How modern technology affects education today and in the future!
The time we are living in can be easily considered as the beginning of the techno-era. Technology is growing day-by-day and creeping its way towards every little aspect of our daily lives. Whether it be as little as buying groceries online to making large transactions via net-banking, technology is present everywhere. Education is no different. Before the pandemic hit, things were still what we called “traditional.” However, post-pandemic everything slowly transitioned online; even education.
Children were forced to participate on online schooling and teachers were forced to devise new teaching methods to cater to the needs of online teaching. All schools began shifting to online modes as the situation demanded and the field of education changed drastically. Technology was always present in education but has become more prominent in the recent times. Students slowly shifted from books to google to learn or search about a topic or to complete a project. Written assignments changed to online documents and focus has started to shift from theoretical knowledge to practical.
According to the Schools in Delhi one of the major technological impacts on education is the increased class engagement and interactivity. With online learning, children are forced to be more interactive and ask more questions in order to learn because this way of learning is very new and not something they are used to. Technology also forced teachers to adapt more efficient teaching methods that caters better to the needs of the students. Every information is now available at the click of a button and that forces the students to go past the textbook knowledge and find more creative and brain-engaging ways to learn. As the focus has shifted to practical knowledge, technology has helped children learn new skills like coding, designing, editing etc. which are required in the real world. Students can also gain experience whilst working part-time as freelancers on the skills the wish to pursue and hone for the future.
Eduminatti says that apart from students and teachers, schools have also benefitted from modern technology entering the field of education. Schools can profit by saving money on physical teaching equipment and can issue online versions of the same and use that money elsewhere. That money can be used to improve the extra-curricular activities that the school provides to ensure well and all-rounded students. The money could be used to upgrade the school’s playground or sports equipment and to enter the school in inter-school or state-level competitions for various sports. This could help in glorifying the school’s name as well as the student’s.
Technology has improved the way students learn. Instead of tutors there are one-on-one videos or free YouTube videos on topics the student wants to learn. Apart from that information and practice questions are easily accessible. Students can share notes amongst each other easily and can also practice from the large collection of sample papers or previous year papers. Technology offers variety and students can choose what best fits them. For e.g., there are 10 YouTube videos available by different teachers and the student can then choose which method of teaching is more effective for them.
Online tests and quizzes are useful for weekly assessment of the student and can be used to see which area the student requires more focus on. Short videos on every topic helps pique the student’s interest in the same and encourages them to study more. There are various study groups that have formed online to help students facing similar difficulties to engage together and help each other. During the pandemic, a zoom study session had gone viral wherein students from across the globe would join the meeting muted and study to avoid distractions and bond with other students. Technology connected the world via education.
But some popular group of institutes and organisations like the International Schools in Delhi also suggests that with every pro that the technology has to offer there is also a subsequent con that follows up. As information is easily available and accessible plagiarism has increased. Instead of using the internet to study and learn, its being used to cheat. The solutions to problems are easily available and hence being used to finish up the assignments instead of learning. There is no student-teacher relationship as students now prefer to learn via videos. Schools profit by not using funds and money on physical equipment but are not utilizing it for students’ benefits either. Teachers are being severely underpaid and undervalued because they can be easily replaceable with online videos. A vast amount of plagiarized content has flooded the education system which yields nothing of value.
I am of the opinion, that everything has a downside and an upside to it. There are a lot of benefits that modern technology has to offer when it comes to the field of education but it must be used wisely. Technology should not replace traditional education system but rather assist it.
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