What is instructional technology:

Instructional technology refers to the theory and practice of design, development, utilization,
management and evaluation of the processes and resources for learning. It is used to improve
educational and training systems in organizational settings, school systems, and universities through
the application of research and best practices from instructional technology. We believe that
Instructional Technology is much more than hardware and computer software development.
Instructional Technologies also encompasses the instructional design process, which includes
analysis, design, development, evaluation, and implementation of instructional systems and other
learning environments. Related areas of study include educational psychology, organizational
development, communications, message design, multimedia development, electronic distance
education, management and consultation, technical writing, information systems design, to name a
few.

Instructional design

To plan the delivery of instruction to the students in the actual classrooms or through distance learning, it is
always necessary to follow certain systematic and sequential steps to achieve the desired goals .The process
of doing this is known as instructional design. There are many models available for developing an instructional
design. Here we will discuss one model, namely ADDIE Model. This acronym stands for the 5 phases
contained in the model. These phases are:

1. Analyse - This phase involves analysing the characteristics or profile of students, tasks to be learnt by
students, the environment in which it is to be taught, and the goal to be achieved.
2. Design - In this phase a teacher is required to develop instructional/learning objectives, choose the
teaching strategy including the methods to be followed, choose the selection of technology tools and
resources, and choose tools to assess the outcome which could be a questionnaire, check list,
interview schedule, etc.
3. Develop - Once the learning objectives and teaching strategy are decided in the context of the
environment and student profile, the next phase will be to develop materials to be used, including the
learning activities, and check for its appropriateness and feasibility through formative evaluation. This
phase is important from the point of view of instructional technology. Here the teacher has to identify
the technology and the media to suit the required content and context.
4. Implement - In this phase the instruction is delivered to the intended target group, that is, the students
using the materials and activities developed in the previous stage.
5. Evaluate - This last phase assesses the outcome of the instruction and whether the intended
instructional/learning objectives are achieved using the assessment tools developed. If the objectives
are not achieved, then one may have to re-examine all the previous. This does not mean that the
entire design has to be modified unless the instruction performed especially poorly in achieving the
goal. The exercise of examining is meant to help in making the next lesson better. In this context it is
necessary to note that no teacher can ever deliver a perfect lesson, but is constantly striving to get as
close to perfection as possible. So it is always a learning process.

How does it helps :

Improves engagement

When technology is integrated into lessons, students are expected to be more interested in the
subjects they are studying. Technology provides different opportunities to make learning more
fun and enjoyable in terms of teaching same things in new ways. For instance, delivering
teaching through gamification, taking students on virtual field trips and using other online
learning resources. What is more, technology can encourage a more active participation in the
learning process which can be hard to achieve through a traditional lecture environment.

Improves knowledge retention

Students who are engaged and interested in things they are studying, are expected to have a
better knowledge retention. As mentioned before, technology can help to encourage active
participation in the classroom which also is a very important factor for increased knowledge
retention. Different forms of technology can be used to experiment with and decide what
works best for students in terms of retaining their knowledge.

Encourages individual learning

No one learns in the same way because of different learning styles and different abilities.
Technology provides great opportunities for making learning more effective for everyone with
different needs. For example, students can learn at their own speed, review difficult concepts or
skip ahead if they need to. What is more, technology can provide more opportunities for
struggling or disabled students. Access to the Internet gives students access to a broad range of
resources to conduct research in different ways, which in turn can increase the engagement.

Encourages collaboration

Students can practice collaboration skills by getting involved in different online activities. For
instance, working on different projects by collaborating with others on forums or by sharing
documents on their virtual learning environments. Technology can encourage collaboration
with students in the same classroom, same school and even with other classrooms around the
world.

Students can learn useful life skills through technology

By using technology in the classroom, both teachers and students can develop skills essential
for the 21st century. Students can gain the skills they will need to be successful in the future.
Modern learning is about collaborating with others, solving complex problems, critical thinking,
developing different forms of communication and leadership skills, and improving motivation
and productivity. What is more, technology can help develop many practical skills, including
creating presentations, learning to differentiate reliable from unreliable sources on the
Internet, maintaining proper online etiquette, and writing emails. These are very important
skills that can be developed in the classroom.

Benefits for teachers

With countless online resources, technology can help improve teaching. Teachers can use
different apps or trusted online resources to enhance the traditional ways of teaching and to
keep students more engaged. Virtual lesson plans, grading software and online assessments
can help teachers save a lot time. This valuable time can be used for working with students who
are struggling. What is more, having virtual learning environments in schools enhances
collaboration and knowledge sharing between teachers.

Another is

Technology has become increasingly helpful including:

1. Use of SMART whiteboards

2. Production of audio podcasts of lessons for students to revise or catch up with if
absent for a class
3. Video productions
4. Computer-based instruction. This can also be used to keep one group of
students busy while teachers provide specific assistance to slower learners
5. Student use of technology eg, learning database, word processing and
spreadsheets, desktop publishing, project management and more on
laptops/desktops
6. Communication via email, messaging media or group chats
7. Surveys to gauge understanding
8. Online assessment and evaluation media
9. Apps that are specifically intended for learning
10. Internet searching aids research and discovery learning

Scope of educational Technology: