Since the introduction of technology in the world, many things have been affected. One of them is education and the ways of learning. So many inventions currently in the world have transformed the manner, which, children are able to participate in class and embrace learning. We have a growing number of people in the population who were born in the era of YouTube and consume online videos daily. A typical learner today has several specific tools at his disposal every time include a smartphone, iPad or a basic laptop. These powerful gadgets have transformed our society in very many ways. This paper will look at the ways that digital learning has affected the normal learning procedures and institutions.
Education has been expanded from within the walls of the classroom to anywhere a student wishes to carry out studies. Gone are the days where one will only have to think about education while in the corners of the school institutions (Polly et al., p78-82). Today one is able to access high quality education from any corner of the world, so long as there is sufficient internet and a laptop. The education institutions have collaborated with online platforms to ensure that the material that is taught in classrooms is provided for by online educational platforms. Some of the common online platforms with massive educational material is Coursera and the EDX, which have managed to give high quality education at affordable rates to people across the world. The educational institutions have themselves created courses that target online learners who do not which to attend their physical classes. This has led to increase in the number of people who enroll for part-time course. These people were not able to attend classroom before, either due to geographical location, or tight schedules at work. Login into a website page for a few hours every day is educating more people ((Polly et al., p225-228).
Technology has transformed the ways of teaching in physical classrooms to create a more collaborative system of learning. Through the creation of affordable technology in classrooms, students are able to engage more during practical learning. These gadgets used every day are very powerful are capable of doing many things. It is not difficult today for a literature teacher to arrange a video stream with an author of a material that is discussed in class. In this manner, the students can have a one on one session with the author without having to bring him or her to the classroom. The gadgets have also assisted students to work in groups online, without having to be physically available every time (Ann and Tríona, p124-126). This has eased the way of learning making it more enjoyable and interesting to students, especially the younger ones who have very little attention span. The teachers too are not left behind in these changes. The manner in which the delivery of knowledge takes place has also evolved. Previously all a teacher could do is to relay information to the students, whose major role was to absorb it. Currently such roles have evolved to make the teacher just a facilitator (Ann and Tríona, p127).
The development of technology in classroom has allowed the teacher to develop a more personalized learning experience for the students. It is common knowledge that the students’ learning ability is not the same. Some students are faster than others are, making the latter to lag behind. With introduction of technology, the teacher is able to determine which students need specialized learning programs. In this way, the teacher is able to track all the students and ensure that they are all at the same point when they take their assessment. It has made student monitoring easier, making each student to learn at one’s pace.
Digital technology has kicked out the use of textbooks and writing pads. It was common to see students walking around with many books. Not long ago students had to get textbooks from student libraries, making learning very hectic. Today students have access to online libraries that are easily accessed from their mobile devices. This has made learning more relevant as a learner has the ability to access key material very easily. In fact, this has cut down the budget of schools in terms of purchasing printed books. EBooks are much cheaper and easier to use as compared to printed books. The institutions have also transformed the mode of keeping records. It is very rare today to have cases of missing academic credentials as all the records are kept online. Parents can easily follow up on the performance of their children from a very simple device. It is not easy for students to lie top their parents about grades and school activities. In addition, technology has made it difficult for students to cheat in their exams. There are technological measures in place to ensure that the quality of education is easily measured (Polly et al., p117-121).
In conclusion, the changes that have come with the introduction of technology in schools are quite massive. One major advantage is that people are able to access affordable, quality education from any corner of the world. Simple gadgets such as smartphones, ipads, and laptops have played a significant role to make this happen. Institutions are able to collaborate with online education providers to give quality education to all those who wish to learn. The learning process has become better, making it more student centered and the teachers has evolved to become fascilitators.
- Marcus-Quinn, Ann, and Tríona Hourigan. Handbook on Digital Learning for K-12 Schools. , 2017. Print.
- Polly, Drew, Clif Mims, and Kay A. Persichitte. Developing Technology-Rich Teacher Education Programs: Key Issues. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference, 2012. Print.
