subject: What Does Technology In Education Do For The Students? [print this page] Though technology has revolutionized the learning experience of a student within a classroom, one has to understand that the digital revolution comes with its own disadvantagesthe loss is perhaps more in terms of what it replaces. Many schools and colleges are furnishing classrooms with smart boards, computers, and more, hoping that new technologies will add efficiencies. But the question remains: Can they completely replace old methods of teaching? A study of the downside of technology in education might give us a clear picture.
The Convenience of Technology:
Technology has streamlined dissemination of knowledge to students, offering many options in terms of pace and style of learning. Information is made available in so many ways that any type of learnergifted, disabled, or regularcan easily access the necessary materials anywhere, anytime. This fact relates not only to the internet, but also to all the many learning gadgets and devices that are being constantly invented and improved, from smart boards to handheld dictionaries.
The Inconvenience of Technology:
It is believed that many of the technological devices that students use can cause them to be too alienated from their peers. Most of the devices including the computer itself come with single-user interfaces that require that the user engage in solitary activity. If students are constantly working in silos, there is a likelihood that their social skills may not develop to the fullest. Increased easy access to knowledge that every student can have without any contact with others leads to a loss of opportunities to build communication skills. Learning methods that keep interpersonal interactions to the bare minimum or worse allow none whatsoever can take away from a students social skills. Completely doing away with the interfacing between students and teacher as well as between students is not conducive to the healthy overall growth of the individual. Besides learning logic and gathering information, students need to develop in them skills that help in conflict resolution and socialization, these skills are the other primary reasons for a student to attend a college/school. But the emphasis now has shifted away from these areas with modern classrooms advocating individuality as a component of learning.
There is no denying that technology is here to stay. It is thus all the more pressing on us to know its right usage and be aware of the damage we may do to ourselves by misusing it. So should children be allowed to be individual, independent learners at the risk of having little or no interpersonal skills? Is it acceptable that a student can talk to someone halfway around the world via instant messaging but not be able to get along with the student sitting next to her in a classroom? Like everything else in the world, it is all about balancing. We need to give children and adults alike access to technology but balance it with the human touch through much face-to-face interactions in classrooms, homes, the playground, the dining hall, and every other place where we can grow as interactive human beings and not as mere login IDs. As far as learning is concerned, the answers to these questions depend on the effectiveness of the teacherhow well the teacher can blend various types of learning, part computer lesson, part classroom instruction. Though technology can certainly enhance traditional methods of learning, it cannot replace the human touch.
Is technology accessible to all?
It is said that education is no longer a privilege solely of the elite. The information on the Internet is there for all to access, without discrimination. Is this really true, or is universal access a mere myth? While general access is not denied, some children in the vast underdeveloped, rural, and suburban regions of the country may not be exposed to computers and other technology because of their inferior socioeconomic status. A student living in a poor underdeveloped region may not have a PC at home and with limited number of computers available in the school, he or she may get to use a computer only for a short time, or only as a once-a-week activity instead of a regular class period. This puts these children at a disadvantage in learning technological functions. Likewise, poor districts are also most likely not to be the recipients of other technological modes of learning.
