Impact of Technology on Education
All of us, together, are surging through the most profound revolution in human history. Its impact is personal, national, global and in many ways, unlimited. Yes, it is the impact of technology. This new networked age makes it urgent to rethink entirely what we mean by education, learning, teaching and schooling. For education is changing more than it has since the invention of the printing press over 500 years ago, as now the world is your classroom and learning is lifelong. Already two billion students spend four-fifths of their working hours outside school, in an iPod, YouTube, Google, Wikipedia, etc.
It’s Personal: where information and learning programs can be personalized. And you can share your own talents and skills with millions- for both fun and income.
It’s Interactive: with new digital platforms and templates to make it easy, simple and fun to learn by doing, creating and interacting- a new world of creative experiences.
It’s Global: the ever-expanding worldwide internet, owned by none, used by everyone; where the combined knowledge of humankind is now available to virtually all at the tap of a digital keyboard or a touch screen.
It’s mainly free: or nearly so, one low-cost click at a time. The World Wide Web, browsers, search engines and digital platforms make it easy to access much information free.
Amazingly, 59 million school teachers around the planet work in isolation, mostly in chalkboard classrooms- as if Web didn’t exist. If any parent in India or China is asked ‘what they’d like to achieve for their children’s education?’ they will probably mention three goals: to speak fluent English- the modern international language; to be competent in using computers and digital technologies; and to gain internationally accepted qualifications. Nowadays, even very young children can learn interactive technology.
Technology has a significant impact on our lives. In fact, it has redefined the way we live. There is no doubt of technology playing an important role in all sphere of life. It is due to technology that all our daily difficult tasks can now be automated easily and efficiently. Thanks to the application of technology, living has changed and it has changed for better.
The advent of technology in educational field has made the process of learning and knowledge sharing more interactive. The greatest impact of technology on education is the change in our outlook towards the world. The remarkable shift in thinking from local to global can be attributed to technology.
Impacts of technology on Education are the following:
Easy access to information; easy retention of information, more storage of information, better presentation of information, teaching became more interactive, easy sharing of knowledge and more interest in learning.
The field of education (teaching and learning) has revolutionized since the advent of technology. Schools have realized the importance of technology and have started implementing it in the classrooms. With the arrival of computers in schools, it has become easier for teachers to impart knowledge and for the students to acquire it. The onset of technology has made the journey of teaching and learning more effective.
Technology is a teaching tool
Computers provide us with an interactive audio-visual medium. Animation software and Power Point presentations are used to present information in an interactive way. Both teachers and students find it helpful and interesting to use audio-visual tools. Large number of students can be addressed simultaneously with the help of projectors, screens, microphones and speakers. These teaching aids have led to increased attendance in classes.
Technology has made student life easy
Technology has made the life of students easier. Nowadays, students use different software and tools to make presentations and projects, instead of using pen and paper. An iPad is very light as compared to a pile of notebooks. Surfing an E book is easier as compared to a heavy book. These tools help to generate more interest in studies. There are online libraries which require no physical space. The teachers, students and researchers sitting in different parts of the world can access the same online library simultaneously.
Easy to store information
Due to technology, data storage has become much easier. It takes few seconds to type or copy-paste various information. A small pen drive can store huge amount of information. So, managing records online is easier. Computers enable better and strong storage of data as compared to managing hard copies.
Digital classrooms
Both students and teachers get benefited through the use of digitized boards in classrooms. Thanks to the advanced technology that we can see the entire syllabus online and then decide which courses and subjects we should opt for. Interactive digitized boards can be used by students for drawing figures, making diagrams, doing mathematical calculations, etc.
Information is easily accessible
The internet search engines are a source of immense information. They are now used as an effective tool for searching information. All this is possible in just one or two clicks. Both teachers and students are benefited through this.
Wikipedia is the ideal example, around ten years ago, it didn’t even exist. Now, it is by far the world’s largest encyclopedia. It has around 2.5 million entries: instantly available free, on the Web. All are contributed free by more than 75,000 volunteers. Wikipedia provides an excellent platform for cooperative sharing.
Teaching is sharing
The application of technology has made education more collaborative. There are online forums where subject experts can meet and discuss subject specific topics, review the syllabus and plan assessments to enhance the process of teaching. Teachers can impart customized education to cater different learning abilities and needs of the students. Everyone has a personal learning style, almost as unique as one’s fingerprints. Any skills can now be taught online in sequence, from beginner level to master level. Good teachers and multimedia experts can tailor such instant learning programs to individual learning styles and in individual modules.
Technology has removed space and time limitations
There are different online education programs available which has given a new dimension to education. The students and teachers can be a part of one virtual classroom, even if they are physically far away from each other. Some universities offer online educational programs where students and teachers can interact with each other through internet. There are online libraries with books, journals, encyclopedias, etc. where students can access various resources, highlight, save and use the soft copies.
And universities almost everywhere now offer online degrees. The private university of Phoenix is now America’s biggest university, with 280,000 students, 239 campuses and offshoots around the world. In the early 1990s, it became the first U.S. University to offer degrees online.
In today’s fast changing world, most of the jobs involve the use of computers and advanced technologies. We all need to be computer savvy to keep in pace with the moving world. We live in a technologically advanced world where it has become necessary for us to be familiar with the latest technologies and inventions. So, computer technology has become an integral part of school and college curriculum.
