Diffusion of Technology in Society - Essay Example

Technological changes and its effects in colleges Technology refers to a collection of methodologies applied in the production of commodities used inthe satisfaction of human wants and achievement of various objectives including scientific research.it either be having the knowledge of the techniques or be contained within different machineries. Technological changes which may also be referred to as technological development encompasses the coming up with technologies besides their commercialization through extensive research continuously making the already invented technology better i.e. improving on it and spreading the technology throughout the society. Technology has a very wide range ranging from the simple tools such as the wooden spoon to the very complicated gadgets such as a particle accelerator and technological changes involved the evolution from using the simple tools to the application of the very complicated and detailed machines used today. The changes in technology has not only affected the education sector but the community as a whole as it has enhanced development in advanced technologies, led to the rise of leisure class among other effects. Background for Technologies Technology started way back in the early stone age periods when man used his little knowledge and experience to make simple tools for various purposes and such tools greatly changed his way of ;living and from them there has emerged new knowledge enhanced the creation of newer and better tools and machines. The Stone Age revolutionized into the copper and bronze ages which was basically smelting of the two metals though such an invention had very limited impact to the society as the metals were rare and as such Iron Age emerged with the smelting of iron technology. Thin saw the production of more strong, lighter and less expensive tools. With its associated advantages, iron technology was quickly advanced and gave rise to ancient technology which produced the greatest advancements in engineering and technology. Inventions in this technology included ramps for use during construction, invention of the wheel, cuneiform form of writing, seismological detectors, multi-tube seed drill, myriad inventions, invention of the natural gas as a source of fuel among other sophisticated inventions. Ancient technology marked the gate through into the industrial revolution that was basically characterized by the development of the steam engine that had massive effects in the textile, mining and transport sector. Inventions of telegraphy, incandescent lamps and steam ships were made during this period. After the First World War, i.e. during the twentieth century, very rapid technological changes were experienced with communication technology, broad teaching, technology in the transport sector contributed to advancements in the technology and science of the modern times. The war led to the invention of electronic computing as a result of military research .other inventions during this period included internet, automobile, telephone, radio and television, computers, space crafts. Inventions in the 20th century such as the computer, internet, and space crafts have enhanced more research and developments in science and technology of the 21st century. The center of focus of inventions in the 21st century is electronics making broadband internet access a common feature in developed countries. Scientific research is in progress in nanotechnology, integrated circuits, biotechnology among other types of technologies with the aim of coming up with cheaper, better and convenient ways of solving issues. Types of technology Learning management systems These are programs and software used in educating learners through delivering and tracking of the learning information. Involves a large range of soft wares from maintaining the records of education to the programs used in the distribution of learning materials online. Example includes Moodle, canvas. Computer-aided assessment It’s also referred to as e-assessment and includes a computer pausing questions to a student to and then the computer gives the answers mostly focusing on the students mistakes. The questions are put in sets and subsets in which the completion of one set gives an opportunity to go through the next set. Electronic performance support system Electronic performance support system is a software made available and easily accessible to the employees of a company to enable them have access to full doze information regarding instructions on various issues from their employers.in this way, the employee productivity is improved. Virtual classrooms Also known as learning platforms and has been used to replace the brick and mortar learning environment. Involves a combination of numerous technologies in communication to create a link between the learners and the teacher, other learner or the parents such that the teachers and the parents,the students can also get access to information in case they missed classes. Social networks Include Facebook, twitter, and webpages and not restricted to webpages. These act as site that bring a huge number of students and tutors together at the same time facilitating collaborative education in which students share ideas, thoughts and suggestions. Whiteboards This is one of the earliest types of technology that has been used since the earliest times. Whiteboards enabled the students to learn from touch screens in which the lectures used as a medium to pass the information via writing on the screens. Advancements have been made on the screens so that they are adjustable to display images, images besides writings and they can be planned well to serve multipurposely. Uses of technology Social networks The social networks are i.e. blogs, webpages and the wikii are used interactively by students and lecturers to share their ideas and thoughts online creating an all-inclusive learning atmosphere. The social networks are also used as leisure sites where students chat, talk and send each other messages. Social networking acts encourage self-efficacy among the students hence motivating the students. Whiteboards Whiteboards give the learners and tutors to write on a touch screen and settings can be done to achieve desired output from the whiteboard such as an interactive and a fully participative learning. The whiteboards also motivate the students building their interest in learning. Virtual classrooms Virtual learning environments allow students to communicate with their tutors through microphones, webcam and real-time chats and also enable students to have direct and instant access to information between the lecturer and the students. When combined with management information systems it enhances handling of the whole course via consistent user interface all over the institution. Learning management systems Educators use learning management systems to go through and award student assessments in exams, inform his/her class on any announcements and to take part in class discussions while students use learning management systems in responding to the questions posted by their teachers and submitting their assignments for assessment. Computer-aided assessment This technology is used in the assessment of the student understanding and mastery of what he had learnt.The computer takes the student through a number of consistent questions including both what he has learnt and that he has not. Online learning E-learning enables students who are not able to attend classes in in the traditional brick and mortar schools due to various reasons such as fear of being bullied or outbreak of violence in schools to gain access to the same education and learn the same curriculum as those in classes. This is possible anywhere provided the student has access to internet. Screen casting Screen casting is used by learners to make available online video that contain information regarding their class assignments and activities.in so doing everyone in the class gains access to the information regarding course progress without necessarily being in class. Effects of technology Increased the span of participation in education as the learning materials especially the online learning materials has enhanced access to a wider audience spread all over a vast area Technology has motivated the students and built more on their interests as the students are gaining within a short time when learning via computer-based instructions thus the students tend to have positive attitude towards learning. Besides using technology in learning the student also get to learn the computer themselves into details giving them a practical aspect and skills in the field of technology. The students thus become enlightened in not only their field of study but also technologic42ally composed fitting well in the society. Technology has enabled access to a lot of information that was not accessible in the ancient times. To all the students worldwide allowing the students to access the same information and data regardless of their geographical location. Online learning gives an opportunity to students who might have extra talents time to practice their talents and at the same time attend their educational programs with minimal inconveniencies and ensuring both are fully attended to. Countries have spent huge lump sums of money adopting the changes in technology and yet such investments do not return any to the economy of such states other than improvement in the student skills. Adoption of technological changes does not necessarily mean guarantee to effective and convenient learning and use of such technology in inappropriate ways produce even worse results. Technological changes have created unrealialistic promises among the students with most of the students perceiving the advancements as a solution to their academic problems as opposed to interacting with the technology to build on their skills. Effects of Technology Changes on Non-Traditional Students Technological advancements have enabled the non-traditional students to attend to access learning without necessarily going into the brick and mortar structures thus saving them from the ambush from rushing to classes. Technology changes especially cell phones, ipads and laptops have enabled the non-traditional students to store effectively store information regarding their learning. The non-traditional students are relieved the burden of carrying with them bulky papers. Non-traditional students are challenged with the adoption of the new technologies as they are slow to adopting the rapid changes in the modern science and technology. They therefore have to spend more time striving to grasp the contents of the new advancements Changes in technology have a non-neglible effect on the future of undergraduate population. More students are continually attracted to such inventions thus the number of students joining community colleges in the future is expected to be on the rise. At the same time the new changes allow for student access to learning programs without necessarily attending classes into the colleges as a result there would be a significant number of learners taking distant learning. From the skills and experiences the students gain from using the new inventions, usage of such inventions will continue growing in the future as better and more convenient advancements will emerge. References DeLuca, G. (2013). Dialogue on Writing: Rethinking Esl, Basic Writing, and First-year Composition. New York: Routledge. Keengwe, J. (2013). Pedagogical Applications and Social Effects of Mobile Technology Integration. 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