The Impact of Technology on Education - Research Paper Example

?[Your full full October 13, The Impact of Technology on Education In the present world, technology has an influence on almost every field of life (McCoy). However, there are some fields where the impact of technology is more apparent than others. As Thadani states, “the latest developments in technology can be seen and felt in many industries, but there are some areas that have been benefited more than others” (1). Some of those fields include long distance communication, nursing and healthcare, product design and manufacturing, ecommerce, and education. In this paper, we will discuss the impact of technology on education. The aim is to know how different technologies are making educational system more interactive and beneficial for teachers and learners. Education and technology are directly related to each other. Education feeds technology, which in turn, serves education (Fodje). Technology has become an essential part of all educational systems (Pratt). The reason is that the use of technology in classrooms has opened up a way towards an interactive learning environment for students where they have an easy access to knowledge. In the present world, the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education has become extremely important because of the wide range of benefits associated with it. In the field of education, ICT supports both teachers and learners in exchanging information and knowledge in such a way that communication distances between students and teachers become shorter and access to knowledge becomes easy. As Singleton states, “ICT incorporates products that store, receive, manipulate, transmit or retrieve digital information under a single umbrella” (1). The main reason behind using ICT in educational sector is to help teachers and students in transferring and receiving knowledge in an interactive way. Technology is not only assisting teachers in designing and delivering lectures effectively but also it is helping students in adapting to the needs of professional life where technology is used to manage business processes. Therefore, we can say that the use of technology in education is critical for making students able to survive and progress successfully in the rapidly changing professional environment. Having discussed the need for using technology in educational sector, let us now discuss some of the ways technology is making the processes of teaching and learning easier for teachers and students respectively. Smart Boards Smart boards help teachers in presenting lectures to large audiences using big white screens. This technology not only benefits teachers in communicating knowledge to students but also helps students in learning the knowledge. Students usually take more interest in studies when their teachers make use of technology for knowledge transfer. As Dekunder states, “SMART Boards, which are made by SMART Technologies of Canada, are interactive whiteboards that are mounted to a wall, like a chalkboard, and connected to a computer and projector” (1). Here, an important point to mention is that smart board is a newer a technology than ordinary projectors. Using ordinary projectors, teachers cannot make any changes to the display being shown on the screen, whereas smart boards have a touch sensitive screen using which one can touch the text and can make changes wherever needed. Smart boards play a major role in creating an interactive learning environment. Another advantage of using smart boards is that teachers do not need to sit behind the computer system all the time while delivering lectures; rather they can move in front of the white screen of smart board to edit the data or to move to the next page or slide. The impact of every technology is positive for education considering the ease they provide to both teachers and students. Smart board is one of those technologies the demand of which is increasing in the educational sector with every passing day because of their reliable and high quality built-in mechanism of image display and editing. LCD Projectors As Dellaporta states, “LCD projectors are the technological descendants of overhead and slide projectors, older systems which serve the same purpose” (1). LCD projectors are also a new technology that is having a significant impact on equipment demand of many schools. Teachers use LCD projectors for presenting lectures to students in a clear and interactive way. Students also enjoy learning in such environments where latest technologies are used for knowledge transfer. LCD projectors provide a way for the teachers to display images from computers and cameras in such a way that every student in the class is able to see clear images. LCD projectors help teachers in creating visual aids, engaging students in the process of learning, and in showing high contrast images to students. Microphones Voice straining is a problem for some teachers which can be overcome using microphones in classrooms. Microphones are also one of the main technologies that are playing their roles in making classroom environment interactive for students. According to Verial, microphones provide the benefit of avoiding straining of voice during the time they deliver lectures. Therefore, in order to convey message clearly, teachers make use of microphones in large classrooms. Today, the use of high quality microphones for clear transmission of voice is being widely accepted in many high profile schools. As Verial asserts, “the microphone allows a teacher to project her voice in manner that allows all students in the classroom to hear clearly” (1). The cost of microphones is also not very expensive, because of which every one can make use of it including teachers and students. Students use them for delivering presentations in large rooms where voice usually does not reach all ends properly. In such cases, the use of microphones becomes essential. Microphones have been proven a reliable way for making voice reach all students clearly. Television Televisions are also playing a considerable role in creating an interactive learning environment in schools. Students enjoy watching documentaries on televisions that their teachers show to them. Particular in nursing education, the role of televisions become even more significant. For example, in nursing schools, instructors use televisions to show how healthcare practitioners provide treatments to their patients. Similarly, the professors show documentaries on different aspects of nursing and treatments. The documentaries shown by teachers help students in gathering information about elderly nursing care programs, old and latest nursing equipment, ways of diagnosing different diseases, and ways to provide different types of medical treatments. The use of televisions is really providing a great assistance to teachers in providing relevant and up to date information to students. Internet Internet has a big influence on the field of education and information technology (Honeyford). Information technology plays the most considerable role in improving the learning environment in schools. Even some universities are making use of it for providing distance education to students. Internet labs have become a key part of almost every school and college where students can search information related to their subjects. In the labs, students can also complete their assignments by consulting the web. The web-based instructional mechanism is very effective as it provides high level of interactivity to the students. One of the key advantages of web-based instructional method is that it promotes individualized learning environment. Internet also plays a key role in providing distance education to students, which is one of the main areas of discussion these days regarding higher education (Proulx). In this regard, the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) has played a considerable role by promoting online educational system and use of technology in learning, teaching, and coaching areas to meet the pace of the digital age. According to Reynolds, a number of educational institutes all over the word are using online educational systems to improve learning experience of the students. NETS also offer guidelines for students, teachers, coaches, and administrators so that they can become skilled in the use of technology for teaching learning, and administrative purposes. If we talk about NETS for teachers, we can say that they are the set of standards that are used to assess teachers’ skills and knowledge regarding teaching in today’s global environment. ISTE fosters the use of latest technologies to enhance teaching and learning practices. Similarly, NETS for students are the set of standards that are used to assess students’ skills and knowledge regarding learning in today’s digital world (“International Society for Technology in Education” 1). NETS for students not only promote the use of technology in online environments for research processes but also for communicating with teachers and other students. Moreover, administrators can also improve their skills and performance using digital resources and modern technology for administrative purposes. This integration of digital resources in administrative practices is improving overall teaching and learning experiences for both teachers and students. Summing it up, the use of technology is having a positive impact on the field of education. Some of the main effects of technology on education include improved message delivery, increased reach, improved grades and outcomes, and improved level of communication (Murray). Teachers and administration of schools, colleges, and universities all over the world make use of different technological equipments to provide high quality education to students. Some of the technological equipments being widely used for instructional delivery include internet, smart boards, and projectors. The time is not far away when the use of latest technologies will become a necessity for every school creating a real interactive learning environment at schools. Works Cited Dekunder, David. “All SCUC classrooms equipped with SMART Boards.” Mysanantonio.com, 26 Aug. 2010. n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. Dellaporta, Jack. “What are LCD Projectors?.” Wisegeek.com, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. Fodje, Mercy. “The impact of technology to education in the developing countries.” Icte.org, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. Honeyford, Delaney. “Impact of Technology on Education.” Hastac.org, 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. International Society for Technology in Education. “The ISTE Standards family.” Iste.org, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. McCoy, William. “Five Positive Effects of Technology on Education.” Chron.com, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. Murray, Jacqui. “The Huge Impact of Technology on Education.” Cisco.com, 05 Jun. 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. Pratt, Crytal. “Incorporating NETS into Your Homeschool.” Articlesbase.com, 11 Sept. 2009. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. Proulx, Chris. “5 Ways Technology Will Impact Higher Ed in 2013.” Forbes.com, 12 Nov. 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. http://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2012/12/11/5-ways-technology-will-impact-higher-ed-in-2013/ Thadani, Rahul. “Benefits of Technology.” Buzzle.com. 01 Oct. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. Singleton, Adam. “So, What is ICT?.” Ezinearticles.com, 11 Jun. 2010. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. Verial, Damon. “Technology Equipment for the Classroom.” Ehow.com, 04 Feb. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. Read More