Abstract
Learning is a noble activity in human life. Although physical classrooms have defined learning processes, the new technology is transforming the sector. The situation is compounded with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic which has seen schools close. This essay provided by SmartWritingService – essay writing company discusses the cause and effect of the use of technology in education.
Technology is defining every facet of human livelihood. It affects the way people live, learn, and play. The advent of wireless devices and mobile phones, especially the IoT is promoting engagement between industries. Since most of the industries are embracing technology, it is sensible for schools to deploy mobile technology. For many schools, navigating adopting new technology is proving difficult to implement. The modern students are digital because they grow-up with technology. The use of computers in the classroom is beyond mere if using digital devices because it focuses on increasing interactions between learners and educators. With the new environment where social distancing is becoming a new norm, technology becomes necessary for the education industry.
The COVID-19 is affecting the education sector and learning is curtailed. Currently, thousands of learning institutions are shut down with millions of learners staying home. This makes remote learning a necessity during this pandemic (WEF, 2020). Online and distance learning requires the support of governments and educationists. Countries must act swiftly by designing and implementing remote learning programs. The problem is compounded by the healthcare professional guidelines that social distancing is critical to containing the virus. Therefore, the solution lies with remote learning programs, and schools must adjust accordingly.
The students need technology to boost their classroom experiences. The new technology, if applied correctly, will ensure learners achieve their career goals effectively. This is because many learners can abuse the new devices if left unsupervised. The need to connect students with their tutors and colleagues requires the application of an integrated or hybrid learning technology. The technology is a new learning style where the problem of distance is solved. With technology, teachers and faculty members can easily interact and develop digital citizenship skills. Mineo (2020) posits that using mobile devices is easy but understanding the correct and responsible use is a different ballgame. Additionally, the new technology increases student engagement (Schindler et al., 2017). As much as they use mobile phones to play games, the students can utilize them to facilitate learning. The introduction of virtual reality will enhance learning among students and teachers.
The school administrations and governments have to support the use of technology in classrooms. Many learning institutions appear to have made the worst mistakes that have pushed them to the wall. For example, the biggest mistake they make is the inability to establish a strong network infrastructure to support the use of technology in education. These institutions make haste decisions to deploy new devices without proper strategies to support the end-users (Raja & Nagasubramani, 2018). The schools can purchase tablets and laptops but without Wi-Fi networks; the project is tantamount to failure. Since schools work with tight budgets, it is uneconomical to purchase new devices and fail to use them. Therefore, schools must have secured Wi-Fi networks to utilize new devices.
The wireless devices require specialized skills and they have exorbitant values attached to them. With many institutions having deployed several wireless systems, it is possible to unravel the ways of their workability. For this project to succeed, the schools need strong Wi-Fi systems by aligning the services to the connected devices (Raja & Nagasubramani, 2018). Technical resources must be the center of focus because they are always expensive and scarce. Nonetheless, the expectations of the end-users are high and with everything changing, the schools must adjust and adapt the new technologies in learning.
In conclusion, the use of technology is learning is a new norm that must be embraced across the board. Although there remain gray areas regarding its adoption, the educationists have no option but to utilize these new services to improve accessibility. As part of the technology plan, schools have to subscribe to the Wi-Fi-as-a-service to guarantee accessibility, scalability, and affordability. Therefore, the effects of technology are huge and the schools are likely to attract more learners.
References
Mineo, L. (2020, April 10). Time to fix American education with race-for-space resolve. The Harvard Gazette. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/04/the-pandemics-impact-on-education/.
Raja, R. & Nagasubramani, P.C. (2018). Impact of modern technology in education. Journal of Applied and Advanced Research, 3(1), 33-35. https://dx.doi.org/10.21839/jaar.2018.v3S1.165
Schindler, L.A., Burkholder, G.J., Morad, O.A., & Marsh, C. (2017). Computer-based technology and student engagement: A critical review of the literature. International Journal of Education Technology in Higher Education, 14(25). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-017-0063-0
World Economic Forum (WEF). (2020, Mar 13). 3 ways the coronavirus pandemic could reshape education. WEF. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/3-ways-coronavirus-is-reshaping-education-and-what-changes-might-be-here-to-stay/.
