Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning
Sep 14, 2021
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Learners today differ from those who designed our educational system. Classrooms are being remodeled and redefined in various ways to meet the evolving needs of modern digital learners as technology advances.According to a PEW survey, 92% of teachers believe that the internet has improved their ability to access content, resources, and materials.
Simple applications of digital media tools, such as webcams that allow for non-disruptive peer observation, hold great promise for providing teachers with timely feedback.
Technology in education today
Contrary to popular belief, technology in education is not limited to digital whiteboards, learning management systems, and devices used to edit PDF.
Technology in education is a significant component of the 21st-century learning experience. Computers, video conferencing, and even artificial intelligence are notable examples that highlight the importance of technology in education.
However, integrating educational technology into the classroom is not always easy or successful. Many teachers and administrators face barriers to obtaining, installing, and utilizing technology in education.
Let's explore some challenges to educational technology adoption and use today.
Challenges of educational technology
Budget limitations
Budget cuts and limitations are the most significant factors limiting teachers' efforts to provide education technology to students. These budget constraints are tough to overcome because good education technology tools are expensive.
In cash-strapped schools, getting funds to implement and sustain technology in the classroom is a massive barrier to its adoption.
Poor network infrastructure
Giving a classroom full of students a box of laptops or notebooks will have no effect if the school lacks the network infrastructure to support them.
Solid network infrastructure provides fast internet connection in workspaces, data privacy, and access to digital resources.
Designing, constructing, and maintaining a solid network infrastructure requires great care and forethought to use technology in education effectively.
Lack of professional training
Every day, new and advanced educational technology emerges. Teachers must understand how to get the most out of each new tool for themselves and how to train their students to use it.
Giving a flashy new tool to a classroom that neither teacher nor the student can use is unlikely to improve any child's educational experience. And asking busy teachers to learn how a new platform works is frustrating and time-consuming.
Although training teachers and faculty staff take time and money, getting the desired impact of technology on education is necessary.
Resistance to change
Many teachers have shown resistance to change and a reluctance to adopt technology in schools. However, this resistance is not due to a dislike of technology on the part of teachers. Instead, it is partly due to teachers viewing learning a new teaching tool as a risky endeavor.
Although this resistance to change can be challenging, working with teachers to support them in adopting new technology in education can help make them more likely to embrace it.
With this in mind, let us look at the benefits of technology in education.
5 Benefits of technology in education
The examples below demonstrate the importance of technology in the classroom and its benefits to students and teachers.
Increased collaboration and communication
Technology in schools aids collaboration and communication. Teachers can interact with students during lessons, and students can also communicate with one another.
Students can also hone their collaboration skills by participating in various online activities and working on multiple projects. For example, they can share their thoughts with their peers on forums or exchange learning materials in the digital space.
Personalized learning opportunities
Access to educational resources is now possible at all times. Thanks to technological advancements, classes currently take place entirely online using a laptop or mobile device.
Technology offers numerous opportunities to improve the effectiveness of learning for people with a variety of needs. Students, for example, can learn at their own pace, review complex concepts, and skip ahead if necessary.
Furthermore, technology has the potential to expand opportunities for struggling or disabled students. And most importantly, access to the internet provides students with a wide range of resources, which increases classroom engagement.
Improved teacher productivity
Teachers can use technology to boost their productivity, implement useful digital tools to expand students' learning opportunities, and increase student support and engagement.
Similarly, technology in schools lowers the cost of physical instructional materials, increases the efficiency of educational programs, and makes the best use of teacher time.
Prepares students for the future
The role of technology in education is to prepare young people for the future. With that in mind, they need to master new technology to meet the demands of modern society.
As a result, students – and faculty staff – would be doing themselves a disservice if they did not incorporate and benefit from available technology.
Improve student engagement
Picture a bored student. He looks out the window, remembering the movie or TV show from the night before. The student tunes out the teacher's words with more entertaining thoughts, perhaps by drumming his fingers on the desk. In a nutshell, they're uninterested.
Take that same young learner or teen and plug them into a tablet or other device, and watch their interest in the learning process soar. The interactivity excites and draws a learner’s attention. Not only do students feel motivated and energized by technology in the classroom, but they also participate in active learning.
Immersive learning
Students nowadays want an immersive experience in everything, from school to online shopping. Fortunately, modern augmented and virtual reality tools now provide this hands-on experience.
Technology in education helps teachers to add AR-based tutorials to the curriculum. Essentially, students can now experience a different world while sitting in their classrooms or home-based learning spaces.
Conclusion
Technology will continue to evolve to meet changing needs in an increasingly digital world. Educators must remain reactive and attentive to technological developments in education.
Teachers and students can benefit from using technology in the classroom to develop skills necessary for the twenty-first century.
Add technology into the mix if you want your students to collaborate with others, solve complex problems, think critically, communicate better, and become productive.