Future of Technology on Education in the US - Research Proposal Example

Future of Technology on Education in the US of Your 17 November, Contents Introduction 3 Research Approach 4 Traditional Classroom Setting 5 Technological Changes 7 Imperatives and Pointers in Education Today 10 Technological Changes and Changes in Educational Methods 13 Teaching Standards 13 Teaching Methodology 14 Special/Needs Education 15 Public Policy 16 Curriculum & Assessment 16 Conclusion 17 Bibliography 19 Introduction Many analysts have identified that there have been more technological advancement in the past 30 years than in the past 3,000 years (Rosebrough & Everett, 2012). This is fundamentally due to the fact that there are many modifications and changes in the way things are done in recent time. New technology has resulted in the furtherance of knowledge and the improvement of communication and the application of innovative ideas and concepts (Sreenivasulu & Raju, 2010). Technological advancement creates a major impact on education and this requires a major paradigm shift in the way education is delivered in the classroom setting (Ellis, 2013; De Vries, 2014). This paper examines whether there will be a gradual or a major change in education in order to cope with the changes in the technological base of teaching and learning in the next decade and an evaluation of the pros and cons of this process of technological advancement in relation to education. It is obvious that the growth in technology will create push and pull variables that will make it imperative for educational mediums and systems to change. This is because the growth in technology in the world around education will cause various factors that will make it important and vital for the delivery of education to be modified in order to catch up with the major changes in the processes and systems. Therefore, the paper will discuss the actual implication of these changes and assess whether they are going to be gradual or revolutional. For each matter and situation, there will be an evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of introduction technology to the system and this will lead to conclusions about the future of technology within the context of changes in educational methods, changes in teaching standards, changes in teaching methodology, special needs education and how public policy will be shaped and influenced this process and system. Research Approach The research will examine important ideas and concepts that relate to the changes that occurred in technology and how it affects the traditional classroom. This will be done by examining four main components of the relevant circumstances in order to draw a conclusion on what is likely to happen in the coming decade in relation to education in the United States. The steps include: 1. The evaluation and analysis of the traditional classroom setting; 2. An assessment of the changes of technology in our era and how it affects education; 3. The imperatives and changes that are inevitable which will define education in the coming years; 4. An analysis of the pros and cons of the involvement and integration of technology into education; 5. A postulation of the likely approaches that will define the changes to educational technology This will be done by evaluating and critiquing relevant ideas and concepts as and how they are discussed in different ideas and concepts. This will include an analysis of important theories and findings from secondary sources like books and journals. The evaluation will be done by examining important concepts from different headings and different groups of ideas. And for each concept, there will be the evaluation of important theories in order to identify important trends that answer the research questions. Each heading will be critiqued by examining the position of technology that relates to that aspect of education. From there, an evaluation of the changes and the imperatives for change will be conducted. Based on this, the pros and cons of the integration and involvement of technology will be done. This will provide an impetus for the conduct of evaluations and the identification of important theories that will be used for the formulation of a conclusion of the study. Traditional Classroom Setting The traditional classroom setting is a process whereby teachers are given standards and targets they ought to achieve by teaching a group of children who are brought to the school for a face-to-face interaction (Yates, 2012). This is a process and system through which students are given direct education and most of the work is done in the classroom setting with occasional assignments that children are to do at home. This provides an intensive and a conscious environment whereby school children are made to understand that they are in a state of affairs where they have to learn (Guy, 2010). This is somewhat complicated because it enables the child to understand important elements of the first principles of studies (Tatnall, 2011). The procedure is so intense and there is an entrenched procedure where a school child gets to understand some challenging and difficult theories and concepts that are somewhat difficult to teach in an electronic setting (Clark & Mayer, 2012). Usually, the class sizes are large and this includes the teaching of 20 or more students who are made to go through a unified set of standards that leads to unified and standardized tests that all the children must take and pass (Karoly & Panis, 2014). This is done through the delivery of direct tuition that will allow the enable the teachers to use a system of “mass production” that allows a large number of students to go through tuition in order to achieve the best results within a given timeframe. The implication is that the traditional classroom has more students who can build social lives and social connection in order to become better people in the social sense. This is because children put together within a traditional classroom setting are able to mingle and interact. And due to the fact that these children have common interests, they get to grow up and share ideas in order to improve in the moral and social sense. The impact of the mass production system involves putting important checks and balances on teachers or instructors (Patrut & Patrut, 2013). The curriculum that is provided in the traditional educational setting is presented in a rigid way and manner that guides the teachers and instructors in order to get them to adhere to the best practices and this involves the provision of concrete pathways for teaching and evaluation of the teachers (Patrut & Patrut, 2013). This comes with the benefit of standardizing education and if education is properly planned, the authorities are able to create a sense of social belonging and also promote important concepts that can help in nation-building and improving the situations and conditions of the people (Handzic, 2007). Communication with students is often limited because students or pupils are not allowed to interrupt the teacher and the teacher gives information to these students who are to accept it in the absolute sense (Novotny & Novotny, 2011). This is because pupils are told things in an absolute sense. They are not allowed to present their own perspectives and this involves being told what is right and what is wrong. This is a downside of the traditional classroom setting because a child who does not get the chance and opportunity to ask questions will have to develop his own views and ideas on his own side. This creates a situation here children assume things and this affects the quality of education. The fact that the children are taught things in the absolute sense implies that testing and assessments is based on a series of air-tight questions that have strict answers. This prevented original thinking and innovation in the analysis of issues and the promotion of critical analysis amongst children at a younger age. Many things were presented to get children to think according to a certain set of fundamental rules that were tagged as basic and form the basis of the first principles for further studies. The evaluation of the traditional classroom setting indicates that children are taught important things in the absolute sense. They hardly develop principles of individuality and this affects the way they think and evaluate the future. The problem indicates that there might be the need to draw on technology for improved and enhanced methods and processes of teaching and analyzing important things in the society. This gives the impetus and motivation for technology to be adapted by various developers and stakeholders in order to find ways and means of improving the status quo. Technological Changes One of the most central elements and aspects of technology is that it has radically changed the way through which services are delivered because unlike the past when communication was done in a one-off manner, technology allows communication to be enhanced and modified significantly (Zhao, 2013). Hence, there is an enriched form of communication that alters the way and manner through which communication in the academic setting can be conducted. Education is one of the many areas and aspects of social life that employs the highest levels of communication. This is because teaching and learning amongst children has to do with the impartation of knowledge through various means of communication. This involves information and data that helps the children to learn and understand the basic principles and ideas. This gives impetus for the integration of various methods and means of technology that allows pupils to get improved methods of learning and analyzing information and also acquiring important concepts for onward education. Collectively, technological changes lead to various changes in the social environment within which organizations and institutions function and this includes the changes in the way and manner within which communication is done and how people view things (Druckman & Young, 2013). This culminates in the identification of an important process and system through which the medium of communication and dissemination of information is modified. This creates imperative processes and systems that make it compulsory for communicators in a given country or economy to change their ways of sending out and receiving information. Therefore, education is bound to be improved and enhanced when technological processes and improved. This allows communication to bring better results in relation to the targets of education. However, the challenge is that it might negate some long-held concepts and ideas that are important in helping younger people to understand important elements and aspects of life. Notable amongst them are the social variables that allow children to become better members of the society and community. Compatibility and the need for convergence changes the culture within which things are done in a given country or community, this modifies the way people think and view aspects of the society and culture (Jonassen, Spector, Driscoll, Merrill, & Van Merrienboer, 2014). Therefore, technological changes in the environment lead to situations whereby various issues and matters in a given society is streamlined and changed in order to ensure that communication is done in a way and manner that allows certain aspects and branches of the society to be run in a given way and manner. It is therefore possible to argue that the limitations of technology and its implication to society could be applied directly to the educational setting. This is because when educational institutions use these technologies, they are likely to literally import these challenges and limitations and have educational systems and processes that are somewhat affected by these negative circumstances and situations that might stagnate the impartation of knowledge to the next generation. The role of technological changes is that it leads to five main things which shapes the values of the society, including: 1. Regularity; 2. Uniformity; 3. Subordination; 4. Harmony & 5. Efficiency (Das & S., 2012) This implies that technology fundamentally defines what is right and wrong in a given society and this tends to provide a boost for the way and manner in which what is normal is defined. This reshapes the social order and harmony is achieved through various efficiency measures and standards that lead to different approaches of doing things. This affects the social structures and it influences the ethical standards and codes of the community (Hjorth, 2008). This is a system through which individuality and individualism could be integrated into the educational setup. This is because technology comes with the liberalization of systems and the enhancement of individual rights. Therefore, technology in education will allow students and pupils to get an important redefinition of their views in life and their position in society. However, the good side of this situation is that technology allows young people and pupils to get a better grasp of their social standings. This includes important levels of empowerment that makes young people more capable of pursuing their dreams and attaining better results. The point above indicates that young people are more likely to become immersed in important ideas and concepts that might promote specialization. However, this might promote a high degree of specialization that will come with incompetence in various aspects of life. The implication is that children might fail to understand important aspects of society that might be essential and necessary for the achievement of various vital results in society. Thus, there is an inherent limitation of education through technologically advanced systems and processes. The efficiency element of information and communication technological evolution creates a framework for the changes and modification of the structures of society (Khosrowpour, 2013). This implies that there are different measures and important matters that are changed when technology changes. This is because technological changes and modifications come with the need and demand for the improvement of things and in such synthesis, the best technology is put at the forefront for the attainment and achievement of important results in the society. This is an important benefit of the introduction of information technology in education. This is because it helps children to get a good grasp of educational methods and impartation through improved and enhanced methods. Thus, the input-output relationships in education will be better and this will provide better results that can be measured in various ways and forms and this will help to assess the levels of education that exists in a given community. The implication is that education can be improved and there could also be in-built methods and systems for assessing education in the strict sense to get important results and also change the way and manner through which education is delivered. However, in some situations, there are limitations to the way and means through which technology is adopted because some groups resist the change as they insist on following the old ways (Orum, Johnstone, & Riger, 2009). This implies that there is often a conflict that affects the application and integration of these ideas and concepts in dealing with issues and matters relating to the introduction of important changes to the society. Education is therefore bound to be affected in the negative light and this will normally result in limitation and other forms of issues that could hinder education. This is because the challenges of technology are likely to be imparted and presented to the educational system if technology is introduced into education. Imperatives and Pointers in Education Today There are numerous changes that come with the integration of new technological situations and matters that relates to education today. The central aspect of changes in education implies that the traditional approach of teaching students and pupils through face-to-face systems and set-ups are bound to change because there is a general trend towards the use of technology (Facer, 2011). This is because there are many software and hardware requirements that have been modified with the introduction of better technology that can aid in training the next generation. This comes with major overhead costs and other training requirements which might take some time and present challenges to the students and teachers alike. However, once this is introduced education will have to change in every aspect of its delivery and reception. This is because education is going to be affected in various ways and forms when new technologies are introduced and this will affect the way and manner through which teaching is delivered. And this will define the new norm and the educational methods and pointers will have to change to fit the changes. This comes with long-term and short term implications. In the short-term it is likely to have the inherent problem of being a major issue and having to meet important targets that might be detrimental to teaching methods and processes. The adjustment problems also come with various cost requirements that are likely to be very high for the stakeholders. In the long-term though, there are some potential benefits like the improvement of teaching methods and teaching approaches. This is because as technology becomes a traditional part of the society and new methods and processes become the norm rather than the exception, the learning curve of teachers will improve. This will also imply that there could be the integration of important efficiency measures that can be nurtured and harnessed in order to provide improved teaching and learning methods that can be analyzed and invoked in a way that will enable delivery to be over and above the issues identified in the study. Another argument, which can be viewed as a push factor is the idea that children of today are bound to work within a computerized environment hence, it will be wrong to teach them with old traditional face-to-face methods and models (Facer, 2011). Therefore, there is the basis for the presentation of a system and method of teaching students in a way and manner that will enable them to deal with things according to what they are likely to meet in the workplace setting. This assertion suggests that the integration of education is an imperative process and system for education. This is because it is the natural end of communication and educational service delivery cannot remain stagnated due to the conservative views of teachers. Hence, the education of children through technologically enhanced methods and processes is a must, rather than an option. Secondly, online systems and multimedia processes provide a system through which the problems and issues of large class sizes can be handled. This is because students can best be segregated and reduced in order to have smaller class sizes. This is mainly credited to the new technological systems and structures that are instituted to promote and enhance the methods and systems of promoting good education. A smaller class size means providing better attention to the needs of students in the educational institution. Also, it must be noted that the use of technology allows for the segregation of functions and processes in order to deal with important and unique needs through various means and methods. First of all, students can ask questions and communicate better in more convenient methods with their instructors. This is because unlike the traditional system whereby the instructions of the teachers were final, in the new dispensation, students can communicate more than ever, onsite and offsite. This means that they can get their unique needs addressed rather than having to comply with a set of hard and fast rules that ought to be adhered to at all times. The interactivity of a technology-based education also guides an instructor to analyze things and provide solutions to problems that have far-reaching consequences. In other words this allows an instructor to get a flexible approach that helps the students to learn things in a more thorough and analytical framework. This prevents the stereotyping of students and promotes free thinking and analytical abilities which makes student independent thinkers rather than narrow minded persons who might prove to be limited in their abilities in their adult lives. This also promotes flexibility in teaching methods and approaches this is because technology and improved methods provides a major process that allows knowledge to be shared in both vertical and horizontal levels. This means that rigid methods and approaches are not compulsory and imperative. Hence, there are better and more accommodating methods and processes that are used to teach and train children in schools. Technological Changes and Changes in Educational Methods The changes in technology as it exists today have created some imperatives and important adjustments that occur in the teaching and learning environment in the United States. This is meant to modify the way students and pupils are to be taught in institutions and this has various impacts and matters that predictably changes and modifies some important conceptual views. These are discussed below: Teaching Standards Teaching standards are meant to be modified significantly when technology is integrated and included. This has to do with the push and pull factors of technological advancements and improvements. The growth in information dissemination and movement implies that different teaching standards will have to change with this. This is because students are not likely to want to take information at face value without questioning it. Therefore, teaching standards are destined to tilt towards a more flexible system whereby interactivity is going to increase and students’ ability to question important matters will take the center-stage. The advantage of this is that the society is changing tremendously and this implies that the targets of adult life are more about preparing the children for the real world. Therefore, it is best to train children to understand important variables and components of education in a technological age through an appropriate means and system. This will also mean that technological standards will have to be transposed and integrated into the teaching and learning systems. On the other hand, the downside of this process has to do with the identification and application of new technology in education. This is bound to have important limitations and issues especially if they are not applied in an appropriate manner. This implies that a lot of money and a lot of resources will have to go through various processes and plans. This will also come with the cost of trial and error in the training and improvement of systems and processes. Teaching Methodology The increase in technology in the United States will imply that there will be more multimedia and more electronic systems and processes that will be utilized by teachers in teaching in classroom. This is because there will be the need for more communication and interaction between students and their teachers. This will imply that teachers will have to vary their methods in order to adapt to the teaching methods that will make the best use of technology over the coming years. However, this will be based on the rules and principles that will be put forward by various stakeholders. And the policy change will be gradually and based on existing frameworks and rules in order to promote and enhance teaching processes and methods. There is the question of whether these new methodologies will meet their stated and required ends or not. In most cases, they might have to be improved and streamlined. This comes at great costs for both the students and the teachers. There are also issues and problems with the way through which different institutions institute their new teaching methods. There are issues with defining standardization of school-to-school assessments and the integration of important stakeholder requirements and needs. This brings to mind the fact that the best method for this integration is a gradualist approach rather than an immediate system and process. This is because rushing to integrate important ideas and methods will only create problems and issues that will have important issues and limitations in various processes. Special/Needs Education Special needs education is about educating children with specific limitations to their physical capabilities. This includes major issues and matters like visual impairment, hearing challenges amongst other things. The growth in technology relates to the discovery and commercialization of important ideas and concepts that will enhance and improve the methods and approaches of teaching these challenged persons. The implication is that there are better means and better approaches for teaching and based on how well stakeholders adopt this and make it appropriate for use in the teaching environment, a major paradigm shift will occur. This implies that in most situations and concept, technology is seen to be a major means of bridging the gaps between education and special needs training. Therefore, there seem to be an immediate need for the integration of technology to promote special needs education and training. However, it must be pointed out that technology in special needs education develops relatively fast. Hence, the quick integration of these methods will often come with application issues and application problems that might be detrimental to the operation of these processes and systems. Therefore, it is best to find a way through which special needs technology can be integrated into the education system through a gradualist approach and method. Public Policy The educational policy in the society is also susceptible to the changes and the rates of modification that comes with technological advancement. This is about the major matters and pointers that are adopted by various state, district and other authorities concerning education and the carrying out of activities. These processes provide a framework within which the education and provision of teaching services will be defined and conducted. As long as technology improves, education and its provision will be modified accordingly. However, this is subject to numerous debates and changes will occur if and only if the different stakeholders agree on important and vital pointers. Educational policy in its nature evolves slowly. This is because different stakeholders have different desires and expectations. Therefore, it is normal to expect that the policy relating to the adoption of any single technology will come at a very high and complicated price. This shows clearly that educational policy will evolve through a gradualist means rather than a radicalized and revolutionary system that will cause a quick and impossible change to occur within a very short timeframe. Curriculum & Assessment The curriculum that is drawn for the conduct of various educational activities in the American classroom is likely to be influenced by the changes in technology. This is because the curriculum and its delivery will be based on the circumstances and the benefits that is meant to be achieved by the planners of this curriculum. And with technology growing and improving, there will be major processes and issues that will change the way teaching is done and how teachers assess their students. The advantage of technology is that it causes curriculum to evolve rather quickly and it promotes better and more enhanced methods of meeting targets of a given curriculum. This is because technology provides an important set of efficiency driven methods and processes that will enable curriculums and assessment systems to be improved and enhanced. However, if this is done too quickly without an effort to consider all variables, it will come with major problems. This is because it will come with various complications and this will lead to problems and issues. This is bound to be gradual due to the circumstances and issues that exists in a given nation or community. Thus, curriculum development and assessment is likely to be influenced by a gradualist rather than an immediate or instant change. Conclusion The paper identifies that technology is a potent tool for the modification and definition of the framework within which education is carried out. Technology shapes the entire society and this in turn defines what is efficient and what is appropriate. This will help to identify the best ways and means through which communication and discussions can be carried out. Communication and other forms of doing things is modified and changed as technology changes and this influences education directly because education is carried out in the broader community. Technology is likely to bring various benefits to education because it will provide an efficiency-based system of education that will improve results and help to meet strong targets. Technology will also provide the benefit of creating a realistic and an important system and process. This will help to change targets according to the circumstances that exist. On the other hand, technology will come with the complication of changing the existing situations that are in place. This will mean there will be short-term and long-term adjustment issues and matters that will need to analyzed and reviewed critically. This comes with extra costs and issues that ought to be integrated into a given system and process. There are also costs of adjustments and trial-and-error that comes with the changes in the educational system when a new process and approach is adopted in a given educational setting. However, the research identifies that the influence of technology on education is gradualist rather than revolutionary or instant. This is because technology identifies the way and means through which teaching, education and assessment are carried out. This includes the fact that different stakeholders have to come together in order to define the best approach of carrying out education. With this process, education and its related structures are shaped and defined and this is done over a longer period of time. And although in the next decade, technology will modify and change the terrain of education, this is going to happen gradually due to the obvious hurdles and challenges in adopting new technology. In spite of this, the need for enhanced and effective methods of teaching and attaining better results will promote a continuous integration of technology. Bibliography Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2012). e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. Das, M., & S., K. (2012). Technology, Values, and Society: Social Forces in Technological Change. New York: Peter Lang. De Vries, M. J. (2014). Positioning Technology Education in the Curriculum. New York: Springer\. Druckman, D., & Young, O. R. (2013). Global Environmental Change:: Understanding the Human Dimensions. Washington, DC: National Academic Press. 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