Technology has played a vital role in many areas of our lives. We have everything at our fingertip today. Whether we want to shop online or we want to get repairs done, there are companies like First Energy Help that are just a click away.
Similarly, technology, has also played an important role in the field of education. While technological advancements have catered have been catering to us for a long time now, to determine whether they are good for us depends on how we use it. Let’s explore how technology has changed the field of education.
Technology has given us a variety of ways to communicate with each other. Communication is an essential tool for students and teachers inside and outside a classroom. Teachers have become more expressive while students have become more receptive to new ideas, problem solving and, innovative techniques of studying as communication is not only confined to the walls of a classroom. With applications like asana encouraging teamwork even while we study from home, it has become easier and in some instances better than a live group work to coordinate with each other. Similarly, applications like WhatsApp has made everyone available almost all the time.
Easier to access Knowledge from anywhere
With recent advancements in technology, we have realized that we can get education from different parts of the world while sitting at our home. Online degrees, courses, webinars not only allow us to access bookish knowledge but also exchange our perspectives with everyone. These things have minimized cost and eradicated geographical boundaries that were once a challenge to gaining knowledge.
Smartphones can be a blessing
While many parents believe that smartphones are a distraction, they can actually be an extremely helpful source for students if used wisely. Knowledge has become as accessible as typing out a phrase on Google. While this may have its own disadvantages like our mind becoming too used to not wondering about things, if we use it correctly, it can be a blessing. You can access it anywhere if you have your smartphone or tablet device; all you need is a working Wi-Fi connection.
Blackboards have become a thing of the past with the introduction of presentation software. Projectors and Power Point have not only replaced blackboards, but have made learning more interactive. With these software and hardware, it is easier explain concepts using high resolution images, demonstrate numerical data via diagrams, highlight and differentiate between statistics and text. These presentations are not only available in classroom during lectures, but teachers can also share them among students so they can easily study and revise at home. In a survey, 43 percent respondents said that digital technologies have made it easier for them to learn.
Simulations and models
Simulations and models are another important tool that have enhanced learning. Simulations allow you to imitate real life problems. They allow students to be more aware of a problem, get a better experience of a problem and consequently solve a problem while having a feeling of “being there.” Similarly, teachers can use models in fields where visual learning is more helpful than textual knowledge. A good example of their use maybe in the medical and engineering field where it may be costly and risky to experiment on real life specimens. In such cases a model or simulation can be a helpful tool.
Learning is not a race
When we look at a classroom of students, each student has their own pace of learning. We have come a long way after extensive research that the human brain is an amazing organ and each brain functions differently. In the past, if any student would not be able to pick up a concept than a comparatively smarter person, they would be considered “slow and dumb.” However, with technology, we have removed the challenges students face. Technology has created an opportunity for students to learn at their own pace. It has also created a safer environment for students to be confident while learning and not lose their self-esteem by being compared to another individual. According to Statista, a survey conducted in 2016 showed that 81 percent of respondents said that digital learning technology helped them in improving their grades.
It is fun to learn
Learning has become more innovative with the introduction of technology. Especially the younger kids have started finding schools more fun. The colored pictures, mesmerizing animations, and new strategies for confidence building and critical thinking all contribute to making schools more fun and are a great way to broaden kids’ horizons.
While technology has been a great advantage in the field of education, it also has its own drawbacks. It has decreased our capability to critically analyze problems and in fact it has made our minds “lazy” to some extent as too much comfort has made a lot of things reachable that previously required hard work and discipline. It has thus caused us to adopt unhealthy habits. So, it is extremely important to understand the use of technology in the field. Unsupervised use especially among youngsters can be detrimental to their physical and mental health.