How Has Technology Changed Education?

 

               How Has Technology Changed Education?

Technology has impacted almost every aspect of life today, and education is no exception. Or isn't it? In a way, education is what it has been for many years. A 14th-century illustration by Laurentius de Voltolina depicts a university lecture in medieval Italy. The scene is easily recognizable because of its parallels to today.The teacher lectures from a podium at the front of the room while the students sit in rows and listen. Some of the students have open books in front of them and seem to be joining in. Some look boring. Some talk to their neighbors.One seems to be sleeping. Today's classrooms don't look much different, although you might notice that modern students are looking at their laptops, tablets, or smartphones instead of books (although they're probably open to Facebook). A cynic would say that technology has done nothing to change education.

 

In many ways, however, technology has fundamentally transformed education. On the one hand, technology has greatly expanded access to education.In the Middle Ages, books were scarce and only an elite minority had access to educational opportunities. People had to travel to learning centers to get an education. Fingertips to the web, and formal learning opportunities are available online around the world through Khan Academy, MOOCs, podcasts, traditional online degree programs and more. Access to learning opportunities is on an unprecedented scale today thanks to technology.

Technology has also expanded the possibilities for communication and collaboration. Traditionally, classrooms have been relatively isolated and collaboration has been limited to other students in the same room or building. Technology today enables forms of communication and collaboration that were unimaginable in the past. For example, students in a rural U. classroom can learn about the Arctic by following a team of scientists' expedition to the region, read the scientists' blogpost, view photos, email questions to scientists and even talk live with scientists via video conference. Students can share what they learn with students in other classrooms in other states who are following the same expedition. Students can collaborate on group projects using technology-based tools such as wikis and Google Docs. Classroom walls are no longer a barrier as technology enables new ways of learning, communicating and collaborating.

Technology has also started to change the roles of teachers and students. In the traditional classroom, as we see in De Voltolina's illustration, the teacher is the main source of information and the students receive it passively. This model of the teacher as “sage on the stage” has existed in pedagogy for a long time and is still very pronounced today. Because of the access to information and educational opportunities that technology has made possible, in many classrooms today we are seeing the teacher's role shift towards one of “additional guidance” as students take more responsibility for their own learning using technology and relevant information collect.Schools and colleges across the country are beginning to redesign learning spaces to accommodate this new model of education, encouraging more interaction and small group work, and using technology as a enabler.

 

Technology is a powerful tool that can support and transform education in many ways, from making it easier for teachers to create learning materials to opening up new ways for people to learn and work together. With the global reach of the internet and the ubiquity of smart devices that can connect to it, a new era of anytime, anywhere education is dawning. It is up to instructional designers and educational technologies to make the most of the opportunities technology offers to transform education so that effective and efficient education is available to everyone, everywhere.