Technology in Education: Friend or Foe?
Technology has been progressing at increasingly fast speed over the last few decades. The rapid change in technology has not only been limited to the businesses or home networks. Classrooms too have gone hi-tech and virtual classrooms too are picking up. Tech enabled education is now a priority for many colleges and universities. With the widespread availability of internet access, technology is in a way revolutionizing the potential method of both teaching and learning.
However, all tech preferences require careful analysis of the pros and cons of their implementation and use before taking on them.
Technology as a Friend
Education for All: Online education system has changed the entire concept of education and opened up a realm of opportunities for students belonging to all ages and backgrounds, globally.
Technology in education has also proved to be a boon for economically less privileged students. It helps them to continue their education at a fraction of cost they would have been paying had there been no virtual classrooms.
Engaging Young Talent:
Instead of associating school with boring lectures and dusty boards, students are finding the new way of learning quite exciting and fun. The online learning programs and educational games are engaging the young talent like never before. They are learning what they love; kids as well as college goers are now making most of their time.
Social Media:
Students now have the opportunity to communicate or collaborate with other students and schools all over the globe. This has opened a wide opportunity for them to gain rich insight into the lives and customs of different religions and cultures, providing then a diverse practical exposure.
Technology as a Foe
Getting Left: There’s a good chance that online-education is going to make traditional teaching methods less important. It is important to realize that not ALL education takes place online, and in order to develop the core values, we also need to focus on the development of offline teaching practices.
Expensive Electronics: Though well funded educational institutes can easily have access to the expensive electronic devices to conduct their digital courses, there are still many disadvantaged areas with overcrowded classrooms. Affording such technologies is still an impossible task in these areas. Also, it must not always be assumed that all students in a class have access to computers at home.
Distraction and Dangers:
Though the internet is loaded with plethora of humongous information and educational resources, it is also pandemic with less school friendly distractions and even dangers. There is a huge probability of students slipping off the track onto the social networking sites or online gaming sites. Another disadvantage could also include internet bullying, which majorly goes unnoticed by the teachers.
Impersonal Teaching: Technology in education is taking away the face-to-face contact. The bond between the teacher and the pupils may soon be a history.
Technology is mostly a good friend but it has to be managed and used well!
This post is written by Lim Chuwei, working as a teacher at ChampionTutor.
An online educational portal in Singapore. More than 10 years of experience in home tutoring services.
We make every possible effort to get you the best tutor at the most reasonable rates.
