Education by Computer - Research Paper Example

?Education by Computer Education using computers is not a new issue in today’s world where most activities are carried out using computers. As a result, it is crucial to understand the ideas and concepts behind computers and education, thus, it is essential to find out if education by computers is the way to go by weighing the benefits and losses that education faces. Computers in education improve the efficiency of teachers in teaching and imparting skills to their students, this is in addition to being nearly perfect, and aiding in teaching. In this regard, computers provide an opportunity for teachers to uncover preconceptions and misconception of their students, as well as their thought processes. Utilizing computer-mediated communication provides solutions to evaluate the above mentioned issues by creating an interactive forum. The use of computers by students and teachers can achieve higher levels of insight when sharing resources at a personalized level such as computers. This is in cases where teachers offer students learning problems, and using computer mediated communication, students can brainstorm via peer apprenticeship learning (Soong 596). Computers in the education environment, as mentioned above, can also be used to back up lessons and brainstorming sessions for purposes of later use where they can be printed out, and teachers can view the thought process of their students. It is through this means that a teacher can understand the struggles of students in the subject areas they are involved. As a result, computers in education provide rich information in co-construction of knowledge and negotiations between them, as well, this way, hidden meta-cognitive activities, are exposed for mediation purposes by the teacher and curriculum developers. In addition, computers eliminate the barrier of overt observation and student feedback to correct mistakes. This is through advanced interception of learning and other issues they may be facing difficulties before students as earlier stated, air them. With this in mind, sharing information and collaboration between multiple students is eased rather than before the use of computers. This is because with computer-mediated communication, top students can help those with difficulties easily and without consuming much time. Computers in education can improve learning through the concept of virtualization, where it helps in budgeting school resources. This is concerning the use of multiple computers at the same time, meaning that schools have plenty of hardware to the extent that some of it gets obsolete. In this case, schools are faced with the dilemma of discarding the older computers for new ones or buying new hardware altogether. The concept of virtualization comes in handy by providing an opportunity where the school’s budget can be saved for more important aspects of education (IBM 8). This is done through reusing the old computers for the same purpose only that this time they will only be used to access virtual servers for the same information they would have on their own computers. Purchasing computers is en expensive affair, but vitalizing old hardware allows schools to spend less on computers and get the same level of productivity as having new hardware. The concept of virtualization works hand in hand with long distance education. This is through facilitation of effective information presentation through applications such as PowerPoints and animation programs. Through these, lecturers have an easier task delivering content to students to students, as well as giving lectures. This is because; they facilitate audio-visual representation of information, which make the learning process interactive, interesting and fun for both students and teachers. This is especially the case when it comes to saving time and effort utilized in preparation and delivery of a single lesson. Moreover, time spent is reduced, as students do not need to make as many notes as presented by the teacher because; the same content is easily available to the students for later reference. The interesting and fun bit is emphasized by the use of color, sound and movement in presentations. As a result, learning becomes more appealing to students, and they pay more attention. In addition, difficult subjects can be explained and clarified to students in the fun way presented by computers. Education by computer is also a better way due to its ability to reach out to different learning capabilities of students and teaching limitations of instructors. This is about appropriately delivering content to learners through the means they are best conversant with, such audio and visual. This is because; one method does not work for all learners thus; a need to change tact from time to time and that can only be achieved by use of computers and their accessories such as projectors. In addition, computers facilitate access to the internet, which plays a crucial in education. This is concerning retrieval of information on the subject taught in the classroom, as it is an immense information base with all manner of information and applicable examples. With the use of computers in the classroom, both teachers and students stand to benefit as teachers can refer to the internet through computers for more information on given topics and subjects. The ideas retrieved from the internet can also be used for new concepts in sports and student assessment through setting of tests and coming up with assignments for students, as well as project topics. In addition, computers in education facilitate storage and retrieval of information crucial in running the education sector. This is due to the use of computer hard drives that store data in a digital form for later retrieval. For this reason, lectures and classroom lessons can be recorded for later reference and uploaded to computer drives, servers or even the internet for all to access (Oak). With this in mind, academic institutions utilizing computers in education including administrators can centralize all their information to be accessed by all from any location. The above can be achieved through virtualization and networking of computers to cut costs and ease information sharing (IBM 15). Education by computer is also significant in that it helps students take care of their homework and assignments by accessing content over the World Wide Web. However, this has numerous downsides to the overall quality and credibility of education by computer. This is due to the ease of access to information that makes it easier to plagiarize and find information from non-credible sources (Beltran et al 2). In addition, the issue of literacy comes up as an inhibiting factor making education by computer a flop. This is because; not all teachers or students have the appropriate skills required to operate and maintain a computer and all its functions (Gulley). This makes education by computer a less likely option to be selected as it poses a challenge to both comprehension of concepts and delivery of content to students. In conclusion, education by computers is the improved way of delivering information and content to students as compared to conventional means. For computers, the disadvantages of using them in education are far outweighed by the benefits. Therefore, education by computers is the way to go for improved education quality and better understanding of lessons and content. Works Cited Gulley, Patrice. Pros and Cons of Computer Technology in the Classroom. 2003. Web. 23. Sep. 2012. < http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080712164252AA1iB7Y> Beltran, Daniel et al. Do Home Computers Improve Educational Outcomes? Evidence from Matched Current Population Surveys and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997. 2006. Web. 22 Sep. 2012. < ftp://131.220.86.34/dps/dp1912.pdf> Soong, Benson. Learning through computers: Uncovering Students’ Thought Processes while Solving Physics Problems. 2008. Web. 22 Sep. 2012. < http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet24/soong.pdf > Oak, Manali. Role of Computers in Education. 2012. Web. 22 Sep. 2012. < http://www.buzzle.com/articles/role-of-computers-in-education.html> IBM. Virtualization in Education. 2007. Web. 22 Sep. 2012. < http://www-07.ibm.com/solutions/in/education/download/Virtualization%20in%20Education.pdf> Read More