Educational technology serves several roles and functions in 21st century education. It allows for 24/7 access to information, constant social interaction, and easily created and shared digital content. It aims to make instruction student-centered and collaborative, with a focus on context-based learning. Educational technology also helps analyze the teaching and learning processes, improve instruction and learning, develop curricula and teaching materials, identify community needs, and enhance classroom behaviors. Overall, it helps advance educational goals and revolutionize the educational system.

1. Roles and Functions of
Educational Technology
in 21st century

2. Roles of Educational
Technology
•Technology allows for
24/7 access to information
•Constant social interaction, and
•Easily created and shared digital content.

3. Technology in 21st Century Education
• Instruction should be student-
centered
• Education should be
collaborative
• Learning should have context

4. Educational Technology in 21st
Century
Technology is by far the most popular topic
concerning 21st century learning and education
and many of the videos on Youtube are about just
that. Although some of these videos cover other
ideas, technology still seems to be the central focus.
So the purpose of this article is two-fold: One is to
address some of the misconceptions out there about
technology and also is about how to implement
technology effectively and use in practical
pragmatic way.

5. Functions of
Educational
Technology

6. Instruction should be
Student- Centered
Student-centered teaching methods shift the focus of activity from the teacher to
the learners. These methods include active learning, in which students solve
problems, answer questions, formulate questions of their own, discuss, explain,
debate, or brainstorm during class; cooperative learning, in which students
work in teams on problems and projects under conditions that assure both
positive interdependence and individual accountability; and inductive teaching
and learning, in which students are first presented with challenges (questions or
problems) and learn the course material in the context of addressing the
challenges. Inductive methods include inquiry-based learning, case-based
instruction, problem-based learning, project-based learning, discovery learning,
and just-in-time teaching.

7. Improvement of Teaching:
Educational Technology analyses the process of
teaching thoroughly. It tries to find out the different
variables of teaching, their interlinks, effects upon
each other, relationships, theories of teaching,
phases of teaching principles of teaching, maxims of
teaching etc. By developing the theories of teaching,
it helps in improving the quality of education.

8. :
Analysis of the Teaching-Learning
Process
Educational Technology aims at analysing the process of
teaching-learning thoroughly. It tries to find out the
different variables of teaching their interlinks effects upon
each other, relationship etc.
It is also concerned with various phases of teaching. The
principles of teaching and the maxims of teaching are also
analysed by it. Over all, it tries to establish better and
better relationship between teaching and learning.

9. Improvement of Learning
Educational Technology analyses the process of
learning and the related theories. It facilitates more
and more of learning in less time. It takes the help of
various empirically established generalisations from
psychology, sociology, physical sciences,
engineering etc.

10. Fixing up Goals of Education:
The objectives of education are being reviewed and revised
with the passage of time. Educational technology helps in
finding out the right objectives. Everything in this universe is
undergoing tremendous changes and with a very fast speed.
The needs and requirements of the people and hence education
need be revised from moment to moment. Educational
Technology helps in fixing up the right objectives in the light
of the changed circumstances and changed environment.

11. .
The changed type of environment with new curriculum and new
materials is to be handled by the teachers. The teachers equipped
with old strategies and methodologies of teaching will remain
misfits.
Right type of training to the teachers is the need of the hour.
Educational Technology can render its valuable help in the
training of teachers also. The use of video tapes and close circuit
T.V. will help the teachers to remodel and reshape their teaching
behaviours suitably.
Training to Teachers:

12. Development of Curriculum:
.
Keeping in view the objectives of education
which have been finalised by education
technology thereafter comes the question of
developing right type of curriculum. Only a
suitable type of curriculum will help in the
attainment of goals.

13. Development of Teaching-Learning
Materials
.
Teaching- learning materials are also as
important as anything else in the teaching-
learning process. They have to be in
accordance with the environment of the
learners. In this age of science and
technology, the materials of teaching cannot
be unscientific.

14. Teaching-Learning Strategies
.
A strategy plays an important role in the hands of a
teacher in every teaching-learning situation.
The strategy has to be the right one which should be
according to the materials and is able to bring about
effective teaching-learning. The different strategies are
being evolved by educational technology. The knowledge
of those strategies is a must for every teacher. Then only
the teachers will be able to do justice to their jobs.

15. Development of Audio-Visual Aids
.
Audio-Visual aids have always played an important role
in the teaching-learning process. They need be used
according to the times. The software aids, the hardware
aids, the computer and other such appliances, equipment
etc., have “to be used in the present type of teaching-
learning environment.

16. Help in Overall Improvement
.
Educational technology helps in locating the problems in
the different areas of education. It also helps in remedying
the draw-backs.
Evaluation of the teaching- learning process is also made
better because through feedback, things are improved
thoroughly and there is better control over the process of
education. Thus, educational technology can revolutionize
the whole process of teaching-learning.

17. Identification of Needs of the
Community
.
Educational Technology identifies the needs of the
community. It helps in providing equal education
opportunities to backward people, disadvantaged students
and deprived sections of the society. It helps education to
reach the remotest corner of the country.
The needs and requirements of the community are fast
changing. Educational Technology aims at identifying the
needs of the community from time to time. Then it tries to
improve the community in every possible way.

18. Identification of the Needs of Class-
Room Behaviours.
.
Educational Technology identifies the needs of class-room
behaviour. As the mass education has reduced the standard
of education, the use of educational technology can
maintain and improve the standard by the use of teaching
aids and programmed instruction material. Educational
Technology can inspire the students in the class-rooms for
self-learning.