Visual Learning and Technology in Education - Term Paper Example

Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Technology and Learning In this age of information, technological advances directly affect people’s sense of life and dominate the society, economy and schools. In fact, information is becoming more accessible and transmittable. Australia and the United States of America are some of the developed countries leading in having a group of students per computer as noted by Education Week. As a result, leaders in the education sector are exploring other ways and means of incorporating the use of technology into their instructional methods because they positively impact the learning process of students. However, positive benefits of technology depend primarily on how teachers and students use the technology (Barron 3). For teachers, using computers as instructional aides enable them use a constructivist approach more in their teaching, they feel empowered when in the classroom and time spent on lecturing is reduced. Rapid advancements in technology have sparked the interest of practitioners in the education sector to use laptops as a tool of instruction since it improves the student’s learning process. The benefits of using computers when teaching students relate to spending more time involved in collaborative work; produce high quality and great length writing; have increased access to information; are involved more in project-based instruction; improve their skills in analysis research, and spend more time in concentrating on their homework (Gulek and Demirtas 4). Furthermore, use of computers has enabled students to conduct their own learning, engage easily on problem solving issues and critical thinking. A greater reliance is reported on strategies of active learning, and is consistent and flexible in adapting to using the computer. By using technology during the learning process, learning strategies are utilized successfully and thus, enhancement of knowledge transfer by students to other disciplines. This is so because, students become highly focused and engage in their projects and activities; learning strategies applied on a frequent basis; during project work, students interact more with each other; project-based problems are solved through the use of critical thinking mechanisms; and retrieved data is used in a sensible process by communicating it to other students in the classroom (Gulek and Demirtas 5). As a result, technology improves students’ motivation levels, and as such, there is much improvement, promotion and enhancement on learning achievements. This technology has reduced management problems experienced by teachers in the classroom and therefore, learners are also engaged in classroom subject matter. Students’ participation in class activities shows that the teacher is making progress and has reached the target audience. Additionally, students learning is promoted and enhanced and spills over to achievement of high marks and higher levels of understanding concepts and terminologies used. It is evident that learners will read ahead of the teacher in order to contribute in class activities and this makes lessons lively and interesting. Outside the classroom, students have shown positive impacts of technology as an instructional tool. For example, posting blogs and participating in discussions. Their project quality and posting is of an intellectual understanding and shows that they are vigilant and attentive to their surroundings. Students also track subsets accessed by students on recordings of lectures on a frequent basis (Svinicki and McKeachie 264). A positive feedback is retrieved on students’ involvement in and out of classrooms and therefore, self-report evaluation enables tutors encourage students to use this media. Lecturers and students are able to communicate with each other, and this gives an opportunity to those who did not understand to ask for clarification. Assignments are handed in via this media and hence, less time is spent by the lecturer in collecting them after teaching. This makes tutors utilize their time well in giving students relevant information pertaining to the subject matter of the discipline. Instructional media like computers, video and print enable students use Internet freely since it is inexpensive (Hastings and Tracey 28). In addition, students gain access to search engines, private and public materials related to education and public databases so, gives them input on issues relating to different study disciplines and subjects matter. Furthermore, all education levels in today’s world uses technology and thus, it is essential for teachers to accommodate computers as instructional tools. Working environments use different forms of technology in meeting their goals and objectives accordingly; students need to be familiar with how computers operate in order to face the competing world of technology and savvy experts when searching for a job after completing school programs. Twenty years ago, students learnt differently, but nowadays, technology has influenced classroom environments (Gulek and Demirtas 6). In addition, home appliances like televisions, radios, games, iPods and computers are things used by most students on a regular basis. They are part of their lives and so, students need to learn how they work in a productive way that improves their living standards and the future. This also reduces their chances of having accidents at home. Compared to students of 1980s, the ones of the current system of education are encouraged and have fun in their course work and give them an opportunity to learn and transfer knowledge to others in a diversified way. Interactive whiteboard as instructional approach increases student engagement levels in the classroom during learning processes (Beeland 1). They contribute immensely to learning since it increases students’ level of attention, because they are visual and enjoy activities that make them use hands. Therefore, students are involved in classroom activities given that they actively take part in lesson activities. It enables students to be creative and anticipating for the next class, to be able to acquire additional information from the lecturer by using multimedia devices. This technology addresses learning modalities relating to the visual, tactile and auditory aspects. Use of graphics, video and animation helps teachers in meeting student’s visual needs (Beeland 5). By interaction with the white board, a student becomes tactile and enhances dialogue between teachers and students. This enables teachers identify the weak points of their learners and addresses them in order to achieve outstanding scores in end term exams. White board approaches help in making current proceedings come to life and also, it makes facilitation for teachers much easier. This enables students to be free to teach each other and learn from each other. For future references, computers help students find it easier to get back to their notes because of their ability to save them on the computer. This tool is essential for use because it gives students room to make changes and update their research projects to incorporate current events and literature. Technological impacts on teaching and learning examines learning outcomes for students in both affective and cognitive domains plus their behaviors of learning and strategies, as well as instructors’ pedagogy change and strategies of teaching (Svinicki and McKeachie 263). Use of technology in the learning process changes methods employed by teachers in teaching students, attitudes, motivation and interest in projects and subjects. Teachers’ use this to their advantage by enhancing courses, re-examining own teaching ideologies and promote greater academic achievement for students. This is so because students are motivated and take part in discussions going on in the classroom. Technology introduction into education environment increases teacher-student interactions and promote student center and co-operative. Friendly learning environments provide students and teachers a chance to make decisions pertaining to instructional tools used in contemporary times. By considering the use of technology in teaching scholars, it is evident through empirical research done that decision making processes are heightened and embraced. All students love a wide range of choices in dealing with other solutions, to make independent choices and thus, varying technological appliances gives them this privilege. At risk, students and special needs students benefit from using interactive, multimedia software as it easier for them to learn due to existing parallels between multimedia and the natural learning process (Barron 4). It should be noted that students or learners develop and learn in different ways with varying time rates. Consequently, technology is proven to offer diversity, individual growth opportunities, self-expression and self-paced learning (Barron 6). As a result, students acquire distinctive opportunities and talents for applying their skills in non threatening environments. Having familiar surroundings gives students confidence and courage in engaging in class activities through the use of computers. Students achieve their learning goals when using technology because they demonstrate changes in knowledge, attitudes and skills. For example, by testing pre- and post results of exams, student comparison of attitudes and outcomes of learning before and after integration of technology teachers concluded that technology was a helpful instructional tool (Svinicki and McKeachie 264). Technology has both advantages and disadvantages when used as instructional tools, and one negative impact on students is the high rate of distraction. Many students claim that they can multi-task, but remarkably few of them can accomplish this since their mind is not working fully (Gulek and Demirtas 6). This makes them redirect their attention and is not productive in achieving high grades, which means that they are losing a lot of information. Also, information on the Internet is not always true. Some are prejudice and false, but many students choose to believe in them and end up choosing the wrong paths when it comes to career choosing. Friends found on the Internet are not good friends since they encourage them to engage in activities that are not morally right or ethical. This makes them sway away from their beliefs and culture and some students end up dropping, out of school, to engage in illegal deals and drug abuse. By disrupting their learning opportunities, students distort their patterns of success and become rogue members of the society. Exposure to the Internet exposes students to pornographic materials at a very tender age. For girls, most of them engage in sex at a young age and eventually drop out of school due to unwanted pregnancies. Also, others use contraceptive pills in a way that harms their bodies and makes them infertile. For boys, they use this information to assess it on young, innocent and naive girls who want a bright future, but because they are offered money for the service provision, they also get tempted and fall into their nest. As a result, their learning is interrupted and ultimately put on hold because of pregnancies and other societal influences like drugs. Another negative point relating to technology is ‘over’ use of this media, which makes students slack in terms of language use as reflected during their assessment and class work. Other students do not want to tire their brains by engaging in too much thinking, and it lowers their participation levels and thus, some of them do not collaborate with others in finishing class projects. Students are exposed to dependency on multimedia devices in completing their projects, and some do not participate in classroom discussions. This poses as a problem to their learning schedules because use of social networks and IM’s sites, which gives them an easy way on how to handle their class work and exam problems. Technology also exposes students to information pertaining to their political leaders and how corrupt they are. By so doing, students follow their leaders’ footsteps and end up being dishonest even in the classroom. They bribe their fellow students to do their homework and pretend that the information written is their own. However, when exams come, they fail because they did not concentrate much during their revision time and so, students achieve poor grades. Corruption as one of the factors affecting their future lives, leaves students to be unmotivated and reluctant in engaging in classroom activities. In conclusion, today’s society, which is inundated, with technology, computer applications, programs based on the web and multiple devices for personal communication have contributed immensely to the growth of technology in schools. Today’s workforce uses the computer and thus, teachers need to incorporate technology as their instructional methods. Integration of technology into the classroom ensures that the setting of the classroom enhances retention and instruction curriculum. Technology is used fundamentally by tutors and serves in increasing basic skills for students and knowledge. This instructional method is used in the learning process in attaining diverse goals and also, as a resource in developing higher thinking order, research skills and creativity. Works Cited: Beeland, William. Student Engagement, Visual Learning and Technology: Can Interactive Whiteboards Help? pp.1-7. Print Barron, Ann. Technologies for education: a practical guide. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2002. Print. Gulek, James and Demirtas, Hakan. Learning with Technology: The Impact of Laptop Use on Student Achievement. The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp.1-39, 2005. Print. Hastings, Nancy and Tracey, Monica. Does Media Affect Learning: Where Are We Now? TechTrends, Vol. 49, No. 2, 1999. Print. Preston, James and Michigan State University. Technology's impact on student understanding and retention of motion and forces. New Providence, NJ: ProQuest, 2008. Print. Svinicki, Marilla and McKeachie, Wilbert James. McKeachie's teaching tips: strategies, research, and theory for college and university teachers. New York: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Read More