Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to practical aims, such as changing and manipulating the environment. It includes all the devices, systems and tools that make people’s lives easier, safer and more fun.
Technology relates to the things that make our world go round, including mobile phones, cars and computers, but it also covers the ways we use those devices. When we talk about technology, we usually mean digital tech – but the term is broader than that, and encompasses things like digital art, music, video games, virtual reality, artificial intelligence (AI) and much more.
When we’re talking about technology in education, we usually mean any tool or system that improves learning and teaching for students and teachers. It can be a piece of software that helps students learn about new subjects or solve problems, a tablet that keeps kids engaged in class or a VR/AR device that makes science classes more immersive.
Incremental technology is a little different from semi-radical technology in that it focuses on smaller innovations rather than the big changes that revolutionize a product. Upgrading an existing software version, releasing security updates or making slight modifications to a service are all examples of incremental technology.
Medical technology aims to improve the health and well-being of humans through medical research, equipment and services. For example, the invention of penicillin greatly improved the treatment of bacterial infections and made antibiotics more effective against disease-causing organisms. Other examples of medical technology include the development of MRI scanners and heart pacemakers.