To What Extent Can Technology Be Viewed As a Civilizing Force - Essay Example

? To what extent can technology be viewed as a ‘civilizing force’?     Due to the invention computers and the internet, there have been very many successive technological developments that have brought about other changes in different sectors of the economy. Technology can be viewed as a civilizing force through examining the changes that have occurred in the education sector. There has been a tremendous change in education in the manner in which information and instructions are passed from the tutor to the learner. This has been seen as the key approach towards the realization of the greatest benefits from education. However, there have been a number of issues that have to be addressed if the world is to meet these goals towards educational technology. This paper therefore looks deeply in educational technology in which reference has been given to the past, the present, and the future of educational technology. Introduction Each and every day has been closer developments in education. The development of new technology has led to improved performances in education sectors. This has seen the third generation of education moving forth to the fourth generation which has been full of technological developments and better performances. Educational technology, which will as well be known as learning technology, has come this far (Fletcher, 2004). This is the study or ethical practice in which all aspects of learning are addressed in order to improve educational performances through the creation, management, and improvement of all technological procedures which are farther adopted for educational developments. This term, educational technology, has more often been attributed a closer association with learning theories and instructional theories. With this kind of technology, it should be agreed that education has been undergoing a number of key transformations. These transformations have been on constant improvement over the past years, thus defining technology as a civilizing force. Benefits of Technological or Instructional Education Educational or technological technology has been intended by the world as one of the appropriate ways through which education can be improved through the continued utilization and appreciation of technology. There have been a number of benefits that have been enumerated to have a direct link with this kind of technological or instructional education. The first benefit is that it has become very easy in accessing all learning materials. In this case, the instructors can very easily post the required and necessary course materials through the website and by so doing make it easy for the students to access the information, and can as well go ahead and read for their own. Why is this very important? With this case, a student can be able to get the information and instructions posted by the tutor wherever he or she is around the world. This improves efficiency and makes it easier to provide the necessary information to all the students and learners wherever they may be. This has improved efficiency in the learning practice hence becoming a major benefit for the practice (Pemberton, 1995). The other benefit with instructional or educational technology is in the fact that it promotes student motivation. All form of computer-oriented instructions would possibly give the learner instant feedbacks hence making them have appropriate answers which would boost their morale after recording increased motivation from the kind of practice. Also, the use of a computer makes an individual composed, patient, and non-judgmental, and hence giving him the necessary motivation needed for the academic work. The benefit in this is that more and more students shall be encouraged to continue learning hence remaining motivated. Through this approach, we can have the student learning a lot of work within a shorter period of time hence reducing the hours that have been unnecessarily wasted with past education systems. With the same practice, it is no doubt that lesser time would be needed in the teaching process and hence bringing the necessary positivity from the learning process to the students. The new educational technology would also be useful in widening participation. This means that only lesser materials for learning shall be needed for use since students would not have to be physically present. One document would be effectively distributed to all the individual students wherever they may be. As well, a benefit expresses itself in that more students shall be reached and be handled by only one tutor. As well, this would improve the writing skills of the students. It would be convenient for all the students in editing their works, and as well improve their know-how in use of word processors, and also improve their typing speed. From a number of researches that have been done, it would as well increased student participation and issue and issues of copying from one another shall be greatly reduced (Tennyson & Spector, 1998). The Past of Educational Technology The past of educational and instructional technology was quite different from what we have today. The change has been tremendous, and this has been as a result of continued technological advancements which have seen the development of computers, increased internet use, and provision of adequate instructions to the students and learners through the present day technologies (Matthew, 2005). During the old days, educational technology greatly relied on the old fashion means in which a teacher would come to a lecturer room or a classroom and give notes through power point presentations. This would use a projector through which explanations would be given accordingly to the learners accordingly. However, this lies in the third generation of educational technology. The first generation comprised of structures through which the teacher would use the chalkboard and chalk in passing across the necessary instructions to the student. This saw much time being wasted and inadequacy of the process. However, a number of benefits have always been associated with the process. This means the student shall be in a position getting the necessary communication skills from the lecturer or the tutor. The present developments in the instructional and educational technology have been brought about by the subsequent technological advancements that have been taking place today. This has involved the invention third, fourth and fifth generation computers which have proved useful and effective for current technological operations (Pemberton, 1995). Due to the invention and development of computers, there has been the development of internet which has been effective in improving the manner in which man communicates with each other and how information can be passed from one place to another. The use of e-mails has improved the rate of communicating by reducing the time taken in the process by the greatest percentage ever. It is this kind of development that has brought these changes towards technological and instructional education. Criticism with Technological Education It is something well known that the use of technology in the learning process would have the greatest benefits. However, very many issues have been raised towards the same technology. These drawbacks are real and therefore they cannot be taken for granted. For instance, lack of good training would effectively affect the process, the limited access on to enough technological hardware and software, and the exorbitant need for resources and capital which have been hampering the adoption of new technology. Some students might not be keen enough in studying for themselves and hence would end up not benefiting from the practice. Some other critics have argued that the future of education is not really in the manner in which we embrace new technology, but on how we pass the rightful information to the student. This has seen the process being highly criticized. This means that more and more individuals shall be forced to do things which might not have a relation with their careers whatsoever. In that case, this kind of approach itself diminishes the relevance of education while promoting technology promoters and developers rather than providing cognitive abilities to the learner (Pemberton, 1995). Another difficulty has been in the time that is greatly limited in which the tutor would interact with the student. This is to say that the use of computers and other developments might never address the old school needs of a class setting. The implementation of any sort of technology is another issue that has been raised as well (Pemberton, 1995). This is because it can be time consuming, taking a lot of time which might have been used in providing the learner with the right information and education. There would be very many issues that have to be addressed when thinking of an initial setup of the technology, the training, and the cost that have to be addressed. Another issue that have been seen is that there would be different developments each and every day would keep on changing and hence schools and countries would be required to incur costs every time there is a technological change. Present and Future of Educational Technology There has been a rapid growth into which schools have been adapting new technology in all the learning infrastructures hence improving the quality of education. This has been as a result of the continued increase of computers that have been made available in many schools today in different parts of the world. Majority of schools today have their students now using and having adequate access to internet and computer use within their classrooms. In majority of the fully developed nations, nearly all the students have been having adequate access to the use of computers and internet in their schools. As well the modern education system has been seeing teachers using this kind of technology as an important tool and approach towards teaching. In addition, this has been a great appreciation on technology, and hence it is possible that the future days shall result in greater changes through which the manner in which education is passed along to the student shall change (Pemberton, 1995). The modern education system has been seeing the use of computers as a key support towards education delivery. This has seen a greater appreciation of technology as more individuals continue to favor those schools which have the facilities for their children. There have been increased efforts in making stronger efforts towards increasing the access of students to computers and internet for the students. This has been aimed as a strategy through which majority of the schools shall be able to use computers in teaching and overall adoption of any other form of technology that come as a result. Because of these implementations, there has been a dramatic change which has seen today more and more schools becoming computerized and applying the same technology in their teaching practices (Pemberton, 1995). Today, in a country like the United States, the ratio in which students have been supplied with internet on their computers has improved from about 20 students using one computer in the year 1998 to about 3.6 students using one computer in 2007. This has continued to improve and the year 2014 might see one computer with internet per every student. At the very time, a number of states in the country have been keen in ensuring that more and more schools have been supplied with internet and computers for the teaching activities. This means that the future must result in better performances in which different states shall be able to promote technology and use it in all the teaching operations. This means that the future shall be a little bit better. This would see teleconferencing, increased e-leaning, and improved performance within the educational practice. However, as more and more technology continues to be adopted, there have been great issues that the same might result in a number of problems which might as well be very hard to solve. For example, there have been complains that the increased use of technology might end up affecting communicational aspect of human beings, result to loss of morals, and kill human dialogue which has always been encouraged by past education systems (Matthew, 2005). Due to this fact, there have been suggestions that future technology in the educational sector should be adopted in an intelligent manner so that no one is harmed as well as with our own societies. This shall ensure that the morals and societal ethics have been maintained throughout the teaching process. However, experts have argued that the new wave change which has been taking place is very great and there is no way we can stop it. The best way we can address change is through appreciating it, and especially when the kind of change is educational. This means that more and more individuals shall be educated with the new educational systems and eventually improve the rates at which our economies shall be improved. On-line Learning and Computer Use The use of computers and on-line studying appears to be the exact future in which the modern developed world has been headed for. Recent statistics in technological advancements and usage in schools having been showing increasingly positive trends in which the students and staff have been using hardware and software devices in delivering online learning. For example, in a country like the United States, there are over 70 per cent of schools that have been using computers and internet for their schoolwork operations and even in class. In about 83 percent of the schools in the developed countries, about half of the teachers have been using computers in their daily activities for lesson planning, teaching purposes, or for both of them. This has been a steady rise from 58 per cent in the year 2001(Tennyson & Spector, 1998). As well, in about 73 percent of all the schools these countries, half of its teachers have been using the internet in giving assignment, instructing students, and for research work in order to provide the learners with the appropriate information and instruction which bring about better understanding on them. As more and more technology come to man, there are very high possibilities that more and more schools and countries shall adopt the online learning. This is the exact description of the present and future of educational technology (Coe-Regan & Youn, 2008). In the future, more and more schools would be willing to embrace this kind of technology and promote online learning. Over the last years, different states and countries have been trying to embrace this kind of idea in incorporating the online instruction as part of the curriculum and be used for teaching purposes. Issues and Challenges with Future Educational Technology As the universe goes computerized with its educational system, very many schools have become equipped with internet and computers that have been made available to the students, the teachers and all other individuals within the educational sector. As that has been happening, many states in a country like America and other parts of the globe have been now facing a number of challenges towards the future for educational technology. For instance, there has been a big challenge towards the building of schools which have capacities that can comfortably accommodate any form of new technology and its efficiency. Most of the experts today have been agreeing that the increasing capacity would be effective in enhancing the technological skills within the teachers as well administrators’ fraternity (Coe-Regan & Youn, 2008). As this is yet to be met and be achieved farther than it has been achieved for now, the question of funding has also been raised. This would be used for the hardware and the software materials that have to be bought, upgraded, and so on. This means that the governments should be prepared for the increased spending so that they can be able to fund the operations in an effective manner. With very many issues that have to be addressed, it should come up as a wakeup call in ensuring that all the issues have been dealt with through the provision of necessary amount of money for the concerned ministries. This has been one big issue as the globe looks forward into becoming an educational center which appreciates new technological advancements. The other question has been on the individuals who shall deliver the services to the students. This has been due to the fact that majority of the tutors in these countries have been a product of the previous generations of education and did not acquaint themselves with any computer knowledge in the very beginning. Many countries have hence been called upon to o address the educators' skills in technology, and this is being done through creating centers in which the teachers and other individuals like the administrator would be given the appropriate know-how towards technology in education and how it can be the greatest importance on the students. Because of this, a number of nations have been on the front line in the adoption of technological requirements towards this initial licensure towards education improvement in their nations. For example, almost all the developed world countries have been having all the mangers, school administrators, tutors and teachers forced to have a computer-technology based course so that they can be in a position of delivering adequate services to the students whenever the need arises (Daumas, 1969). This has been a challenge to a number of individuals and especially the old aged whose retirement has been placed on the corner. This has also been seeing more and more individual forced into extra expenditures in search for computer and new technological know-how if they have to retain their jobs and remain the practice. Although the countries that have been involved in this rush towards educational technology have been quite few, the number of these countries has been increasing steadily. The countries have been participation in these technological and professional developments if new educational practices could be appreciated (Ansell & Park, 2003). The latest data has been showing that over seventy per cent of public school and their consecutive teachers have been taking the extra skills and training as the world prepares towards a classic technological education in the future days. Basically, the number of challenges and issues that have to be addressed as the world prepares itself for this technological advancement and improvement of technology in educational practice. This means that a lot of money shall be needed if the future dreams can be realized, and if more and more countries would be part and parcel of this integration. The other grand issue is the disparity this kind of technology in education shall have on overall human kind (Fletcher, 2004). This is to say, there are very many countries that are still struggling with providing their citizens with the slightest primary education. Majority of these countries shall be found in the third world countries in continents like Africa and Asia. These countries have even been unable to provide the very old school education to their citizens, and the integration of new technology in their educational systems is something which is too far beyond reach. Conclusion Evidently through the above discussion, it is clear that technology has defined the way education has been improved in the global perspective. In line with this, technology has been viewed as a civilizing force that has defined economic, social, and political transformations through the education sector. Bibliography Ansell, S., & Park, J. (2003) ‘Tracking Tech Trends.’ Education Week, 22(35), 43. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Coe-Regan, J., & Youn, E. (2008) ‘Past, present, and future trends in teaching clinical skills through web-based learning environments.’ Journal of Social Work Education, 44(2), 95-115. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Daumas, M. (1969) A History of Technology and Invention: Progress Through the Ages. Vol. 1. The Origins of Technological Civilization to 1450. New York: Crown Fletcher, G. (2004) Reflecting on the Past, Focusing on the Future. T H E Journal, pp. 4-6. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Feenberg, A. (1995) ‘Marcuse and the Critique of Technology’ in Alternative Modernity: The Technical Turn in Philosophy and Social Theory Berkeley: University of California Press. Matthew, K. (2005) ‘The Classroom of the Future.’ University Business, 8(4), 11. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Pemberton, J. (1995) An industry insider analyzes present and future trends. Multimedia Schools, 2(1), 23. Retrieved from Computer Source database. Tennyson, R., & Spector, J. (1998) ‘System Dynamics Technologies and Future Directions in Instructional Design.’ Journal of Structural Learning & Intelligent Systems, 13(2), 89. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Read More