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Impact of technology on the educational system

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Shortly after the internet explosion of the 1990s, technology was immediately integrated into the classrooms. Technology, even though symbolizes advancement in human knowledge, was seen as a setback by many educators. Many efforts have been established to help educators realize the benefits of technology and ways of implementing them in the classroom. Many different types of technology can be used to support and enhance learning. Some examples of technologies used in the education system are video content and digital movie making, laptops, computers, and handheld technologies. New uses of technology, for example, podcasting and tablets are constantly being created. Many students are growing up in a digital age where they have constant exposure to a variety of media that is impacting on the way they interact and use information.[1]


Educational implications

Although effective technologies use many evidence-based strategies (e.g., adaptive content, frequent testing, immediate feedback, etc.), so do effective teachers.[2]

Studies done in "computer intensive" settings found increases in student centre, cooperative and higher order learning, students writing skills, problem solving, and using technology.[3] In addition, postie attitudes toward technology as a learning tool by parents, students and teachers.

The student teacher dynamic has drastically changed since the introduction of technology based class structure. The instructor is no longer the king of the classroom but rather a middleman between information and student. Instead of a passive sponge soaking up knowledge, the student has now become an active informational architect, procuring, rearranging and displaying information. Two-thirds of teachers surveyed at the turn of the century stated that they were not comfortable using technology, leaving tech-savvy students in a position to assist the teacher in technology based lesson plans.through this the personal development is happened harmoniously. Of course technologies damage the rank of teachers at the classes, but the aim of teachers is to develop children's knowledge.

Children are understanding concepts better. Their skills are improving.More than the teacher writing on the black board this system leaves behind a better impact on children of all age groups. The children enjoy learning like this as,it is not boring like the lessons learned on black board. As all children like computers and latest technology,this way of teaching is really helpful.

Positive effects

The use of internet in education has had a positive impact on the students, educators, as well as the educational system as a whole.

  • The Internet itself has unlocked a world of opportunity for students. Information and ideas that were previously out of reach are a click away. Students of all ages can connect, share, and learn on a global scale.
  • Success at difficult technological tasks, as well as social networking such as Facebook can also lead to improved self-esteem.
  • Many students have different types of learning styles and using different types of technology is a great way to help all kinds of learners. Providing remedial instruction for low-achieving students, Providing enrichment activities for students who successfully complete the regular lesson before students who require more time to learn.
  • Using computers or other forms of technology can give students practice on core content and skills while the teacher can work with others, conduct assessments, or perform other tasks.[4]
  • Using technology in the classroom can allow teachers' to effectively organize and present lessons. Multimedia presentations can make the material more meaningful and engaging.
  • "“Technology’s impact in schools has been significant, advancing how students learn, how teachers teach and how efficiently and effectively educational services can be delivered,” said Carolyn April, director, industry analysis, CompTIA.” With emerging technologies such as tablets and netbooks, interactive whiteboards and wireless solutions gaining ground in the classroom, the reliance on IT by the education market will only grow in the years ahead.” [1]
  • Using online resources such as Khan Academy or TED Talks can help students spend more time on specific aspects of what they may be learning in school, but at home. These online resources have added the opportunity to take learning outside of the classroom and into any atmosphere that has an internet connection. These online lessons allow for students who do not fit the learning styles that our educational system caters to use other resources to help them understand the things they are learning better. These tutorials can focus on small concepts of large ideas taught in class, or the other way around. Schools like MIT have even made their course materials free online so that anybody can access them. Although there are still some aspects of a classroom setting that are missed by using these resources, they are still helpful tools to buffer an already existing educational system.

Negative effects

There are many benefits of using technology in the education system, however there are also negative aspects.

When resources are limited it can be a disadvantage to students. Access to computers, video cameras, whiteboards may be limited, therefore the needs of the entire class may not be met. Also, having computer labs instead of classroom computers may be an inconvenience as teachers have assigned computer times.

Technology base educational videos and games are being integrated into the lives and classrooms of new generations. These videos and games are meant to be used as tools to help growing minds develop, and to increase knowledge and awareness. Videos such as Baby Einsteins line of infant DVDs are a topic of conflicting interest, according to the University of Washington study of infant vocabulary is slipping due to educational baby DVDs.

Published in the Journal of Pediatrics, a 2007 University of Washington study on the vocabulary of babies surveyed over 1,000 parents in Washington and Minnesota. The study found that for every one hour that babies 8–16 months of age watched DVDs and Videos they knew 6-8 fewer of 90 common baby words than the babies that did not watch them. Andrew Meltzoff, Ph.D, a surveyor in this study states that the result makes sense, that if the baby's 'alert time' is spent in front of DVDs and TV, instead of with people speaking, the babies are not going to get the same linguistic experience. Dr. Dimitri Chistakis, another surveyor reported that the evidence is mounting that baby DVDs are of no value and may be harmful.

The digital revolution hit generation z, also known as the digital generation of youth, with a new way of interacting with the world and with their own identities. Social networking websites such as Facebook and Study Cocoa are tools by which the digital generation assesses their culture. Michel Rich, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and executive director of the center on Media and Child Health in Boston, said of the digital generation, "Their brains are rewarded not for staying on task, but for jumping to the next thing, and the side effects could linger: the worry is we're raising a generation of kids in front of screens whose brains are going to be wired differently." In addition, poorly designed technologies tend to produce low test scores and negative reactions from students.

Many students who are at high risk for school failure have the potential to learn; but their academic achievement in the core areas of reading, mathematics and writing falls far short of their potential. There is growing evidence that the academic difficulties experienced by these students is cumulative in nature, and the gap between achievement and potential grows from childhood into adolescence. These young adults tend to drop out of school more frequently than do students without these difficulties, and they experience higher levels of unemployment and underemployment. As a group, they face a significant risk for lifelong problems. [5]

"Students have always faced distractions and time-wasters. But computers and cellphones, and the constant stream of stimuli they offer, pose a profound new challenge to focusing and learning. Researchers say the lure of these technologies, while it affects adults too, is particularly powerful for young people. The risk, they say, is that developing brains can become more easily habituated than adult brains to constantly switching tasks — and less able to sustain attention." [2]

Usage of Multimedia technology in Literature

As the great development of database derived from technology, more and more scholar articles could be uploaded into electronic library through the internet. And as a result, tens of thousands academic articles and masterpiece can be shared by public, especially satisfying the need of the academic writers and college students. However, before the application of multimedia, even like in last 90s', people can only go to the library of a university or a public civilian library to borrow and referenced resources from the vast of pages. Whereas, the multimedia turns the whole human being's society into a new era. Today, people could find the useful resources from internet through typing the key words into the search engine, like Google.

And at the same time, the impact of multimedia does not only stay in opening a new door for searching materials, but also it would encourage people to create much more writings. Because of the low efficiency with hand-writing before, universities' students tend to avoid creating additional sorts of writings, such as letters, novels, diary and etc.(e.g., a research from Stanford University would help you understand it further.)

Efforts to Educate Educators about technology

In order to use technology effectively, training needs to be done to ensure that educators have a good understanding of it. Technology is used to enhance learning, therefore it is important for educators to be comfortable using it to ensure that students get the full advantages of educational technology.[6]

Technology training appears to focus mainly on technology knowledge and skills while overlooking the relationships between technology, pedagogy, and content.[7] As a result, teachers learn about “cool” stuff, but they still have difficulty applying it for their students’ learning.Teacher candidates need opportunities to practice effective technology integration strategies in supportive contexts during technology courses, technology-integrated methods courses, and field experiences.

Teacher education programs can facilitate improvements not only in students’ technology skills but also in their beliefs and intentions regarding integrating technology into instruction.[8] Technology training directly affects preservice teachers’ self-efficacy and value beliefs, which in turn influence their student-centered technology use.[9]

The rapid advancement of technology has left the educational system in its dust and the educators scrambling to find a way to catch up. Many technological companies have implemented technology into many of the traditional learning tools to enable teachers to stay afloat in a world of rapid technological advances.

As an effort to merge technology into the classroom, NJEA has adopted a unique technique of educating teachers about technology. Every year hundreds of teachers gather in Atlantic City, NJ to attend lectures and learn about many advances in education, specifically the technological field. Companies such as Smart Systems TEQ, and the brain show, integrate technology into the classroom by innovating products that combine both technology and conventional educational tools.

Sources

References

  1. ^ Geer, R., & Sweeney, T. (2012). Students’ voices about learning with technology. Journal of social sciences, 8 (2). 294-303
  2. ^ Ross, S., Morrison, G., & Lowther, D. (2010). Educational technology research past and present: balancing rigor and relavance to impact learning. Contemporary Educational Technology, 1(1).
  3. ^ An, Y. J., & Reigeluth, C. (2011). Creating Technology-Enhanced, Learner-Centered Classrooms: K–12 Teachers’ Beliefs, Perceptions, Barriers, and Support Needs. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 28(2), 54-62.
  4. ^ Ross, S., Morrison, G., & Lowther, D. (2010). Educational technology research past and present: balancing rigor and relavance to impact learning. Contemporary Educational Technology, 1(1).
  5. ^ Stratham, Dawn. "Computers in the Classroom: The Impact of Technology on Student Learning". Army Research Institute. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  6. ^ Geer, R., & Sweeney, T. (2012). Students’ voices about learning with technology. Journal of social sciences, 8 (2). 294-303
  7. ^ Geer, R., & Sweeney, T. (2012). Students’ voices about learning with technology. Journal of social sciences 8 (2). 294-303
  8. ^ Anderson, S., Groulx, J., & Maninger, R, (2011). Relationship among preservice teachers’ technology-related abilities, beliefs, and intentions to use technology in their future classroom. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 45(3)
  9. ^ Anderson, Susan (2011). "Ed. D.". Educational Computing Research. 45 (3): 321–338. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

Further reading

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