Jagpreet
26 August, 2024
Table of Contents
Even before the pandemic, the education sector was considered one of the most fertile sectors for innovation with the use of technology. It is widely believed, that technology can achieve what the human mind imagines.
The future of our education system today heavily relies on the fact that technology will take it forward and ensure that students who desire to study are never barred from this opportunity only because of location-based or financial barriers. Higher education is an extremely valuable component of the Indian Education System. You can understand it as the stage where students grasp the most. A significant part of their education relies on their higher school. Unfortunately, there are millions who deserve this opportunity but are denied simply due to financial limitations or inaccessibility to quality education.
As a result, there is a lack of equal distribution of this valuable resource. Technology, on the contrary, has managed to recover that loss to a certain extent. It has enabled students as well as teachers to come together and interact in one of the most innovatively designed structures. It has transformed our learning methods through various media, from online classes to offline classrooms to the online classroom format.
Our academic curriculum, daily interactions, activities, and value education can all be imparted with the presence of strong technological support. Furthermore, technology has personalised our learning methods and mediums. We are easily able to choose from a plethora of courses available online from the comfort of our homes. We get the benefit of accessing these commendable courses from some of the most reputed institutions across the world.
Here are some of the most impactful ways by which technology has interacted with education making it possible for us to access a plethora of opportunities.
Technological innovation has made it possible for us to shift offline classrooms to online mode, irrespective of geographical boundaries. The COVID pandemic is a classic example that explains and justifies the seamless interactions and communication of concepts through platforms such as G-Meet or Microsoft Teams. The mode of communication is a lot more convenient, and decision-making is faster.
The world we live in is no longer unipolar. It is a multipolar world where every country shares a slice of power, making us interdependent. This makes it possible for us to interact and connect with the students who live overseas and learn front hem and their own education system. A mix of these values is important to understand how the education pattern differs across international borders and what qualities one must inculcate from them. This is possible through virtual interactions and meet-ups where students and teachers exchange ideas. Additionally, you can collaborate with different people and share your ideas, resources, and opinions in exchange for a new learning experience. The role of technology in modern higher education is visible.
Technology has introduced us to the metaverse- an innovation that has transformed the education system. It can provide customised learning experiences that are specially curated to serve our needs, learning pace, and preferred learning methods. Additionally, educational content can be enhanced with interactive elements such as 3D models, gamified experiences, and interactive scenarios, making learning more engaging and immersive. A user-friendly interface has enhanced our overall experience of learning and grasping new concepts, irrespective of how complex they might be.
The interaction between technology and education has made sure that people get to interact in simulated settings, where specially created real-world job scenarios are built to impart vocational training. This includes complex medical procedures for aspiring medical professionals, alongside practical experiments in multiple fields for aspiring engineers. Such an experience is also made available to high school students who can easily learn through 3-D models for complicated subjects like physics and chemistry. The sole purpose of this amalgamation is to ensure that they learn with fun. Many trends and innovations are shaping the future of higher education.
Teachers can give students instant performance feedback through interactive exercises and online tests. By tracking student development, learning analytics can offer data-driven insights to enhance teaching methods and student results. As a result, there is not only a seamless interaction between the students and teachers but also a very quick-paced learning process where there are no limitations to exploration.
Technology and education are two of the most dynamic pillars of growth for our economy and human resources. It is incredibly powerful when both industries come together. However, it is natural for people to be concerned about the changes that they may bring. When there is an overdependence on technology, it ruins the purpose and the true essence of education. There is an excessive reliance on shortcuts and a heavy use of tools that artificial intelligence introduces.
Students might take their academic learnings for granted thinking that there is always a backup to learn from. There are also some serious consequences such as abuse of technological assistance for personal benefits. Often, such cases take place due to the excess involvement of technology in our daily lives.
While technology offers multiple benefits, it can factually never completely replace the true essence of teaching. The journey of education is a balance of both technology and human intervention. The interaction that takes place between students and their teachers is organic and leaves a more powerful impact as opposed to technological intervention.
It depends entirely on the institutions and the extent to which they are willing to allow their students to be exposed to the world of technology. They should be aware of both- the pros and cons. They must be aware of the limit to which their students are exposed to these innovations and what would be the possible consequences if there is involvement.
Additionally, students must also be made aware of their reliance on technology. There should be a rational understanding of how much they utilise this for their benefit and whether or not it is ethically right. This is important for them to make an informed decision. They must know that technology can only help them but it is their hard work that will ultimately help them succeed.
The way this digital revolution has navigated its way into our lives makes it easy for us to simply our education as well as the miscellaneous other needs, which is absolutely commendable and gives us a sense of assurance that the years to come will always make sure that no deserving student quits an opportunity simply because of their unfortunate circumstances.
There is no particular extent, however, it depends on your needs and the parameters you utilise technology for your benefit. As long as you use technology to serve the purpose of making your education and its communication a bit easier, it will be useful, however, if you overuse it, it might go against your own benefits.
At this point, we can already witness a rise in people’s dependence on technology. There is a constant need for newer applications and software that can make concepts easier so that students do not fail at understanding them. Once that is clear, they are able to proceed with little to no difficulties. As a result, the dependence increases and this may largely remain constant due to the need to find quick solutions for every problem that we encounter today.
The safety of technology depends on how it is handed over to students for use. When there are teachers and parents who keep an eye on the use of technology or any such tool that is used by students, there are fewer chances of unnecessary distractions.
Here are the top five benefits of technology when it is combined with the education sector
Enhanced Learning Experience
Increased Accessibility and Flexibility
Improved Student Engagement and Collaboration
Efficient Administrative Processes
Data-Driven Insights and Personalised Learning
It has been observed and studied that technology in education increases students’ learning, understanding, and achievement besides augmenting their motivation to learn new concepts and simplify tough concepts.