TECHNOLOGY AND THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS: TRANSFORMING CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES.
New information technologies are increasingly being adapted and integrated into the educational process. The growing use of these technologies in teaching and learning activities has given rise to numerous questions. Are the new technologies changing the traditional approach to classroom activities? How much are the technologies changing the strategies/techniques used in the delivery of instruction? Are the technologies changing the quality of interpersonal relations in our classroom? This paper explores the integration of technology in the education process and some of the changes they have generated in classroom activities.
Technology of one kind or the other has always been used in the educational environment. For years the printed page, chalk and chalkboard, overhead projectors, filmstrips, 35mm films, and other devices have been utilized, and continue to feature in the teaching and learning process. The use of these technologies very often confined instructional and learning activities to a specific place and time. However, the emergence of newer forms of technology (e.g., computers, computer discs interactive (CD-i), videodiscs, DVD, desktop videoconferencing, Internet) have created a renewed interest for their use in supporting teaching and learning activities. These technologies are also capable of promoting educational activities (synchronous or asynchronous) which are not confined to specific time and/or place. The adoption and use of these technologies for instruction and learning is believed to be worthwhile, particularly, because of their prevalence throughout the society. Many of the technologies are widely used in the workplace and students are expected to be familiar with them before they enter the workforce.
It is frequently thought that the education sector is slow in adapting to technological changes. Nevertheless, the classroom is vulnerable to technological innovation, as this is where the old and the new must coexist. The coexistence of old and new technology creates a tension that will lead to remarkable changes in education for the twenty-first century and beyond (Kaha, 1990).
The infusion and integration of the new information technologies in the classroom have had an immense impact on the educational environment. Perelman (1992), in his critique of educational technology, identified some ways in which information technology has affected the education process. First, he believed …
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