workers I. E. Searchers, scientists, information specialists, knowledge managers and related workers; Its industry produces products with integrated artificial intelligence; Its organizations - private, government and civil society - are transformed into intelligent, learning organizations; There is increased organized knowledge in the form of digitized expertise, stored in data banks, expert systems, organizational plans, and other media; There are multiple centers of expertise and LOL-centric production of knowledge; and There is a distinct epistemic culture of knowledge production and knowledge utilization.

In terms of learning, it has been argued that a few subjects are being intrinsically increasingly related to having access to scientific databases, with information-sharing over the network, and with the use of digital devices for data processing. Language and societal communications are being modified because of the presence of Internet (I. E. Chats, e-mail, forums and digital newspapers) and of handheld devices with communication capabilities. What Does Educational Technology do in the Development of knowledge society?

Increasingly, countries across the globe are embracing a vision for development of Knowledge Societies and adopting policies and strategies to encourage this development. Education is of vital importance in the knowledge society, as a source of basic skills, as a foundation for development of new knowledge and innovation, and as an engine for socio-economic development. A knowledge society has knowledge as its primary production resource, and as such has shifted, or is shifting to, a knowledge-based economy. It is a society that creates, shares and uses knowledge for socio-economic development.

As such the education and skill levels of the people in these societies are the key indicator of its wealth. High proportions of its populations

are employed as knowledge workers. This sees shifts in the way knowledge is accessed, created and used in the society and traditional barriers between the workplace and the formal places of learning are eroded. This is not Just about the availability of information, but its effective selection, evaluation and use to solve societal and economic problems. Everyone is a learner and reflective recantation: employers, employees, students and academics or teachers.

A necessary requirement - although not a sufficient condition - for such a society is educational technology. It is therefore, a critical requirement in creating knowledge societies that can stimulate development, economic growth, and prosperity. It is not only the means by which individuals become skilled participants in society and the economy, but is also a key driver expanding educational technology usage. Education technologies are faced with a need to provide formal instruction in multimedia as well as in how to rate meaningful content with today's tools.

However, it is important to consider expanded definitions of these literates that are based on mastering underlying concepts rather than on specialized skill sets. Education systems need to develop and establish methods for teaching and evaluating these technical literates at all levels of education. The past ten years has seen an unprecedented explosion in educational technology, leading to a sometimes bewildering array of new technological options that can be harnessed to support education, in its managerial and administrative operations, in teaching and learning, and in research.

Learning in the knowledge-based society is considered to be holistic, as it is a lifelong activity and cuts across different learning generations and life spheres, the potential impact of educational technology on

learning is the vision that it enables learning 'anywhere, anytime, and anyhow. With educational technology, knowledge is not constrained by geographic proximity, and offers more possibilities for sharing, archiving, and retrieving knowledge. In addition, the knowledge society and widespread use of educational technology generates a self-development, and participation in society.

Educational technology has potential to widen access to educational resources, improve the quality of learning, and improve management efficiencies of the education system. In knowledge Society because of educational technology there is a professional, pedagogical and organizational Jump for teachers, which further helps in the development of knowledge-society attributes among students, including higher order thinking skills, lifelong learning habits, and the ability to think critically, communicate, and collaborate, as well as to access, evaluate, and synthesize information. Development f CIT skills and competencies in students, as preparation for operating in an 'CT-rich workplace and society. Resolution of structural problems and deficits in education systems. This can include using CIT to enhance administrative and teaching efficiency, alleviate under-resounding in specific areas (for example, a lack of textbooks or learning support materials), Particularly, as Goodyear notes: We should try to design technology which is appropriate to their actual work rather than technology which embodies our teachers' beliefs about what students should be doing.

A Few Key Trends in Educational technology Explosion of Technologies Of course, harnessing technologies for education purposes to create blended learning - including gaming, virtual reality, text messaging, and social networking sites - requires continued investment in supporting academics and teachers to create and sustain these new learning environments. There has been an explosion in collective sharing and generation of knowledge as a consequence

of growing numbers of connected people, and the proliferation of so-called Web 2. Technologies. Consequently, collective intelligence and mass miniaturization are pushing the boundaries of scholarship, while dynamic knowledge creation and social imputing tools and processes are becoming more widespread and accepted. - Educational technology and Shift from Content as a Product to Content as a Service This trend is clearly seen in the emerging concept of Open Education Resources (Ores).

In a nutshell, the concept of Ores describes educational resources that are freely available for use by educators and learners, without an accompanying need to pay royalties or license fees. A broad spectrum of licensing frameworks is emerging to govern how Ores are licensed for use, some of which simply allow copying, others which make provision for users to adapt the resources that they use. However, the concept of ORE has also gained momentum as some people see its potential transformation power for education. Educational technology and Changing Skills Requirements The growth of knowledge societies has placed increasing emphasis on the need to ensure that people are tech-savvy The ability to read becomes particularly important in economic disequilibrium when people must process new information to learn new routines. As computer technology and increased global competition accelerate the Similarly The faster pace of change has also increased demands for writing.

The alliance on email to exchange information rapidly similarly requires the ability to write clearly and persuasively, Because of computerizing, the use of abstract models now permeates many Jobs -Educational technology and the Changing Role of Educators Assuming that, notwithstanding the many challenges, it will become increasingly easy to create educational environments where the online

world is seamlessly and ubiquitously integrated with the physical campus, students will face a new set of educational challenges.

They are able to learn these skills themselves without much, if any, guidance. However, as they learn the skills of using CIT in education, the professional role of teachers as mentors - able to impart the wisdom that only experience can provide - will grow in importance. Thus, it is becoming essential for teachers to provide this mentoring. Here are few key ways in which educators will need to be able to mentor and guide learners in this environment.

Fostering coherence and discipline in thinking Navigating the ethics of a world with no apparent limits Coping with the challenges of 'unlimited' choice Encouraging learners to become creators in the educational environment - Educational technology and Materials Development The provision of materials for learning is considered critical for the successful integration of technology in education. Britain holds an annual competition for digital content development.

Criteria used to evaluate these materials are design, cost- effectiveness, support of higher order skills and effective learning and teaching styles, and technical robustness and resilience, as well as accessibility for groups with specific needs. Australia has a robust environment in digital content, The Unlaces Programmer in Chile created a website which offers educational content and revise for teachers and students. The website is seen as an educational portal where teachers can access curriculum-oriented content and up-to-date educational information.

Furthermore, in the examples of technologies such as blobs and wish, users are actively encouraged to add to and shape all of the content within the community, rather than 'owning' their own content and

simply reading other people's Educational technology and Infrastructure content. - Infrastructure encompasses access to equipment as well as to connectivity Trends indicate that rapid advances in technology have continued to add potential to the use f wireless technology, it is becoming more pervasive and cost-effective, and telecommunications liberalizing is occurring globally, although at a slow pace.

Mobile Internet centers are also being deployed as a way to reach rural areas. Community telecasters (sometimes based in schools) are also regarded as important tools to provide access to learners (including teachers engaged in personal enrichment and professional development opportunities) to CIT outside of formal school settings.

The use of new multimedia technologies and the Internet helps to improve the quality of learning and facilitates access to resources and services as ell as remote exchange and collaboration. - Educational technology Professional Development where educators are involved in initiating and designing their own professional development and would share materials and ideas and discuss challenges and solutions.

This approach will also help teachers to become model lifelong learners. Case studies have indicated that a model of learning by doing may be a good starting point for initiating forms of future staff development linked to school-based curriculum. Training has been an important element of Indian efforts in deploying cosmologies for education and exposure to computers and training in the use of computers form part of professional education. 1 Implementation of training is focused on trainers, producers of content, field level facilitators, and other key personnel Thus it can be concluded that for a knowledge society to be realized, supported, and/or further developed, education and innovation should be viewed as interrelated drivers

for socio-economic development, in a context where educational technology is an enabler for both innovation and education This shift in the conceptualization of education, development and educational technology , from Ewing distinct pillars to being interrelated and enabling drivers of socio economic development has several implications 1.

Education is a lifelong activity and cuts across different learning generations and life spheres (private, public, and work) that can no longer be confined to investments in schools and universities. Likewise, education can no longer be dichotomize as face-to-face or distance education. 2. Teaching through technology is no longer considered, as higher order skills of how to participate in a knowledge society as citizen, worker and scholar are required. 3. Skills requirements for students and teachers as well as administrators change - and keep changing - in a knowledge society. 4.

Educational technology can be used to tackle some of the challenges facing education and be a key driver of development strategies, but requires sustained investment and strong alignment with systemic changes (in education, service delivery, and/or economic productivity). 5. Educational technology can be regarded as a potent tool in reducing poverty, extending health services, expanding educational opportunities, and generally improving the quality of life. 6. Participation in regional and continental initiatives to harness educational technology for all round development can streamline and support national efforts.