Harry Southworth is a writer for customwriting.com. A former educator, he now works as an editor and writer.
While technology has made information easily accessible, it has also somehow ruined the enthusiasm and willingness of students to give in their best and use their full potential because they are accustomed to finding everything at their fingertips
Technology in education has undoubtedly been a driving force in the learning process for the modern world. None of us can deny the tremendous impact technology has on the way education is growing in today’s time. Evidently, how technology is changing education, is a topic that is being hotly debated by educators. Some believe that it certainly throws a positive light on education while others carry the thought that its impact is highly negative.
While perspectives certainly differ and the debate as to effects of technology on education is truly positive or negative depends on one’s discretion, there are some points that are worth discussing. Therefore, we have listed 10 ways that the latest technology in education is affecting the learning process. Take a read.
Five positive impacts of technology on education
Education is more accessible
Going to school and then university to study has been a conventional element in the education world. However, over the past few decades – thanks to technology, this convention has been transformed into an unconvention. Now, university comes to the student. Fetching information and learning has become easily accessible and students can learn for free what would normally cost US$ 50,000 to learn at the university.
Adding to the above, many educational institutes from Harvard to the War College offers distance learning for busy professionals would otherwise be unable to study further. This type of learning, although not free, does make learning easier for a larger number of people who want to polish their skills and enhance their productivity.
Getting access to information is faster and more efficient
Accessing educational resources is no longer a slow, painstaking process – thanks to search engines, online databases and libraries. In fact, going to the library to find an original edition of a book, has also become easier – again thanks to technology. Google has an application that allows you to find out which libraries have the books you are looking for almost instantly.
Multiple ways to disseminate information to students
Thanks to Blackboard and smartboards, teachers are now able to present and disseminate information to students in a number of ways. Blackboard enables teachers to keep students apprised of their grades and upcoming due dates while smartboards allow them to enhance the learning experience by giving them the opportunity to use everything from videos to interactive presentations, in the classroom.
It is easier to stay organised
Before hard drives and Blackboard, students and teachers used multiple paper folders, binders and filing cabinets to stay on top of homework and grading. Now students can save their homework on a hard drive and turn it via Blackboard when they are finished. Teachers, on the other hand, can use this same technology to organise their time, make lesson plans and keep their parents apprised of their children’s grades.
Preparing students for the future
Many of the devices and programmes being utilised in the classroom such as laptops and Microsoft Office are used at workplaces, as well. While not all students will learn how to write codes, many will be able to gain valuable user-level knowledge of these programmes so that they can use them effectively in the future.
