Education and Technology: Evolving Together
Education often seems like a field that remains primarily untouched by the technological revolution. That is until recent times. With the end of the pandemic no where in sight, technology has stepped in to rescue of educational institutions. The rise of online learning has been meteoric. Zoom, Google Meet, etc have been at the forefront of the most recent revolution. But if you actually take a step back and see, education has always evolved with technology.
Technology has mainly made education more accessible. In the earlier days (read medieval) when education began to be widespread, books was a luxury few could afford. That changed with the advent of mass printing which was a by product of technological advancement. Similarly, today learners have access to massive amounts of information (books, audio, images, videos) all thanks to the internet, mobiles, laptops, etc.
Technology has opened new doors for students which previously would have seemed impossible. Traditionally, classrooms have been relatively isolated, and collaboration has been limited to other students in the same classroom or school. The age of the internet has helped classrooms go virtual. Today, students from different part of the globe can enroll in one class and by default become classmates. Students can collaborate on group projects using technology-based tools. The physical aspects of classrooms are no longer a restraint as technology has paved new ways of learning, communicating, and working collaboratively.
There are multiple sites that offer online courses such as Udemy and Corsera and there are sites that help you with your studies by providing personal tutoring such as Vidyalai.com. The access to learning opportunities today is unprecedented in scope thanks to technology.
Technology has also begun to question the traditional roles of teachers and learners. In the typical classroom, the teacher is considered to be the primary source of information, and the learners passively receive it. This “sage on the stage” method has been in practice in the field of education since the beginning and it is still very prevalent today. However, due to technology, today we see the teacher’s role gradually shifting towards the “guide on the side” approach as students are encouraged to be more independent regarding their own learning with the help of technological tools. Schools and universities across the globe are beginning to redesign classrooms to create space for new models and methods of education by using technology as an enabler.
Technology is indeed a powerful tool that with the right guidance and usage can support and transform education for the better. It can make the workload easier for teachers to help create instructional materials. With the help of technology and internet a new age of anyplace, anytime learning is dawning. It is upto us to make the most of this opportunity.
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