Technology is the driving force behind every aspect of human life and education too falls within its sphere of influence. Education has always been a pillar of development and any advances made in this arena will impact the whole world for the better. And ever since it has embraced technology, it has witnessed a dramatic forward leap. With globalisation giving technology a world-wide reach, more and more people are reaping in the benefits of education that is spurred on by technology.
- Interactive Education
Learning from textbooks can be tedious and many students find it hard to retain facts and figures simply from reading a book. But interactive classroom technology can be utilized by teachers to craft instructional materials that can bring even the most boring subject matter alive, engage more learners through feedback and keep tabs on their progress. Interactive technology is beneficial in research as well, for example, most students simply refer to Google Maps or Google Earth to help with their geography projects instead of learning about the earth through 2D maps or globes.
- Simulation And 3D Models
Through educational simulation, learners get to experience or witness a scenario that without technology would have been impossible to recreate. A virtual reality through computer simulation is constructed to help students grasp a concept. For example, simulations or 3D representation of how a hurricane develops, the evolution of mankind or how dinosaurs walked can captivate young minds and inculcate in them a passion for learning more.
- Availability of Information
Gone are the days, when books alone used to be the only source of information. Libraries contain a finite number of books, and many schools and institutes have an insufficient repository of books. But this shortfall has been met by the internet. With the rise of the ‘flipped classrooms’, both teachers and learners can tap into open educational Resources and digital libraries where documents are available either free or at nominal costs. There is a plethora of online educational websites and forums such as Khan Academy, Coursera, TED.com, JSTOR and innumerable podcasts, and essay online. Moreover, there are cyber learning technologies that are redefining education and helping students and scholars.
- Increased Collaboration
With the advent of technology in education, classrooms are no longer isolated units and the scope of education has been expanded. Classrooms across the country and the world are connected where students can collaborate on different projects through video conferences, Skype, Google Docs, web seminars and interactive software. This brings uniformity to education across the spectrum fosters interaction and understanding among students from all over the world.
- Online Education
Online courses are the most rewarding outcome of technology’s foray into education. It has made education and skill training reachable to more people than ever before. All that is needed is a smart device/laptop and an internet connection and anyone can acquire a degree of their choice with the added benefits of online courses such as lower costs, flexible timing and the opportunity of furthering their career.
Technology has brought education, a basic human right, to the fingertips of the masses. Digital tools and platforms are modernizing education by making it more relevant, impactful and in tune with the spirit of the time.