We have moved into a technology-driven era where technology is affecting many different aspects of our life, and education is no exception. So, in some schools, traditional methods of education have been revolutionised by new technology to the extent that the lecture is no longer the main method of teaching students. While this new approach has some advantages, it also has many significant shortcomings. This essay outlines both the advantages of disadvantages of this novel approach.
Perceivably the biggest advantage of the use of the latest technology in education is the flexibility it offers. This is evident in two different ways- firstly, it is now no longer essential for students to be present in the classroom for their courses. Covid-19 pandemic has specifically taught us how this flexibility could be a lifesaver. Moreover, the distance learning facility enables employed professionals, housewives and people from different countries to enrol and successfully finish useful courses offered by numerous institutes. Another area of flexibility is of course that the lecturers can use interactive tools like "Moodles" and other tools to deliver their courses in a more stimulating way to large numbers of students.
Not everything, however, about the introduction of this new technology into education is useful. To start, not all students are comfortable with using technology, even if they are part of the digital native generation. This is a grave issue as they may suffer from their lack of technological skills and interests. For instance, an overwhelming number of students, almost 75%, despite their enthusiasm about smartphones and computers, reported that they do not like online classes. Another related issue is that education is a human activity and it works best with as much human interaction as possible. Impersonal technology cannot replace the human contact found in traditional face-to-face tutorials and seminars. Thus a piece of technology or tool can never be an alternative to experts tutors who know their students individually and act accordingly.
To conclude, technology in education brings some important benefits and enables distance learning possible. It also becomes the only way of learning and teaching during pandemics and disasters. However, by the fact that it can be too impersonal for some and discourages others for their lack of technological skills or passion, it is still not the best method to teach and learn.
We have
moved
into a technology-driven era where
technology
is affecting
many
different
aspects of our life, and
education
is no exception.
So
, in
some
schools, traditional methods of
education
have been
revolutionised
by new
technology
to the extent that the lecture is no longer the main method of teaching
students
. While this new approach has
some
advantages, it
also
has
many
significant shortcomings. This essay outlines both the advantages of disadvantages of this novel approach.
Perceivably
the biggest advantage of the
use
of the latest
technology
in
education
is the flexibility it offers. This is evident in two
different
ways-
firstly
, it is
now
no longer essential for
students
to be present in the classroom for their
courses
. Covid-19 pandemic has
specifically
taught us how this flexibility could be a lifesaver.
Moreover
, the distance learning facility enables employed professionals, housewives and
people
from
different
countries to enrol and
successfully
finish useful
courses
offered by numerous institutes. Another area of flexibility is of
course
that the lecturers can
use
interactive tools like
"
Moodles
"
and other tools to deliver their
courses
in a more stimulating way to large numbers of students.
Not everything,
however
, about the introduction of this new
technology
into
education
is useful. To
start
, not all
students
are
comfortable with using
technology
, even if they are part of the digital native generation. This is a grave issue as they may suffer from their lack of technological
skills
and interests.
For instance
, an overwhelming number of
students
, almost 75%, despite their enthusiasm about smartphones and computers, reported that they do not like online classes. Another related issue is that
education
is a human activity and it works best with as much human interaction as possible. Impersonal
technology
cannot replace the human contact found in traditional face-to-face tutorials and seminars.
Thus
a piece of
technology
or tool can never be an alternative to experts tutors who know their
students
individually
and act
accordingly
.
To conclude
,
technology
in
education
brings
some
important
benefits and enables distance learning possible. It
also
becomes the
only
way of learning and teaching during pandemics and disasters.
However
, by the fact that it can be too impersonal for
some
and discourages others for their lack of technological
skills
or passion, it is
still
not the best method to teach and learn.