On Technology And Curriculum Development From The Perspective Of Educational Technology

The dissertation systematically and innovatively studies those problems related totechnology and curriculum from the perspective of educational technology, andfocuses on the impacts of information technology On curriculum development. Theauthor also highlights the significance of curriculum study in the field of educationaltechnology, and presents the analytical framework and theoretical viewpoint of howtechnology (educational technology) facilitates curriculum development, and revealsthe important value of technology for curriculum development.This dissertation mainly consists of four parts:PartⅠ: Historical Analysis. This part individually inspects the historical context thattechnology facilitates curriculum development in different ages and its impacts oncurriculum practice and theory. It reveals that curriculum development in differentages are the results under certain historic condition, which have been thecharacteristics of the times, the contradiction between the advancement of technologyand the tardiness of the curriculum is the fundamental contradiction of technology andcurriculum development, as well as the inherent logic of the technology on thecurriculum is curriculum implementation—curriculum content—curriculum objective—curriculum assessment.PartⅡ: Theory Discussion. This part mainly studies the impact of technology oncurriculum objective, curriculum content, curriculum implementation and curriculumassessment from the logistic relation between technology and curriculumdevelopment and from the perspective of educational technology.With regard to the technology and curriculum objective, the author probes into theimpacts of information technology on objective based on the analysis of technologyvalue and technical instrumentalism, which reflects in the pluralization of the value ofcurriculum objective, multi-dimensionalization of the content of curriculum objective,the technicalization of curriculum objective. It highlights the significance ofinformation literacy as an aim in information ages.On the problem of technology and curriculum content, the author analyzes therelationship among curriculum content, curriculum resources and learning resources.It focuses on the impacts of information technology on curriculum, e.g., the computertechnology and information technology as the curriculum content embodies therenewal and modernization of" curriculum content; the integration of moderntechnology's extensive application into subject content reflects the synthesis ofcurriculum content; the informationization of curriculum medium as well as hypertextlink of the organization of curriculum content are also discussed.In terms of technology and curriculum implementation, the author analyzes thetechnical development orientation and technology integration with teaching. Theimpact of information technology on curriculum implementation is emphaticallyinquired, e.g., the innovation of the teaching environment and students' learning style,the construction of teaching style, the shift of teachers' role and relationship betweenteachers and students. On the problem of technology and curriculum evaluation, this dissertation analyzesthe idea of curriculum evaluation and constructs a curriculum evaluation frameworkbased on educational technology. The impacts of information technology oncurriculum evaluation are mainly illustrated as follows, the formation of thedevelopmental curriculum evaluation idea, the transformation of paradigm ofcurriculum evaluation, the technical requirement of curriculum evaluation standardsand the automation of curriculum evaluation instruments.PartⅢ: Methodology Study. As an emerging research methodology, design research,which stresses its problem-oriented and interdisciplinary orientation, is devoted to theproduct improvement and knowledge growth. It is a hybrid methodology of researchand development. Design research is implemented to facilitate the relevance ofresearch for educational practice, decrease the uncertainty of policy-making, providesuggestion for intervention, test the general principles of the design, and facilitate theprofessional development of researchers and teachers. The characteristics of designresearch are intervention, iterative, context, cooperation etc. The implementation Ofresearch methodology helps to focusing not only on how educational technologyfunctions, but also on how it enhances learning and teaching, so as to facilitate thecurriculum development and achieve a virtuous circle of educational theory andpractice.PartⅣ: Case Study. Through the study of some typical cases, such as the design andthe implementation of 'Project 2061' , national educational technology standardsfor teacher and student in America, the open courseware in MIT and the open contentin Open University of UK, as well as Dutch-Russia cooperation research on teacherprofessional development, The author provides some policy-making suggestions onhow educational technology facilitates curriculum development in China: to planscientifically and implement the strategy conception on how educational technologyfacilitates curriculum development; to accelerate the intensive integration oftechnology into curriculum; to reinforce the development and communication ofcurriculum resources; to further teacher professional development; to enhance theapplication of design research in the field of curriculum and educational technology.The dissertation studies the curriculum development from the perspective ofeducational technology by historic and logic analysis, theory combination withpractice, research methodology and case analysis. It broadens the research vision ofeducational technology and curriculum and therefore it is of certain subject value. It isof important theoretical and practical significance for facilitating educationaltechnology merge with the theory and practice of curriculum.