Impact of technology on education in developing countries
In the last 50 years education has seen a huge advancement in terms of technological assistance. Just 20 years back, computers were nowhere to be seen in classes, but today, this device owns a place in nearly every household and school. Having just a computer with/without an internet connection, one can reach out to every corner of the world. Technology has opened numerous paths not only for the students, but also the teachers to learn, teach and investigate.
Education in the developing countries is being promoted widely through web-based curriculum or e-learning systems at every level of education. The secondary education systems are the major platforms for providing rapid changes in terms of technology and education. Technological education makes available not only for the students but also the teachers high-quality teaching material in forms of videos and different interactive software, where students get to study from graphic prone lessons explained through high quality animation.
The most important feature and impact of technological education can be seen when talking about learners with special abilities, rural unreachability or children schooled at home. Today, technology in education travels beyond the classroom boundaries while teaching through digital education or the online classes and helps these students to learn, develop and stand with the world from within their surroundings and comfort zone. Such children can be taught successfully through the multimedia format of the lessons available for every subject. The lessons are well narrated and thereby deliver the experience of real time student-teacher interaction.
Technological education, apart from general knowledge, also teaches students about certain day-to-day situations. For instance, the children can be taught through hand-held devices like tablets or e-readers, thereby explaining to them the importance of trees and to reduce the use of paper, as far as possible.
Animated quizzes and games, on the other hand, are demonstrating an improved level of understanding and learning among the students. The e-learning way of teaching and learning also inculcates in the students the 21st century skills, i.e. collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving and creativity.
The impact and effectiveness of technology in education can be related closely with how it is used in the respective educational tool. The students, for instance, will learn well and much more when the e-learning module is engaged interactively with the content. Technological education can surely increase and instil motivation among the students especially in the underachieving students. In fact, there have been reports by the teachers stating that the tutorials for subjects like science and math have improved the performance of students significantly. In addition to the videos and animated lessons, word processing software in turn helps in improving the writing skills of the students.
However, simply providing the teachers with technological education for teaching would not have the desired impact in terms of results. Considerable effort should also be made by the government and education departments towards teacher training, infrastructure, assessment reform, curriculum development and formative evaluation.
With the introduction of e-learning modules in schools, the students feel more connected with the study material and the course. The animated modules for practical subjects help students by giving direct practical knowledge to understand the concepts better and deeply without leaving any space for doubts. The students in fact are also seen retaining more in terms of theoretical subjects when studying through the e-learning graphic prone modules. Technology is taking education at new heights where children can look forward to being a part of global education right from their respective places and tread the path of success.