Countless people consider the integration of technology in any works as beneficial for humankind. It is also true because technology brings advancement and convenience to the whole process. If we talk about education, it also comes under the same category of activities that technology has profoundly changed.
However, in some ways, we cannot recognize much difference between today’s education and the education before the advancement of technology at first glance. It is because the scene of the modern classroom almost seems similar to the old classroom, where students sit in rows and listen to the lectures given by teachers from a podium.
The only change that we may notice is the smart displays and laptops and tablets in the place of blackboards and notebooks, respectively. However, technology has changed education to a much greater extent than it seems. Many pros and cons of technology in the classroom have been identified. But, more profoundly, technology allows students to skip steps in the learning process, which presents new challenges and opportunities.
Table of Contents
Positive Changes in Education by Technology
Widespread access to all people
One of the significant changes that technology brings in education is Tutflix that is widespread access to all classes of people. In the medieval period, access to education only belonged to the elite class as books were rarely available for the others. But with the technology, the same educational opportunities are readily available for the lower class as well.
Earlier, students had to commute to the learning centres to acquire education, and most of them could not afford to do so for various reasons. Nowadays, there is no such need as technology has brought an enormous amount of information to the fingertips of people through the internet. As a result, students have the opportunity to learn from anywhere, including remote areas. All credit goes to the technology for such commendable inventions and innovations in the educational field.
Easy understanding of complex topics
It has made academic life a lot easier and full of learning opportunities as compared to the pre-technology era. Earlier, students only depended on their teachers to learn various subjects, and there was no other option to learn if they missed even a single class. Also, they had nobody to assist in the academic tasks, and they had to do it independently. As a result, the mistakes were quite common.
But today, they have endless opportunities like recorded video lessons, live classes, etc., that allows them to learn even if they missed the class. Along with that, the online availability to get online assignment help from highly qualified assignment writers assists students with their academic tasks. It provides them with a better understanding of complex topics in a more straightforward way.
Improved communication and collaboration
Technology has also expanded the communication and collaboration opportunities for the students, which was very limited in the traditional education system. Previously, communication and collaboration were only restricted to a classroom or school. But with the help of technology, students of a rural area can collaborate with foreign counterparts through online mediums and work on a project together. They can communicate live with scientists and learn about the specified area of study. Technology has broken the walls of classrooms that act as a barrier for student’s imagination and capabilities.
Better learning spaces for students
Traditionally, the teachers used to be the primary source of information, and students had no access to the other credible sources to acquire knowledge. Their utmost dependency on teachers also acts as a barrier to learning as they have to satisfy themselves with the number of knowledge teachers can provide. The induction of technology in education has allowed students to go beyond the expertise of teachers. It will enable them to search for in-depth knowledge about the topic.
We can say that technology has changed the roles of teachers and students to a certain level. Nowadays, the requirement of teachers is more like a guide on the side, and students have taken responsibility for their learning through technology. Numerous schools and universities across the globe have started adapting to this change and providing learning spaces to enable the brand new model of learning.
Negative Changes in Education by Technology
Technology has not only impacted education positively, but there are also many negative aspects of the inclusion of technology in education. It can be observed by the fact that the reading, writing, and arithmetic skills of students have been drastically hampered in recent times. Modern generation students do not have to calculate intricate mathematical sums in their mind as they have the calculator in their hand. It can save valuable time but does not enhance mental capabilities.
- Nowadays, children learn to type on a keyboard first and write on paper last. It makes them able to type accurately and fast, but their writing capabilities and handwriting remain undeveloped. It is undeniable that it is important to learn handwriting, as writing with a pen or pencil on paper is believed to be vital for better coordination between hand and mind. But technology has devalued its importance. If we bring reading in focus, you will find that numerous students prefer listening to an audiobook instead of reading.
- Technology in education has made so much information available at once, and most of the time, students do not invest much time in particular information to gather its fine details. They only opt to go through the main concepts, which results in a lack of in-depth knowledge. Numerous students face difficulties in doing academic tasks and are stuck in the middle of a question for the same reason. Therefore, it becomes crucial to give an adequate amount of time to each topic. It was possible before technology as there was the unavailability of a bulk of information at once.
Conclusion
It is well-known that everything comes with its advantages and disadvantages, and one cannot nullify both the effects associated with it completely. Therefore, we generally measure the number of positives and negatives that a particular thing provides to consider it beneficial or not beneficial for humanity. Technology in education has done a lot of reform and offers undreamt learning opportunities to humankind. However, it has some disadvantages, but it is in our hands to reject the influence of adverse effects on us. We can also conquer its disadvantages by strategizing the use of technology in education. For instance, one can develop an effective educational plan by adopting both the traditional and modern learning style attributes. A required amount of everything proves to be far more beneficial than the vast amount of anything. So, it is up to us to decide how much technology suits our education the best.