Impact of Technology on the Field of Education - Term Paper Example

Impact of Technology on the Field of Education Introduction The advent of technology has resulted in revolutionary changes in all walks of life. The conventional processes have been replaced with new and innovative operations. The impact has been witnessed on a diverse range of fields; Education has been improved by enhancing its level of accessibility and interactivity. The advent of e-learning and computer based learning techniques has replaced the traditional forms of teaching. Businesses have become equipped with information management systems that manage the company’s intellectual assets and provide basis for predictive analysis of future sales and consumer behaviors. Medical treatments have become safer, more reliable and quicker due to the integration of technological equipments and procedures. Technology has intervened in the life of modern man to such a great extent that it is almost impossible to imagine life without its presence. Modern technology has also broken the geographical barriers by creating innovative modes of communication. 2. Field of Education The field of education has undergone numerous changes after the introduction of technology. The conventional modes of acquiring education in a classroom setting have transformed into much broader concepts. One of major pitfalls of the conventional concept was the assumption that all students are able to acquire education in the same manner and at the same pace. The instructor used to evaluate the level of comprehension of the students on the basis of feedback from a selected number of prominent students. The slow learners suffered in this process since they were compelled to follow the pace of the fast learners in the classroom sessions. Technological intervention has addressed this drawback and has provided innovative ways to acquire education. 2.1 Current State of Technologies in the Field of Education 2.1.1 Computer based learning The initial phase of technological integration in the field of education has been marked by the introduction of computer based learning in the classroom sessions. The concept of computer based learning refers to the inclusion of computers as one of the main components in the acquisition of education. Multimedia is commonly adapted across schools, colleges and universities for a diverse range of purposes. Reeves defined multimedia as the accumulation of different types of mediums, like sound, text, animation etc, on a single platform that has a greater effect on the users than the platform with only one type of medium (22). Multimedia is used to present lectures in a classroom setting to make the sessions more interactive and interesting. Graphs and diagrams can be displayed on the screens and can be explained in a more detailed manner. Interactive whiteboard is another form of multimedia that is being adapted by educational institutes around the world. It comprises of a computer that is connected with a projector and a touch screen. Painter explained that the projector displays the desired content (from the computer) on the whiteboard that can be controlled with an electronic pen (3). Figure 1: Interactive Whiteboard being used in a primary school (Painter) Impact The use of multimedia has benefitted the field of education to a great extent. The monotonous lectures have been converted into interactive and interesting sessions due to the integration of multimedia in the programs. Teachers are able to present different types of video clips, animations, graphs, architectures etc. This makes it easier for the students to comprehend different concepts since visual aid is coupled with the knowledge of the instructor. Reeves stated that multimedia tends to kindle more than one sense at one instance therefore it proves to be a better medium to attain attention of the audience (22). Teoh and Neo stated that interactivity of multimedia sessions promotes the interaction between the learner and the instructor (29); this provides an opportunity to the learner to address any confusion that might be prevalent regarding the topic. Technological advancement has even had an impact on the learning processes of individuals with disabilities. Individuals with visual disabilities benefit from presentations that are coupled with sounds and animations, whereas individuals with hearing disabilities can read the text from the screen and view the animations to comprehend the content of the lectures. Audio books are available for visually impaired students to gain knowledge by listening to the content of the book. 2.1.2 Web based learning platforms E-learning is one of the most revolutionary contributions of technological advancement for the field of education. E-learning involves the concept of distant learning through different interactive platforms. Virtual learning environments and learning management systems provide a platform (over the internet) that can be used as a central source for accumulation of course materials, such as class lecture presentations, referenced books and articles, assignments etc. Learning management systems are also referred to as content management systems. Figure 2: Different features of learning management systems (Baumgartner) The virtual learning environments can be accessed by individuals from any vicinity of their choice. Prominent names in this domain are Moodle (Moodle) and Blackboard (Blackboard Inc). Virtual learning environments provide an opportunity to collaborate with others and exchange ideas to enhance one’s knowledge domain. Moodle offers the opportunity to collaborate with one’s peers; this work can even be published on the respective medium to benefit others (Moodle). Such collaboration is also achieved through an online whiteboard. Blackboard offers the feature of whiteboard where the participants can draw or write anything to communicate their idea to others. Other participants can provide their opinion on existing work as conveniently as in a real life whiteboard discussion. Figure 3: Online Whiteboard application in Blackboard (Jackson) It can be seen from figure 3 that there exist several tools at the right side of the screen to write or draw any desire text or image, respectively. The content on the whiteboard can be saved or printed for future reference. Online assessments take place on the virtual learning environments; these platforms facilitate faster feedbacks and grades from the teachers. Discussion forums are available on platforms like Moodle and Blackboard that provide an opportunity to discuss one’s academic problems and obstacles in the process of learning. The forums are mediated by instructors; therefore productive solutions can be extracted from the discussions. Impact An experiment was conducted by Teoh and Neo, to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of web based learning platforms on the learning processes of students. The sample consisted of 26 students with ages from 19 to 24. The course was aimed to teach the art of animation, designing and film making. The students had been accustomed to the conventional modes of teaching, such as weekly class lectures and one-on-one discussions with instructors (on need basis). The students were asked to access the web learning module for fourteen weeks. The virtual learning environment offered online discussion forums with their peers and instructors, class lectures and email access to contact the instructors on a personal level. At the end of fourteen weeks, a survey was conducted to gather feedback from the participants in the experiment. Some of the vital results are as follows: 92.3 % of the students agreed that the learning process was interesting and engaging. 96.2 % of the students agreed that the required content was easily found on the platform at any time of the day from anywhere (with internet connectivity). 96.2 % of the students agreed that the element of interactivity helped them to learn better and faster. These platforms provide the facility to conduct online lectures that provide the experience of a real classroom session. These platforms offer the convenience of accessing the class lectures from any desired vicinity, thereby reducing travels costs and time to the educational institutes. Teoh and Neo explained that slow learners can keep pace with their peers by accessing the uploaded course materials, whenever required. This is referred to as student-centered learning (28). As stated earlier, discussion forums provide productive academic conversations between the students, where instructors also provide their point of views at several occasions. Not only does this benefit the active participants in the discussions, it also benefits the silent observers. The silent observers can follow the discussions and clarify their confusions. Virtual learning environments have also facilitated the learning processes for individuals with disabilities. The concept of distant learning has granted an opportunity to acquire education from the vicinity of one’s residence therefore it proves to benefit individuals with disabilities even more than the others. Screen readers are software applications that enable the visually impaired individuals to access the web; these applications read the content of the web pages (Freedom Scientific Inc). Numerous virtual learning environments are compatible with such screen readers that provide accessibility to a wide range of objects that were not accessible to visually impaired students in the past: Graphs Images Animations Mathematical Calculations Text Online assessments also promote greater convenience for individuals with disabilities, rather than hand written tests. 2.2 Vital Technologies to Retain Competitive Advantage Virtual learning environments have become one of the main attractions of any educational institute, therefore it would not be wrong to state that it is vital for them to embrace this technology and incorporate it with the existing teaching practices. All renowned universities offer the services of learning management systems, such as Oxford University and MIT. Students prefer to get enrolled in institutes that are equipped with the latest technologies. Virtual learning environments should be compliant with the accessibility standards for individuals with disabilities. These actions portray the awareness of social responsibility that is present in the organization and creates a positive image within the masses. An important aspect that needs to be considered in the provision of virtual learning environment is the level of security that is provided to the student’s data on the platforms, such as online submission of assignments, email accounts etc. Extensive security measures and technologies need to be adapted to ensure that the students are able to acquire education in a safe and reliable environment. Another aspect that needs to be considered by educational institutes is the availability of relevant information on their websites. The content on the websites should include the main objectives of the institute to communicate the vision of the establishment. Detailed information about different programs should be communicated through the website to attract students with the help of their curriculums. Detailed information about the admission process should be conveyed through the website, along with the admission forms. Students tend to prefer those institutions that have a simple and self-explanatory admission process, especially international students. Many institutes offer online admission forms that eliminate the need to post the required documents. Virtual tours of the campus should be present on the institutes’ website to attract the students. The medium of internet is also used by educational institutes to advertise their educational programs and facilities. Effective online advertising can enable the establishment to attain competitive advantage in the respective industry since it caters to a wider and global audience, instead of a limited and regional one. 3. Conclusion The technological advancement has changed the face of the educational sector since the modern practices are amalgamated with extensive usage of multimedia. Multimedia helps to retain the attention of students and facilitates their process of learning through the use of images, animations, videos, graphs etc. Every institution needs to incorporate multimedia technologies in their class sessions to keep pace with their competitors in the respective industry. Virtual learning environments have taken the place of an important component of modern educational practices. This platform facilitates online assessments, discussion forums, whiteboard for interactive discussions and availability of course materials from anywhere at any time. Students have become aware about the importance of technological services and platforms, therefore educational institutes need to offer such services to retain a respectable status in the market. Educational institutes also need to ensure that their websites are coupled with detailed information and resources required for the applicants. The medium of internet should be used to advertise the institution so that a larger set of audience can be targeted. Works Cited Blackboard Inc., 1997, Web. 26 April 2011. Baumgartner, Peter. “Aspects of E-learning”, Educational Technology Institute of Educational Science and Media Research, (1997), Print. Freedom Scientific Inc., “JAWS for Windows Screen Reading Software”, n.d., Web. 27 April 2011. Jackson, Marita. “How Do I Use Student Chat and Whiteboard in Blackboard?” 12 May 2009, Web. 26 April 2011. Moodle, n.d. Web 27 April 2011. Painter, Diane. Whitting, Elizabeth, and Wolters, Brenda. “The Use of an Interactive Reeves, Thomas. “The impact of media and technology in schools: A research report prepared for the Bertelsmann Foundation”, University of Georgia, 1998, Print. Teoh, Belinda, and Neo, Tse-Kian. “Interactive Multimedia Learning Students’ Attitudes and Learning Impact in an Animation Course”, The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology – TOJET, Volume 6 Issue 4, (2007), pp 28-37, Print. Whiteboard in promoting interactive teaching and learning”, VSTE Conference, (2005), Print. Read More