The Impact of Technology In Education

It seems like there’s a gadget for everything nowadays. From the moment we get up to the second we head to bed, technology is a major part of our days — and this influence does not stop when you step into a classroom.Impact of technology in education

But what do you think about having gadgets and tablets in educational facilities? To help make sense of the pros and cons, we’ve investigated how technology has improved the classroom experience and what the education system could look like in the future.

How Many Schools Are Using Technology In The Classroom?

It’s no secret that schools, colleges, universities, and even nurseries are including technology to teach. Not only do gadgets provide young people with a better education, they also prepare them for the tech-savvy world they’ll eventually work in.

But how many learning centres already incorporate technology in their everyday classes? According to research, there were 430,000 tablets in education establishments in 2014 and this figure was expected to rise to more than 900,000 by 2016. However, it’s worth remembering that no confirmation result has been released.

Perhaps you’re wondering what type of technology schools, colleges and universities are opting to use. According to research by Barbie Clarke of the Family, Kids and Youth, 68% of primary schools and 69% of secondary schools in the UK use tablet devices. Also, 9% of these schools said that there was a tablet device for every pupil, which shows a dedication to technology as a learning tool. This study also found that schools without tablet devices were seriously considering introducing them in the future — so expect these figures to go up!

How Can Technology Benefit Students?

Many of us will accept that technology plays a role in education, however, the confusion lies in what gadgets kids are using and what real benefit they get from them.

Tablets are popular facilitators of learning and can make lessons more interactive regardless of the subject, encouraging more pupil participation and helping to improve the retention rate of learners. By catering to different types of pupils, they are more likely to hold onto the information, as opposed to how they’d remember facts if simply hearing it stated by a teacher from a textbook.

Technology also offers a countless supply of inspiration and ideas for fun, interactive lessons that can be tailored to the specific needs of the students — a massive help for teachers. For example, this can be done through the use of games, music and even e-books. Another benefit is that teachers now have the ability to search for materials they need online, allowing them to access additional resources.

Accessibility and communication are two other huge bonuses of implementing technology in the classroom. With technology, teachers can host webinars that allows them to connect with a group of students remotely. This is most prominent in university and colleges, although it can also be used for younger children to teach them a specific subject or module. Exams can also be taken online which has shown a huge shift in the traditional methods.

The Future Of An Education-Technology Partnership

Who knows what the future holds for technology that we can use in the classroom. However, one theory presented by Sir Anthony Seldon from the University of Buckingham discusses the use of artificial intelligence (AI). He asserts that AI will “open up the possibility of an Eton or Wellington education for all” in the future, and even cause a shift in how we teach students within the next ten years! Looking into the possibilities of AI, it seems that teachers will still have a job in the classroom, but mainly as assistants to the AI device that will be teaching the lesson. Essentially, teachers will control classroom behaviour rather than educate.  AI will allow lessons and learning materials to be personal to the student. This technology is capable of recognising how quickly a student learns, so it can adjust itself to help them advance as quickly and efficiently as they can, rather than trying to keep up with their classmates. Although, of course, this is all conjecture for now!

This article was created by United Carlton — a top print management software supplier launched in 1987.