Technology in Contemporary Education
Education technology plays a significant role in modern course design and development, particularly since the onset of the computer revolution. Educators have realized the value of alternatives to the traditional passive, lecture-based approach to course design and development for at least several decades (Adams & Hamm, 1994; Gardner, 2000). The introduction of computer technology to academic education has dramatically increased the range of effective non-traditional course design and development.
The modular approach to education has proven effective in both academic environments and in the practical professional training realm (Michea, Phelps, & Johnson, 2002). It allows the organization of topics into specific modules that correspond to practical applications of academic knowledge and training. The systems approach is useful in terms of designing curricula that correspond to the prevailing needs of professional business, but is less helpful in developing individual course design.
Technological evolution has profoundly influenced curriculum design and deployment in the healthcare education industry, partly as a natural function of the degree to which the technology has revolutionized the modern healthcare field. Purely from the healthcare educational perspective, technological innovations have greatly improved the ease with which quality education can be delivered. The more educational technology continues to evolve, the more it contributes to the corresponding development of systematic curriculum and instructional method design and Development. Ideally, the ever-increasing potential of computer technology will continue improving the manner in which the specific needs of modern healthcare can be incorporated into curriculum design and instructional methodology.
References:
Adams, D. And Hamm, M. (1994). New Designs for Teaching and Learning: Promoting
Active Learning in Tomorrow's Schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Gardner, H. (2000). The Disciplined Mind: Beyond Facts and Standardized Tests: The K-
12 Education That Every Child Deserves. New York: Penguin Putnam.
Michea, Y., Phelps, C., and Johnson, C. (2002). "Modular Design of Health
Education Interactive Multimedia" School of Health Information Sciences,
University of Texas at Houston Health Science Center. Houston.
