Psychological Bases for the Use of Hardware and Software Technologies

Psychological Bases for the Use of Hardware and Software Technologies
(Mangal, S.K. & Uma Mangal, 2012, Essentials of Educational Technology)

Why is  the use of technology so important nowadays, even in learning? What is its connection on education? In the aspect of education psychology, we will understand that it does help both the teacher and learner in the accordance with the aims and objectives of education. It has been stated before, "Experience is the great teacher," and even, "Senses are the gateway to knowledge." Here are the psychological bases:

1. Edgar Dale's Cone of Experience
2. Multi-Sensory Instruction

In Edgar Dale's Cone of Experiences, the starting point is from maximum concreteness and least abstractness. Eventually, as the learners upgrade the concreteness decreases and abstractness increases. Here is the figure of Edgar Dale's Cone of Experience:

In Multi-Sensory Instruction or multimedia approach, the teaching-learning process is carried out through a number of media by using them in such a planned and organized combination utilization for achieving the desired ends in a quite effective way.

The characteristics of such an approach can be summarized as follows:

1. Multimedia or multi-sensory approach calls for the use of a number of media, devices and techniques for teaching-learning.
2. Multimedia or sensory approach is the contribution and net result of the researches and experiments going on the subject of educational technology dor improving the process and products of the act of teaching-learning.
3. The variety of  media involving multiple senses are carefully selected which becomes quite effective in providing desirable learning experiences to the learner for achieving the predetermined teaching-learning objectives. 
4. The multiple-senses and multimedia are not used haphazardly, merely to increase the size and number of media for being named as multimedia or multi-sensory approach. Instead, these are selected and planned in amost appropriate economical combination to yield the best possible  results.
5. While selecting different media for adopting multi-sensory  or multimedia approach , it is taken care of that the presence of one must increase the effect of others in the realization of set teaching-learning objectives with reference to a particular teaching-learning situation.
6. Multimedia or multi-sensory approach asks for the judicious and planned use of the hardware and software available in the field of technology.
7. In multimedia or multi-sensory approach, several media and techniques can be effectively used as appropriate vehicles for the needed communication of ideas in the process of teaching-learning. 

Uses and Advantage of  Multi-Sensory Instruction

1. Makes Educational process interesting, purposeful and effective.
2. Meets the needs of the learners. 
3. Makes the learning highly individualized and self -dependent. 
4. Relieves teachers from the routine duties. 
5. Properly appeals and spreads education to masses.
6. Is able of providing advantages of both group and individualized learning.