Technology is Important in Education
Introduction: Old Stone Age period used to regard small changes like the use of chalks and books as technology. A lot has changed and education institutions are now using cutting-edge technological equipment during classroom instruction.
What is technology?
Technology refers to the use of latest scientific equipment for practical activities such as carrying out observations, recording, analyzing and even data interpretation.
Technology is a result of efforts applied in fields of engineering and applied sciences. Education has a lot to gain from technology.
Some of the following reason explain exactly how beneficial technology can be to education and educational institutions.
25 Reasons Why Technology is Important in Education
- Enables diversity in learning styles: Students learn differently, and a teacher may not be able to cater for all his/her learner’s needs. The availability of technology in education makes it possible for learners to move at their own pace.
- Breaks monotony in learning: Integrating technology shifts learning from being teacher-centered to learner-centered. The teacher acts mostly as a facilitator rather than an instructor.
- Learning is made flexible: With technology integrated into the education curriculum, students no longer have to learn about the same thing at the same time. One student can read about plants while another is reading about animals.
- Enables teachers to prepare learners for the real world environment: The world is changing at neck speed towards technology. Thus, it is imperative that students are equipped with skills that will enable them to cope up with the change.
- Increases learner’s aptitude to learn: Technological devices make the classroom a place of fun hence learners are excited to learn.
- Facilitates distance learning: The tech world has enabled people to take their courses online while working at the same time. No need for physical contact with the instructor.
- Savings: Buying a laptop or a tablet is less expensive as you can get all your information on the internet compared to buying many textbooks for various courses which are costly.
- Access to the most up-to-date information quickly and easily: The internet has a lot of educational information, which is regularly updated. Learners can search information on the website and compare opinions from different writers.
- Increases collaboration: Students and instructors can now share information easily from any location.
- Reduced workload: Records on students’ performance, class attendance, courses taken by students, school enrollment and others can be stored on computers. Computer records are not easily lost. Thus, they can be accessed anytime they are required as opposed to the traditional methods of recording on papers which can be easily misplaced.
- Leads to globalization: Students can learn, understand and appreciate different cultural perspectives hence globalization.
- Sharpens students skills: Skills such as communication, complex problem-solving self-direction, research and the likes are acquired and enhanced through the use of technological devices.
- Multi-media approach to education: The use of audio-visual approach in education using filmstrips, audiotapes, computers, etc. facilitate perception.
- Ease of updating information: To update educational content on the internet is not cumbersome and it is also cost-effective.
- Retention rate is improved: Students learn by doing rather than listening. This helps them to remember what they learn more easily.
- Reduces weight: As opposed to the heavy textbooks, learners will just carry a mobile phone, laptop, or tablet which has all the necessary books and projects and are much lighter to carry around.
- Allows students to demonstrate independence: Since there are numerous articles on the internet, a student decides the one he wishes to refer to.
- Facilitates distance learning: Both teachers and students can easily prove their work with evidence from primary documents on the internet.
- Improves learners focus: Conducting a research using the internet to access information is time-saving and can keep learners focused for longer periods since it’s enjoyable.
- Prepare students for their future careers: The integration of technology in education gives learners opportunities to pursue careers such as programming and software engineering, health IT, analyst among others.
- Technology is an assessment tool: Children use videos, games, and simulation to learn. In this case, they need to problem-solve, think critically and transfer knowledge from other experiences learned earlier.
- Learners are engaged in the teaching-learning process: Animations, videos, and diagrams show students what you are teaching and hence they can participate in answering questions, group discussions, etc.
- Builds positive digital citizens: Educating students on how to communicate with others online makes them responsible for the type of messages they exchange.
- Learning can occur anytime: Learners can study at whichever time, day or night since the internet when readily available.
- Students gain an equal voice: When a student writes an article or an e-book, judgment is based on the quality of writing and not the race, gender or age.
We need to invest some cash in technology to make it work for us efficiently. Advanced technological equipment will make education an enjoyable journey and give instructors an easier class time.
