Thursday, 10 January 2013

How Technology Is Changing the Face of Education

How Technology Is Changing the Face of Education

Technology is a facet of society that is constantly changing and when these changes take place the members of a particular culture have to be willing to make adjustments. This particular fact is especially true for people who are employed within the field of education. Technology has infiltrated the educational system rather quickly and its usage is expected to significantly increase in the coming years. Teachers can (and still do) instruct students without the use of computers, laptops and tablets but sooner or later they will have to make some adjustments for the use of digital equipment as part of the learning environment.

The Department of Education and the International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) have developed technology standards that have been adopted by the majority of states within the U.S. These standards encourage the use of computers, smart boards, laptops and tablets within the classroom. Laptops and computers have already been implemented in school buildings across the country. Tablets are the latest form of computing technology that is now being adapted for the learning environment.


Many teachers currently use smart boards to instruct their pupils especially on the lower grades. Smart boards provide teaches with the ability to use computer software and media presentations in order to instruct their students.

Most teachers use computers as a supplementary form of teaching. They allow students to go off in groups on their own and learn educational concepts from approved software or websites.

Middle and high schools also use technology to instruct students but they typically take a more direct approach than elementary schools. Some high and middle school districts assign students a laptop that they must use inside of the classroom. These laptops are given to students at the beginning of the year and they must return them back to the district once a school year is completed. Many students in high school and middle school will also be expected to complete assignments online and through the use of networking with fellow students. Though many high and middle schools use the traditional approaches of teaching they are now using digital based instruction at a greater rate.

Education at the college level still involves lectures and note taking but professors and students can perform these tasks with the use of computer technology. Digital technology makes it easier for students to record information and it also helps professors to give media presentation that enhances their lectures and instruction.

The education system is going to be one of the primary areas of society where technology will be greatly utilized. Many of the jobs in the present and the coming future will involve some use of computer technology and people will have to know how to use this science in order to earn a decent living. Schools are exposing children to digital technology for this purpose and to make them more competitive and highly educated in today's world.Technology is extremely important to the learning environment and it has become a  permanent part of the education life.

Importance of Technology in Our Lives Today

To understand and explore the importance of technology in our daily lives, let us first start by defining the term ‘Technology’. Technology refers to the use of tools, gadgets and resources that help us control and adapt to our environment. Originating from the Greek work ‘technologia’, the term also refers to the use of machines and utensils which make our daily lives simpler and more organized. importance of technology. 

  
Modern technology can be considered a direct consequence of the innovations and studies in the fields of science and engineering.  There is no doubt that technology has greatly influenced modern society and lifestyles. While most of these influences have been positive, there are few negative ones. But that is not the topic of this article. Here we shall only focus on the positive impact and significance of technology in the fields of education, business and health care.

Importance of Technology in Education

 Technology plays a significant role in the educational field. Math, reading and writing skills can all be improved using technological advances. Students do not have to bear with mundane learning cycles anymore as more and more teachers are gravitating towards the use of interactive tools and media for making learning interesting. Students can prepare for their future using educational materials that are easily available, thanks to information technology. Teachers are able to deliver content effortlessly to students and can also research complex subjects in the classrooms itself.

It is not just teachers and students who benefit from technology but also educational administrators and parents. The benefits of technology in this field can be summarized as below:

      Technology encourages learning in a positive manner
      It improves students’ skill sets
      It helps prepare the future workforce.

Examples of technological use in the field of education include: use of spreadsheets for math and other topics, videoconferencing for distant learning, creation of web pages to display and share student work, Internet searches for exploring complex topics etc.









For technology to have positive impact in the field of education, teachers must ensure setting clear goals: else technology can be misused. Teachers also need to be trained and this education must be on-going. Technical support also needs to be provided in order to ensure correct handling of tools.

Importance of Technology in Business

Technology has also helped small businesses evolve and expand quickly. The use of social networking, video conferencing, virtual office tools and other such techniques have removed all boundaries, which, in the past, prevented growth. Thanks to technology; businesses, small and large, can reach a wider customer base and grow and expand.

Business technology has helped improve communication. Today, workers are not limited to phone calls alone; they can send emails and messages without the fear of interrupting the recipient. Mobile technology has also helped workers communicate ‘on the go’. Information is not limited to one or two channels, but multiple and faster ones.

In general, the efficiency of the workforce has also increased. Employers are able to screen, recruit and hire potential candidates quickly; they are also able to inform about vacancies to larger number of applicants. Personality and IQ assessment tools have also been made available to employers and these make the screening process a lot smoother and streamlined. Digital filing has helped improve the organization and efficiency in the workplace. Printing costs, paper consumption and space can all be saved thanks to electronic filing systems.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of technology for businesses is the elimination of wastage of time and money. Thanks to videoconferencing and Internet, travel costs can be drastically cut down. A business can set up its presence across the Globe at a fraction of the cost required in the past.

Importance of Technology in Healthcare

The importance of technology in healthcare can be summarized with this single sentence:  “Technology saves lives”. Some of the objectives that healthcare information technology has fulfilled include:

    creation of social support networks for patients
    self management tools and resources that patients can use with ease
    easy access to accurate and actionable health information for patients and families
    quick communication and resolution of health risks and public health emergencies
    provision of newer opportunities to culturally diverse and hard to access nations
    improvement of quality and safety in health care
    improved public health infrastructure
    facilitation of clinical and consumer decision making
    development of health skills and know-how


Health technology has improved organization and efficiency. It has helped eliminate ambiguity and every record right from the billing to diagnostic and treatment can be maintained for easy access for healthcare providers. By using software and hardware tools, profiles of patients can be created so doctors can provide standardized treatment. This helps improve patient outcomes and thus reduces cost of health care.

1 comment:

  1. Best described article. The images are catchy and the content is very relevant to the title. The examples shown about Video Conferencing Software used for education purpose is proved to be more beneficial these days and many institutes have started using it. Other technologies are also well described and the face of technology in education is reaching heights from day-to-day.

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