Technology has led game-changing developments in today’s education

“Change is the only constant thing.” – Heraclitus

In the past, education was happening solely with the help of a teacher. H/she was always the one to spearhead the learning process. Today, with the help of technology aids, the learning process is no more solely dependent on the teacher.

In today’s era, one who wants to learn can easily access various educational resources, owing to technological developments of course. After all, every field today is almost aided by technology, with education being no exception. Technology has opened many opportunities and changed the aspects of learning and education.

Various countries have adopted technology in the field of education – some adopted completely and some are in the process of complete implementation. Where does India stand in this list? India is lagging behind many other countries in the process of making the full use of technology for the growth and success of its education system. Nonetheless, it is trying its best to integrate modern technologies with the education system.

In the olden days of school and colleges, books were the only source of knowledge to students as well as to teachers. Teachers also made their teaching notes only with the help of books but today, the internet is replete with sources relevant to the disciplines they teach.

In the good old days, knowledge was theoretical. However today, knowledge is made relevant to the real life. Today, no school has done away with the black board and chalk, as these elements are still vital to a classroom. It is just that schools today blend traditional methods of teaching with the modern.

There are many sources of knowledge, including books, journals, online blogs and forums, encyclopedias, and other online sources rich in educational content. Teachers use various available sources to gather updated information and deliver the knowledge to their students. They are able to teach the curriculum better with audio-visual aids. Students have a wide variety of information sources at their reach, and thus, they are able to learn better.

Benefits of technology

For students:

1. Active learning: Students get more interested and can focus better in the course material because of the use of audio-visual aids. These aspects increase their curiosity and creativity.

2. Better learning: Research has revealed that people learn better, when they are more interested and engaged. Technological aids help teachers teach lessons in a beautiful and interesting style. For example, KG students can learn poems better with the use of audio version of poems and can visual science concepts better with the help of virtual models.

3. Distance learning: Technology has enabled distance learning for knowledge-seekers. In distance learning, students need not come to a common place. Instead, they can study from their place. In addition to books, other course materials, such as video tutorials and presentations, are used in this learning method.

4. Group learning: Students can learn better in a group where knowledge is shared and different levels of minds interact with each other – asking questions and solving problems with each other. Technology supports and promotes group learning through forums, online groups, mail lists, and various other communication mediums.

5. Online learning: Internet is a source of vast information and students have open access to this knowledge. Students can read blogs, join mail lists as well as online groups, and read encyclopedias.

6. Individual pacing: In the class, teachers teach in their own pace and students are required to learn at that same pace. However, many students find it difficult to understand various topics at teacher’s pace. This problem is solved if students are provided with digitized course materials, which allow students to learn at their own individual pace. This helps in imparting knowledge effectively.

For teachers:

1. Better course materials: Teachers can take help of modern technologies to generate digitized and quality-driven course materials, including presentations, quizzes, animated videos, etc., which can be distributed to students and other teachers. These materials can then be provided through CD/DVD ROMs, flash drives, or Internet.

2. Better communication: They can use various technology products to communicate to their students in an easier and quicker way. They can make use of online forums, groups, mail lists, IRC channels, etc.

3. Better feedback: They can use various survey methods, like polls, survey forms, etc. to get feedback from students. Students’ response will let teachers better understand students, their progress, and expectations from the course.

Technology plays an important role in today’s learning process. At the end of the day, it won’t be wrong to say that technology has changed the learning process into an interesting, educative, effective, and interactive process, which is better for everyone involved.

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