In today’s world, digital technologies are becoming an integral part of everyday life. Educational institutions know how important technology is in education, so they are not left behind. They actively introduce them into the educational process. Technologies are used in various aspects of the learning and education process: from solving administrative tasks to doing homework online.
Digital education creates new opportunities for learning. But besides the obvious pluses of modern technologies, there are also minuses – pitfalls that educators face when implementing them. Find out how technology can facilitate the teaching process and why teachers shouldn’t be afraid of it.
Related: Online Classrooms: How Technology has Revolutionized Education
Benefits of Technology in the Education
1. Technology allows for more experimentation and instant feedback
Modern technologies allow children to become more active participants in the educational process and teachers — to create new approaches, methods, and models of teaching and learning. For example, a teacher can conduct an online survey at any stage of a lecture to find out the level of mastery of the material being studied.
The learning process becomes more dynamic with the use of digital textbooks when a student can use links to relevant materials or resources. Children can search for answers to the questions posed, form their own position and then defend it.
2. Technology helps to engage in the learning and Education process
Online surveys and other digital tools help to engage all learners, including those who are shy or do not usually take the initiative. Online systems allow for regular feedback, including student feedback on the accessibility of learning materials and assignments.
Data analysis allows the teacher to identify the difficulties of each child easily. This means that he will be able to help in time. The teacher can also identify areas where students can compete. This will make it easy to adjust each student’s work or work in a group.
3. There are many resources for organizing students’ productive Educational activities
There is no shortage of mobile applications and e-textbooks tools that significantly change the organization of learning activities. Some technology devices use different types of stimulation and help to assimilate information in the learning and education process and apply competitive scenarios to distribute points and rewards to make the learning process more exciting and attractive. An important prerequisite for using such devices is meeting the learning objectives.
4. Technology can help educators automate or simplify a number of tedious duties
Automation can make routine tasks easier and less time-consuming, such as tracking student attendance and performance. Modern technological tools simplify the systematization and selection of individual assignments for students. They help to track the activity of their participation in discussions, etc.
Modern technological means allow you to visualize difficult-to-perceive and understand educational material. This, in turn, reduces the effort and time spent by the teacher on the explanation. For example, augmented reality technology allows students to create molecules of complex chemical compounds from atoms in a virtual environment using their own hands for educational purposes. Due to the effect of presence, the technology allows demonstrating the education process more effectively than a presentation on a screen or a picture on paper.
5. Technology provides instant access to relevant information and fosters important source skills
The value of the learning process is enhanced when information in textbooks can be quickly updated and supplemented. Modern technology enhances communication and creates a more productive learning environment. Students can share information, work together on group projects and interact with the teacher by joining groups on the Internet.
6. Knowing how to use technology is a life skill and an important type of literacy
Possessing digital literacy is more than having “discrete technology skills.” Today, it is about having a deep understanding of digital environments that enables intuitive adaptation to new contexts and collaborative content creation with other learners. Presentation creation, learning to find reliable sources on the Internet, maintaining proper online etiquette, etc., are life skills that students can learn in the classroom. These skills will be useful to every child throughout their lives. Digital literacy can help educational organizations improve the quality of learning and always allow learning outcomes to remain relevant.
Some negative effects of technology on education
1. Technology can distract from the learning process
Studies have shown that smartphones and gadgets distract children from learning.
Must Read: Benefits of Using Social Media for Education
2. Technology can have a negative impact on students’ education’ communication skills and social interaction
Many educators dislike gadgets because they reduce students’ engagement in real live interaction. However, if the learning experience involves the use of technology tools, oral presentations, and group collaboration, children will actively interact with each other.
Technology is a tool that can greatly enhance the learning process, but it is not an end in itself. A modern teacher must be able to use it competently, keep it under control, and know the benefits.
3. Technology can provoke cheating and avoidance of assignments in education
Students have always found ways to evade assignments. Digital technology makes it even easier to copy and use someone else’s work to buy a ready-made essay or presentation online. But a reliable cheap essay service can provide you with original content that won’t be plagiarized and won’t put your academic success at risk.
4. Students do not have equal access to technology resources
Not all learners can afford a tablet, laptop, smartphone, or even constant access to the internet. They can be offered assignments that allow them to work in a group and share resources and encouraged to use libraries or other organizations where they can access technology.
5. The quality of sources on the Internet leaves much to be desired
The Internet is a blessing and a curse. Students will benefit from knowing how to distinguish quality sources of information from unreliable ones. Educational organizations can create a list of e-learning resources that students can trust, use, copy, and adapt.
Proper use of Technology gadgets in education
Modern schoolchildren learn more productively thanks to new technologies because they boldly and confidently use useful and necessary programs. The most important thing is to help your child to direct his actions and interests in the right direction.
Let’s find out how children can properly use their gadgets for learning.
Measure
Many people know that spending a long time behind the screen of a gadget not only spoils eyesight but also impairs the quality of sleep and the ability to concentrate on one thing. Thus, schoolchildren who spend too much time on technology like smartphones/tablets/laptops can not concentrate on their education without being distracted by their gadgets. The best solution is to gently and clearly explain to the child that limiting the time in front of the screen is better because it negatively affects their health and productivity.
Classes with a teacher
Now it is possible to study with a tutor without leaving home – online. In order to start lessons, you only need a gadget in working condition and a stable Internet connection. You don’t need to go anywhere; spend your time and money on traveling.
The best investment in your child’s future will be learning foreign languages. In the network, you can find many courses, schools of foreign languages, websites, and platforms engaged in the selection of tutors. You can choose the best teacher for your child who will provide informative and interesting lessons.
Apps
Your child spends most of his time playing games on his gadget. You can help them to channel their free time in a more useful way. Together, choose interesting technology apps that will engage your child and help them with learning and education. In this way, studying on the phone will be fun and beneficial.
Media content
Of course, everyone likes to watch funny videos on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. But the question is what kind of content it is and what it gives people. Often they are meaningless videos, which do not increase vocabulary and do not increase the level of development. Therefore, finding interesting educational and informative video and audio materials for your child is worth it.
