With a new era of technology, a lot of things changed, including the way of studying. A lot of learning processes are computerised now, while teachers are using new teaching approaches. Which limitations the education technology brings?
What are its advantages?
Essay on Technology in the Classroom: Advantages and Disadvantages
It is quite obvious that introducing technology into the studying process is a significant breakthrough in teaching. Teachers, parents, students and policy makers were discussing the benefits and risks of this trend for a long time, weighing all the consequences. However, this discussion is becoming now more wide-spread since different technologies are incorporated into curricula, while professors adopt new teaching methods and approaches.
Some of those technologies include online learning platforms that allow students to study at their own pace and virtual classrooms. There are even options for teachers to make their own online course for 2023, filled with interactive materials, videos, quizzes, and other activities. This means that students and teachers have a much wider range of resources to work with, and ultimately makes the process more efficient and enjoyable for both sides.
Of course, using technology while education process in the classroom allows teachers to experiment in subjects, especially in pedagogy, democratize classroom organization, and make students more engaged. At the same time, education technology is often seen by many as a process of distraction, which fosters cheating.
Nowadays students are well-familiar with different technologies. It can be said that they have grown up with it. However, if we are speaking about education technology in the classroom, it goes not only about digital devices – it is also about technologies aimed to facilitate the process of interaction between teacher and student. There are many opinions, from which technology can be seen as an obstacle or a way to improve effectiveness.
So, among the pros of education technology are:
- It provides with the opportunity to experiment with pedagogy more in the classroom and get immediate feedback. It enables more active learning. For example, it increases engagement due to the online polling, or there can be some questions asked during the lectures with instant results available.
- Using the technology in the classroom ensures complete participation. Due to the online polling and other useful tools available, it will be much easier to make students engaged. Even those students who are too shy to raise their hands normally during the classes will participate as well. Online systems allow teachers to regularly check the feedback on the material from students. The same is about gathering data concerning learning spots, where students might be struggling. It helps then to adjust to the learning process better.
- There is a great number of resources for making education more effective and interesting. The variety of apps and programs is endless. It gives an opportunity for teachers to pick up something that will make the process of learning more interesting for students. Gamification is good to be used here. By giving students a chance to learn new material through developing and useful game, a feedback will be perfect. It also includes some role play scenarios and competitions.
- With the technology in a classroom, students have instant and free access to reliable and fresh material concerning this or that issue, what can contribute greatly to their understanding and learning experience. It also helps to create a collaborative environment between learners, who are able to study together and share information.
The cons of education technology, which bring some limitations:
- Using technology in the classroom can be distracting. It is stated that some students use their phones, laptops, and tablets in the wrong way during lectures. It distracts them and those around them as well. The learning process cannot be considered as successful if students do not pay attention to the guidelines.
- Technology can decrease the level of social interaction among students, who will prefer chatting and sharing information online. It is said that students can lose the ability to communicate verbally and cooperate with people in a team.
- Technology can foster cheating in the classroom. Actually, students always find some ways to cheat during the test or writing assignments. Furthermore, free access to digital devices provide students with a chance to simply copy and paste some information from the Internet. To stem this, educators can check paper for plagiarism for free for many free sites.
- Not all students can afford to buy devices needed for a computerised way of studying. It means that not all have an equal access to the learning material. In such circumstances, these students should be directed to the library, or there should be some assignments created which enable working and sharing information together.
