WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY?
Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life, it is sometimes said to be the change and manipulation of the human environment. It is the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society and the environment.
As technology has rooted its way into our day to day existence, education has changed positively. Long gone are the times of thumbing through an Encyclopedia. With information at the tips of our fingers, learning is now boundless. Computer and communications technology have changed the way human beings live. In the past, if someone wished to learn something, they went to a school and studied directly under an instructor. Nowadays, it is possible to take courses and even earn degrees without ever stepping foot in a building.
Here are some of the ways in which technology impacts learning:
1. ACCESSIBILITY
Technology has made learning more accessible in several ways. First, learning opportunities are no longer restricted to those who have the time to attend in-person classes. Technology such as laptops, smartphones and tablets allows users to take classes and to engage in exam prep activities wherever and whenever they wish. Mobile media options allow learners to choose the medium (video, eBooks and interactive quizzes) that is best for their learning style. Also, online and mobile learning options offer significant opportunities for collaboration. Learners have the opportunity to interact with people all over the world as they develop their academic knowledge and skills. Regardless of your location or budget, if you have internet access, the universe of the web will certainly have the means to answer your question.
2. LEARNING IS FUN
The utilization of technology has made learning significantly more fun than any other time in recent memory. Students are getting engaged in a diverse array of learning tasks that improve their retention of new concepts. Students who struggle to understand a certain subject can search for a tutorial video online. Videos or live streaming content can offer an alternate approach to a thought and better understanding of a concept or subject. These videos can allow an interesting and interactive approach to learning that might be more easily digested.
3. IMPROVES STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Education technology can make learning more interactive and collaborative, this can help students better engage with course material. Rather than memorizing facts, they learn by doing. This could be as simple as taking an interactive quiz in class or participating in tech-enabled group discussions or as involved as playing educational games, practicing science experiments in a virtual lab or taking a virtual field trip. To make it truly engaging, it must be truly interactive. Doing math on a computer isn’t any different than doing math with a pencil and pad of paper. But using augmented reality to animate math challenges is a whole different ballgame. For some students, interactivity provides a better learning experience.
4. EFFECTIVE ASSESSMENTS
Technology allows better measurement of student’s advancement. There are available programming with which teachers can give or get assessments of their students continuously. Digital assessments allow teachers to check in on progress regularly and they have the ability to keep records up to date more easily and accurately. They can tell whether the student got a question right and also how much time was spent on the question. These assessments gives a much clearer picture as to student’s advancement.
5. COST EFFECTIVENESS
Teaching in a traditional classroom environment requires finance as publishing print exam papers, textbooks and other physical learning materials are necessary, this is obviously expensive and the costs are passed on to learners. Technology have made it less expensive for students to get the education or exam preparation that they need. This does not only make learning opportunities far more accessible, but it also evens the playing field between learners who may come from different economic backgrounds.
6. LEARNING AT ONE’S OWN PACE
Obviously, self-guided learning is another enormous advantage that students appreciate with the rise of technology in the education industry. Despite the fact that there are some quick students who are fit for adjusting to new concepts quickly, there are others who must set aside considerable time to assimilate whatever they learn. Such students are blessed with the possibility of technology being a piece of their learning; now they can keep pace with their peers by using guided exercises and online curriculum to take on new concepts at their own pace and to study again later at home.
CONCLUSION
Technology is not just a powerful thing for education, it is a superpower. The only thing that may restrict the ways in which technology impacts learning is a lack of understanding about these new learning options and how they work. Thanks to technology, education is no longer confined to the walls of the classroom.
Originally written by Peter Murphy and can be found here.
