CHALLENGES IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN NIGERIA EDUCATION SYSTEM

Educational technology is not a panacea to all educational problems, it is agreed that it has numerous benefits but many challenges are preventing these benefits from being realized. The challenges before practitioners, proprietors, governments and so on are to identify these problems and solve them in a creative and systematic manner. However, this paper tries to explore together the meaning of the term educational technology and raise a definition. The challenges of educational technology in Nigeria and recommendations such as organizing regular workshops, seminars and conferences were highlighted in the paper for the benefit of all. Introduction The concept of educational technology has been difficult to define. According to Adewoyin (1991), various reasons account for this. Firstly, the terms education and technology from which the term educational technology is derived are subject to many interpretations. Whereas education is seen by some people as teaching and learning; it covers a much wider area. There is hardly agreement as to the aims of education and how the aims are to be achieved. The term technology means different things to different people. For some, it means equipment, gadgets, tools, instruments and products. For others it is a process; it is the application of scientifically gathered knowledge to practical problems. Secondly, the problem of definition comes from lack of consensus on the scope of the subject. At one end, educational technology is seen as being concerned with virtually all aspects of education; from a lesson or unit to the national educational system within which it operates. At the other extreme, some restrict it to instructional materials or audio-visual aid (Rowntree, 1994). Thirdly, educational technology is often wrongly used interchangeably by some with the terms; instructional technology, technology of education, technology in education programmed learning, operant conditioning, computers, information and communication technology, educational media, etc. (Onuebunwa, 1999; Imogie, 2002). Fourthly, educational technology spans diverse fields such as education, psychology, telecommunication, information systems, management science and engineering. Writers with backgrounds in these fields tend to see the subject from their own perspective (Imogie, 2002). The Concept of Educational Technology Various attempts have been made to define the term educational technology. The definitions have differed from one scholar to another. Davies (1978) cited by Agun and Imogie (1998) identifies three concepts of educational technology, which represent three different approaches to educational technology. These are educational technology as hardware, as software and as system approach. i. Educational Technology as Hardware This approach to educational technology characterised the early formative years of the field. It sees educational technology as the devices, equipment, machines, gadgets, tools and Multidisciplinary Journal of Research Development Volume 17 No 1 September, 2011 2 instruments used to promote teaching and learning (Agun and Imogie, 1998). This is also known as the tools technology approach. The hardware or product approach was greatly influenced by the physical sciences. It involved a direct application of the physical sciences to the problems of education. It entails the instrumentation, mechanisation or automation of education. The goal is to make teaching more efficient by mechanising or industrialising it. ii. Educational Technology as Software The software approach to educational technology emphasises careful design of the teachinglearning process using principles of behavioural sciences. It is closely associated with programmed learning and the behavioural objectives movement. It is the behavioural science concept of educational technology. Emphasis is on applying learning principles to the direct and deliberate shaping or modifying of behaviour. It is characterised by detailed task analysis, writing to precise objectives, selection of learning strategies, reinforcement of correct responses and constant evaluation. iii. Educational Technology as Systems Approach The systems approach is also known as the step-by-step plan, systems analysis, systematic approach and systems technology. The systems approach is an attempt to remedy the inherent weakness of the approaches above. It sees educational technology as the systematic application of ideas, resources, people, materials and equipment to the solution of educational problem (Agun and Imogie, 1998). It entails a holistic approach to problem solving. The educational problem at hand or the entire educational system is analysed within the context in which it is located, operated or with which it interacts. It entails systematic thinking; having a holistic view of the educational system or educational problem at hand. It is concerned with the systematisation of the educational process. It implies operating at different levels of complexity and dimensions. However, Agun and Imogie (1998) have argued that the three approaches to the definition of educational technology may represent three different stages in the development of the field. These stages are illustrated below: Fig. 1: Different Stages in the Development of Educational Technology (Agun and Imogie, 1998). Hardware Software Design of Messages Problem-Solving Systems Approach Management of Ideas, Resources and the Environment 1 2 3 Esther Amina Akuh