Educational technology

Tools help people learn.

Long ago, people used cave paintings to learn. Later, they used books and boards.

Today, we use many new tools. These tools include computers and the internet.

Some students learn in a real classroom. Other students learn from home on a screen. This helps more people study. It can make learning faster too. New tools help us learn in many ways.

Educational technology, or "EdTech," is a way to help people learn.

It uses tools like computers and special software. It also uses ideas from science. Experts study how people think to make better tools.

EdTech is not just new computers. People have used tools to learn for a long time.

Long ago, people used cave paintings. Later, they used books and blackboards.

In the 1900s, schools used films to teach.

Today, EdTech includes many things. Some students use m-learning. This is learning on mobile devices. This lets them study in different places. Other students use online learning.

They use the internet to take classes from home. This is also called virtual education. Some students take all their classes online. In 2014, 2.85 million students did this. This number is growing every year. EdTech helps make learning work for everyone.

Educational technology, often called EdTech, is a way to help people learn and teach.

It is more than just using computers in a classroom. It includes the tools people use and the ideas behind them. These ideas come from many subjects like psychology and computer science. Experts study how people learn so they can make better tools. This helps create a more diverse way for students to study. EdTech can mean many things, from software to physical equipment.

There are many different ways EdTech works in schools today. Some tools are used for learning management, which helps organize students and lessons. Other tools are used for back-office tasks, like managing budgets or storing data. One way people learn is through m-learning, or mobile learning. This means students can learn in different places and at different times.

There is also smart learning, which uses digital resources to fit each student. This can happen anywhere, even as part of a smart city. It uses technology to make learning feel very natural.

People have used tools to help them learn for a very long time.

In the past, humans used paintings on cave walls to share information. Later, people used tools like the abacus or writing slates. For a thousand years, blackboards have helped teachers show lessons. In the early 1900s, schools began using films to teach students. By the 1920s, Sidney Pressey made mechanical teaching machines.

These were the early steps toward the digital tools we have now.

Computer-based learning grew quickly during the middle of the last century. In 1960, the University of Illinois started online education. In the mid-1960s, professors at Stanford University used computers to teach arithmetic.

By 1982, a school in California used computer conferencing for distance learning. In 1985, The New School offered the first totally online master's degree. By 2002, MIT began giving online classes away for free. These milestones helped make the internet a place for school.

Today, online learning is a huge part of how people get an education.

In 2002, about 5.5 million students were taking at least one class online. Currently, one out of every three college students takes an online course. Some students do even more, like at DeVry University. There, 80% of students earn most of their degree requirements online. In 2014, 2.85 million students took all of their classes online. This shows that technology is changing how we learn every day.

Educational technology, often called EdTech, is a broad field used to facilitate learning and teaching. It is not just about using computers in a classroom. Instead, it combines computer hardware and software with educational theories. These theories come from many different subjects. These include psychology, sociology, communication, and computer science. EdTech also involves artificial intelligence to help improve how people learn.

Experts define this field in several ways. The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) views it as the study of ethical practices. This involves creating and managing technological processes to improve performance. It is also known as instructional technology. This specific branch focuses on the design, development, and evaluation of learning resources. EdTech is a process of integration. It aims to promote a diverse learning environment. It helps students complete assignments while learning how to use modern tools.

There are many distinct parts to the EdTech field. One part is the theory of how people learn. Another part involves the actual tools, such as massive online courses. These tools help people communicate and exchange knowledge. Some EdTech is used for learning management systems (LMSs). These systems help manage students and curricula. Other tools are for back-office management. These include training management systems for budgets and logistics. There are also Learning Record Stores (LRS) used to store and analyze learning data.

History shows that humans have always used tools to learn. This can be traced back to cave wall paintings. For over a thousand years, people have used writing slates and blackboards. The abacus is another ancient tool used for learning.

In the early 20th century, schools began using educational films. In the 1920s, Sidney Pressey created mechanical teaching machines. By the mid-1960s, professors at Stanford University used computers to teach arithmetic. They used Teletypes to reach students in California.

Online education has a long and specific history. The University of Illinois began online education in 1960. Students used linked computer terminals to access information. In 1982, a school in California used computer conferencing for distance education. By 1985, The New School offered the first totally online master's degree. In 2002, MIT began providing online classes for free. Many different terms describe these methods. These include e-learning, m-learning, and virtual education. M-learning specifically emphasizes mobility and different locations for learning.

Today, the scale of online learning is quite large. In 2002, approximately 5.5 million students took at least one class online. Currently, one out of every three college students takes an online course. Some schools use it even more heavily. At DeVry University, 80% of students earn two-thirds of their requirements online. In 2014, 2.85 million students took all of their courses online. This shows that the number of online students is steadily increasing.

Modern technology has led to new concepts like smart learning. Smart learning combines adaptive learning with digital resources. Adaptive learning uses an individualized interface to fit a specific student. This provides personally differentiated instruction. This type of learning can happen anywhere through ubiquitous access. Smart learning is even considered a component of the smart city concept.

This shows how technology is becoming a permanent part of our world.