The world is changing as a whole, and so does education. The rising popularity of technology gives it access to almost every aspect of human existence. With education being one of the core elements of the latter, technology has already started a revolution in the way people learn and teach, process information, and use it later on in their life. Teachers need to adapt their lesson delivery techniques and use the assets technology has to offer to bring the learning experience to a new level.
Technology Is Reshaping Education
In 2011, the University of Stanford offered an Artificial Intelligence course free and online, where Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig, best-known experts on AI, were the instructors. Considering the rising popularity of technology, students from 190 countries got interested in the course, and the total number of people involved in learning AI there was around 160,000. A demand no one had anticipated. This is only one demonstration of the way technology is going to impact education. It is going to change the very dynamics of education, the relationship between teachers and students, material delivery methods, and the overall learning experience.
Technology has already brought massive change to global education, and it is noticeable even in the poorest countries of the world. With the advent of remote devices, like smartphones, tablets, and laptops, one can learn online, wherever they are. Students can watch an online lecture while taking a train, do a quiz while waiting in a supermarket line, or listen to audiobooks while working out at the gym. Technology makes education more inclusive and accessible. As long as one has a technology device and steady Internet connection, they can take control of their self-education.
The way teachers deliver information and the way students absorb it has also changed. Old teaching techniques and methods are not as effective and relevant as they used to be. Using technology when giving classes is becoming something of a necessity rather than a choice. If teachers want their students to keep up with the rest of the world and process information equally fast, they need to integrate technology into their teaching to make it more interactive and engaging.
At present, what defines a perfect learning institution is a place where students, teachers, and technology all come together to revolutionize learning. Studies can now take place not only within the walls of one’s school but also remotely. Students can access all of their learning materials while being outside of their class that thus control their educational process better. Furthermore, if they are running behind schedule or struggling with their assignments, they can also use technology to reach out to an educational platform for academic writing, where they can get professional assistance with their studies.
How Technology-Empowered Learning Works
The introduction of technology into studying does not mean that it will substitute face-to-face learning. Instead, it empowers and improves the conventional education techniques. Purely face-to-face or purely online learning is not good enough to reach excellent academic results. Recent studies prove that blended learning, which combines face-to-face and online learning, is the best option out there. It transforms the usual role of a teacher into that of a coach and a facilitator giving educational support and guidance to students who have free access to learning platforms and materials.
“What makes conventional face-to-face learning still relevant?”, one might think. Well, as gregarious creatures, we all seek social interaction. It is not only cognitive learning that face-to-face interaction forsters, but also social skills and communication. That’s why it is imperative for students to be able to spend some time face-to-face with eachother and with their professors. Thus, technology-empowered learning aims at using innovative tools to improve conventional teaching approaches. In modern terms, it gives something of an upgrade to the outdated systems and techniques that lie in the core of global education.
To make their lessons more effective, teachers can use videos, visual presentations, interactive quizzes, and questionnaires for their students to memorize the presented information better. Educators can use chatting channels to create discussion groups and give their students a chance to exchange their learning experiences and tricks on how to be better at studies. In their own turn, students get to use digital notepads, online scheduling tools, helpful apps, audiobooks, and interactive games to make the learning process engaging and entertaining at the same time.
The Challenge of Technology-Empowered Learning
As with all things in life, there are certain challenges that come with the use of technology in learning. Among the main problems that complicate modern learning are distractions and lack of physical exercise.
With all the tech devices functioning as a channel of learning and information delivery, it is easy for students to get distracted when trying to focus on the class. They might have a phone to watch, a laptop they put their notes in, and a projector they need to look at to follow the lecture – everything next to them at the same time. All of these technologies might clutter the learning space and distract students from trying to process and memorize the information they are being presented with. Additionally, there is also the problem of social media channels each tech device is connected to, which also tends to distract students from their studies.
Another challenge of technology-empowered learning comes with reduced amounts of physical activities for students. When looking for materials for their studies, students don’t need to go to the university library rooms. They can easily access all of those materials while sitting in their home chair and eating a sandwich. When doing some research, questionnaire, or conducting an interview for their paper, they can get in touch with the person they need via video and once again reach their educational goal while sitting in the very same chair and having a piece of cake. And this goes on and on to the point where technology helps students reach their educational goals without even leaving their room, which is not always a good thing.