Technology

In todays world, every human endeavor is hinged on technology. In politics, candidates use social networking sites to reach the masses of voters. In commerce, the Internet has become the center of online banking, business transactions and advertisement. However, no sector has reaped from information technology more than education. The number of learners at any given time notwithstanding, learning is a compulsory stage of passage for any individual conscious of the competitive nature of life. As Lyndon B. Johnson once observed, We must open the doors of opportunity. But we must also equip our people to walk through those doors (qtd in Adkins et al 2009). The implication of the changing trends in the modern world is that more people, governments, organizations and institutions are turning to information technology as the bridge to the next world stage. Education, in particular, has integrated technology into the learning process to make it effective. In the following section, the paper examines the many ways in which technology has made education accessible, current, relevant and convenient to learners and educators.

The need to integrate modern technology into the education curriculum was to address a gap left by outdated and old approaches to learning. Quoting Brian McElfish, technology coordinator and mathematics instructor at the Serrano International School in Lake Forest, CA, Adkins et al(2010) note that old technologies lower interest in learners, and fact giving them the freedom to use current technology in what, for them, may be new and untraditional ways seems to create a sense of buy-in to the material.

By motivating learners through new and exciting approaches and teaching methodologies, technology improves the productivity of the whole learning process. Justin Hall, an American freelance journalist and pioneer blogger from Chicago, Illinois, notes in one of his writing reviews that new technologies are necessary to keep learner motivation. He quotes a participant in the Tokyo Game Show, who says that Students get bored with traditional teaching styles. I like to provide top notch education with a flare of entertainment (Hall 2010).

Besides presenting learners with a variety of stimuli and engaging them directly in active participation, it also makes communication and interaction easier and faster. In a research on the impact of mobile technology on learning Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Solvberg et al (2010) shows that learners were able to access learning materials faster from the library, interact with others as well as share information. In addition, it prepared learners for the actual learning through prior communication and briefing. Their performance was improved by emphasizing on shared attention and outlining of learner expectations before lectures.

Distance learning and online education have facilitated education by making it accessible to many people without necessarily having to attend classes. In this regard, time and resources are saved by cutting on the costs of travel for the learner and educator, and learning resources for institutions. Today, learners do not need to be seated in front of their instructors. Many learning centers have integrated online courses to cater for a large number of students who otherwise could not fit into a single lecture hall, or be taught effectively by one instructor. Online learning has also made it possible for instructors to assess their students, as well as get feedback for assignments via the Internet. Most colleges and universities have also developed websites where learners can interact with their lecturers, do exams and earn online.

The use of visuals as a teaching aid has been made easier and effective because of technology. The computer, for instance, offers an effective media to use audio and video tapes as tools for learning. Similarly, the use of PowerPoint presentations and animations increases the interactive and participation level of learners. Besides arousing and sustaining the interest of students, they assist teachers in explaining abstract ideas and concepts. In situations where a large number of learners is involved, overhead projectors offer visual effects in a more effective manner, than could do a chart or drawing. These learning aids have been rated to be more effective than textbooks, since they have the hooking effect to arrest learners attentiveness and attendance (ArticlesBase2010).    

The web provides a huge information source. By acting as pooling center, it hosts a lot of cumulative information from scholars and researchers. Unlike the publishing of books, posting information is very fast, cheap and efficient. In fact, it takes a few minutes to update an article or document in the web, instead of the years it would take to edit a book. In this respect, technology has made it possible for learners engage in research oriented fields like medicine to keep abreast with the latest and relevant discoveries (Gura and Percy 69). Since new researches are done frequently and new knowledge discovered almost daily, the Internet becomes the easiest way to verify information and share it with other interested parties.

Accessing information and knowledge would be tedious and cumbersome were it not for the web. Since large volumes of information are available on any given topic, it would be difficult to peruse through large files or books in print. Locating the desired information source itself will take long hours of searching in the library. As such, technology makes information readily, easily and conveniently available by just typing in the correct search words and clicking. The search engines promptly provide any inquirer with numerous results of the sought information, which is easily sorted out by scrolling to get the relevant article. Therefore, doing research is made easier for learners and teachers who would like to consult a wide range of sources for literature reviews, consultation and verification.

In the developing world, the provision of learning facilities such as buildings and books is a milestone. According to a UN survey, technology has enabled learning institutions and students in these countries to access information and knowledge via the web, which in other circumstances they could not purchase through books or hire qualified instructors. The UN GAID (Global Alliance for ICT and Development), established in 2006, is involved in encouraging the use of information technology to promote and facilitate education especially in the third world. It focuses on the use of IT as a tool to disseminate and share knowledge across a wide spectrum. It also aims to address challenges like lowering cost of access in the developing world developing inclusive technologies for the disabled producing low-cost computers and reducing barriers to ICT use and diffusion in key sectors of the economy and society, including enterprises, governments, education, tourism, agriculture, financial services and rural and civil society institutions (United Nations 2010).Through corroboration and joint ventures, institutions can use technology to improve the quality of education.