How Technology has Changed Education | 10 Positive & Better Ways

Technology is ever changing and has changed education for better.

Currently we have come to the stage where most of the modernized technology is being used in the learning process.

It will be astonishing if one recollects of how technology has advanced and changed the education process in a decade or more.

Starting from the way of teaching, collecting information, practical demonstration, revision etc. the technology has been highly merged with education system.

It would be quite impossible to imagine the education at present without modern technology.

The technology has benefited every aspect of education and the process.

The modern technology has occupied prominent place in the restructuring of the education system.

The education has also diversified itself due to technology. Hence there are many new courses for study regarding technology.

10 Ways how technology has changed education.

1. Greater access to information: Due to online education, the study information is accessible in every part of the world. Be it remote areas or economically backward areas, still with the help of internet technology the education related material is accessible. Due to technology one cannot keep himself away from the knowledge.

how technology has changed educationWith a computer or even a mobile one can access unlimited education based information over the internet. Also e-books and other soft-copy formats are available for easy distribution among set of students.

2. Minimization of practical demonstrations: previously, teacher used to use live animals for experiments and other tedious methods to demonstrate a subject or principle.

Vitual labs are examples on how technology has changed education

Currently by use of animations and virtual lab videos, one can demonstrate the experiments very well. This in some way has minimized animal sacrifice in the name of science.

Even experiments related to chemical analysis, chromatography and other tedious ones can be shown in videos. Further purchase of expensive equipment’s for the practical demonstration can be avoided. Though, practical experimentation is indispensable, in case of lack of facilities and exposure related problems, this technology can be used instead.

3. Better understanding by 3D Figures: Previously we had two dimensional diagrams drawn on the board for teaching. This helped us understand the picture to a better extent but not complete. By use of current technology, the structures can be seen in three dimensional formats. The actual function and mode of operation can be viewed and easily understood.

Example the diagram of blood circulation system can be shown in a better video than a chalk diagram on the board.

Human-Anatomy-an-example-on-how-technology-has-changed-education-1

Further there us addition of back ground theme music and other enhancements to the presentation. This keeps the student attentive during teaching and enhances the memory of topic.

4. Ease of presentation: Presentation is a way of communication of your research or findings during study. This was previously done through rough diagrams on a paper. But due to advancement of technology, one can make power point slides for presentation. Even video presentations are also quite effectively. Making a poster for presentation is a breeze with use of right software for the purpose. All the highlights of the study can be presented in a colorful way by use of diagrams and scaling.

5. Ease in teaching: Teaching with a piece of chalk was an old strategy. But now with advancement of technology, there are interactive for better teaching. The teacher can avoid using writing and rubbing during the class. She can just focus on teaching while the interactive boards provide the display required.

6. Saves times: One of the main goals of technology is to save time. One can perform a lot of manual work in a very short time by use of this technology in education. For example writing with a pen is easier than writing with an ink and feather. Also typing a matter on a word file and taking print out of multiple copies is quite easier than typing multiple copies of the same matter.

Even grammar can be corrected by use of automated software like grammarly to save time.

I once heard that during 1990’s research scholars who have to submit 5 copies of their thesis used get five copies of whole thesis typed. This way a time consuming and also cumbersome technique adopted due to lack of technology. But now one can make a matter need for thesis on a single file in word format and take multiple copies as printout to make the required sets of thesis. Even this method avoids lot of typing errors like grammar and spelling mistakes.

7. Ease of assessment of talent: Now exams are conducted over a computer and results are announced immediately after completion of the test. Previously one has to write a test on a sheet of paper. This answer sheet used to be corrected over a period of days. Similarly previously when a batch of students write an objective based exam, It was corrected by set of evaluators. Currently the same exam is conducted over OMR (optical mark recognition) sheet for exam paper correction. This does the work very fast without any chances for errors.

8. Ease of transfer of information: Previously the only way to transfer information was through post. The books and journals were transferred across countries to distribute knowledge and findings. This was tedious and sometimes the information could pass over few months. Currently due to technology like email, websites and other communication systems, the information is transferred in minutes. This is quite easier and faster. The requirement for hard copies has also gone down drastically. This way it reduced the cost factor and also polluting waste.

9. Ease of storage of information: Previously, many books, journals were stored in hard back format. Due to this when there was a fire in the library, the whole set of wealthy information was lost. This lead to loss of useful resources the medical science like Ayurveda and also social sciences. Many poems and literature works were lost in course due to damage. Current technology allows us to store the material and information in virtual memory format. One can store the data on his computer, hard disk and even online in cloud servers. No damage to the information is possible by this method.

If the books are damaged the matter is available on a computer for taking out a print out. If computer is damaged, the material is stored over a hard disk for restoring it. As a lost resort one can also store on cloud storage (in different country). This helps the information always be present undamaged. You can use Google drive for the purpose.

10. Stay updated with information: Before advancement of technology, the knowledge flow was not uniform. This was due to lack of communication to the distant parts of the world. This lead to a chance of few people not being updated with latest developments in science and technology. Currently due to educational technology one can be up dated in real time. Any discovery is known immediately within minutes or hours to whole world.

11. Ease of communication: Now students in a school in remote part of the world can discuss  with those in distant parts of the world due to technology. Hence the gap of region differences in education is dropping fast.

Hence it is sure that technology has changed education in the recent past but it also has limitations of excess and unreliable information, loss of traditional methods.

But the modes of technology like online education, online exams, tuition etc. play an important role on enhancing the literacy rates.

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