LESSON 2: TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION | HOW HAS TECHNOLOGY CHANGED EDUCATION?

PREPARED BY: ROSSANO C. SAMSON

UNIT 1
LESSON 2
TOPIC TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION
How Has Technology Changed Education?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson the students will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and understanding of concepts related to technology in
education.
- Identify the impacts of technology in education
- Identify the importance of technology in education
- Identify and discuss the challenges of adapting technology in education
o Questions to ponder:
▪ How technology changed the way you deal with education?
▪ How technology assist you in doing your tasks in studying?
▪ How does technology helped you in coping up with the current situation?
▪ Explain: Technology: An agent of Change.

How Has Technology Changed Education? An excerpt from Purdue University Online Article

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Technology has impacted almost every aspect of life today, and education is no exception. Or is
it? The scene is easily recognizable because of its parallels to the modern day. The teacher
lectures from a podium at the front of the room while the students sit in rows and listen. Some of
the students have books open in front of them and appear to be following along. A few look bored.
Some are talking to their neighbors. One appears to be sleeping. Classrooms today do not look
much different, though you might find modern students looking at their laptops, tablets, or smart
phones instead of books (though probably open to Facebook). A cynic would say that technology
has done nothing to change education.

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However, in many ways, technology has profoundly changed education. For one, technology has
greatly expanded access to education. In medieval times, books were rare and only an elite few
had access to educational opportunities. Individuals had to travel to centers of learning to get an
education. Today, massive amounts of information (books, audio, images, videos) are available at
one’s fingertips through the Internet, and opportunities for formal learning are available online
worldwide through the Khan Academy, MOOCs, podcasts, traditional online degree programs, and
more. Access to learning opportunities today is unprecedented in scope thanks to technology.

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Opportunities for communication and collaboration have also been expanded by technology.
Traditionally, classrooms have been relatively isolated, and collaboration has been limited to other
students in the same classroom or building. Today, technology enables forms of communication
and collaboration undreamt of in the past.

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Students in a classroom in the rural U.S., for example, can learn about the Arctic by following the
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expedition of a team of scientists in the region, read scientists’ blog posting, view photos, e-mail
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questions to the scientists, and even talk live with the scientists via a videoconference. Students
LESSON 2: TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION | HOW HAS TECHNOLOGY CHANGED EDUCATION?
PREPARED BY: ROSSANO C. SAMSON

can share what they are learning with students in other classrooms in other states who are tracking
the same expedition. Students can collaborate on group projects using technology-based tools
such as wikis and Google docs. The walls of the classrooms are no longer a barrier as technology
enables new ways of learning, communicating, and working collaboratively.

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Technology has also begun to change the roles of teachers and learners. In the traditional
classroom, the teacher is the primary source of information, and the learners passively receive it.
This model of the teacher as the “sage on the stage” has been in education for a long time, and it
is still very much in evidence today. However, because of the access to information and
educational opportunity that technology has enabled, in many classrooms today we see the
teacher’s role shifting to the “guide on the side” as students take more responsibility for their own
learning using technology to gather relevant information. Schools and universities across the
country are beginning to redesign learning spaces to enable this new model of education, foster
more interaction and small group work, and use technology as an enabler.

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Technology is a powerful tool that can support and transform education in many ways, from
making it easier for teachers to create instructional materials to enabling new ways for people to
learn and work together. With the worldwide reach of the Internet and the ubiquity of smart devices
that can connect to it, a new age of anytime anywhere education is dawning. It will be up to
instructional designers and educational technologies to make the most of the opportunities
provided by technology to change education so that effective and efficient education is available
to everyone everywhere.

IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

THE PROMISE OF TECHNOLOGY

Technology can deliver new educational opportunities for everyone. It offers huge opportunities
to transform global education at all age levels. Technology continues to develop at a rapid pace
and access to technologies such as mobile phones and the internet is growing.

This means:

- 2.7 billion people worldwide use the internet

- 6.8 billion people have access to mobile phones
- The number of phones able to access the internet is increasing by 7% per year - and
56% of people will have internet access by 2020
- Educational content available through online courses nearly doubled in 2015

HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN DELIVER EDUCATION

In schools around the world, computers, tablets, smart whiteboards and other technological
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devices are being used as part of the learning process. Technology provides a window to the
LESSON 2: TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION | HOW HAS TECHNOLOGY CHANGED EDUCATION?
PREPARED BY: ROSSANO C. SAMSON

world and access to thousands of learning resources. Learning to work with technology and
using computer coding gives children the skills and confidence to help them get good jobs when
they leave school - and in turn come up with more new technologies.

The number of children around the world using handheld devices, like mobile phones and mini-
tablets, is growing. Agencies and organizations are taking advantage of the technology to deliver
education where it is most needed.

Technology can be used as a tool for delivering education where it is most needed, especial in
humanitarian emergencies such as war or natural disasters.

THE NEW TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

Many of the jobs available today may be gone within a decade. With increasing automation and
other factors, more children will need to leave school with the technological skills needed in the
future economy.

Students need to be learning the skills necessary for the jobs that have yet to be created.

In its September 2016 report, the Education Commission - a group of world leaders and experts
set up to investigate how to deliver education for all children by 2030 - said: "Far-reaching
innovation is needed to equip young people with the new knowledge and skills they need for the
new economy, to provide education to millions more children effectively and efficiently, and to
take advantage of new technology and new understanding of how children learn."

Digital skills are necessary for taking part in the global economy. Mobile technologies have
reached even the poorest parts of the world - but skill gaps remain and school students are often
taught skills that will not help them to access jobs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
and Maths).

There is a risk of technology being deployed in a way that rewards young people in richer
countries and leaves others in low-income countries lagging behind when it comes to getting the
skills needed for the new economies.

THE CHALLENGES OF DELIVERING TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

Technology offers the opportunity of worldwide learning and education - but it needs resources
and commitment to achieve that.

Internet access is still patchy across the world. In the poorest countries only one in 10 people is
online. Across many developing countries, less than 10% of schools are connected to the
Internet.
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Global access to information and communication technologies (ICT) is not equal. People do not
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always have the knowledge or skills they need to take advantage of the technology.
LESSON 2: TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION | HOW HAS TECHNOLOGY CHANGED EDUCATION?
PREPARED BY: ROSSANO C. SAMSON

And despite the fact that mobile technologies have now reached even the poorest communities
around the world, the skills gap remains. Current uses of technology within education are often
overly focused on skills not required for taking part in the global economy.

In a report, the Global Business Coalition for Education warned the skills gap could grow. It said:
"Most new technologies are made for those who already have some access, rather than being
designed and deployed in a manner that proactively prioritises the most marginalised. As a result,
many initiatives over the last decade have not managed to live up to expectations. Fortunately, a
more reflective use of technology for education is emerging, with increasing focus on rigour,
learning, and contributing to the evidence base for the sector."

Even if technology is available and people have the necessary e-literacy skills, there is no
guarantee that technology alone can create a quality learning environment.

TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION AND COVID 19 PANDEMIC: THE CHALLENGES

The COVID-19 pandemic is quickly demonstrating why online education should be a vital part of
teaching and learning. By integrating technology into existing curricula, as opposed to using it
solely as a crisis-management tool, teachers can harness online learning as a powerful
educational tool.

Prominently rising from the COVID-19 crisis is the issue of content. Educators need to be able to
develop and weigh in on online educational content, especially to encourage students to consider
a topic from different perspectives. The urgent actions taken during this crisis did not provide
sufficient time for this. Access is an added concern — for example, not every school district has
resources to provide students with a laptop, and internet connectivity can be unreliable in homes.

Additionally, while some students thrive in online education settings, others lag for various factors,
including support resources. For example, a student who already struggled in face-to-face
environments may struggle even more in the current situation. These students may have relied on
resources that they no longer have in their homes.

Still, most students typically demonstrate confidence in using online education when they have the
resources, as studies have suggested. However, online education may pose challenges for
teachers, especially in places where it has not been the norm.

Despite the challenges and concerns, it’s important to note the benefits of technology in education,
including increased collaboration and communication, improved quality of education, and engaging
lessons that help spark imagination and a search for knowledge in students.
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LESSON 2: TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION | HOW HAS TECHNOLOGY CHANGED EDUCATION?
PREPARED BY: ROSSANO C. SAMSON

REFERENCES:
How Has Technology Changed Education?, retrieved on August 8, 2021,
https://online.purdue.edu/blog/education/how-has-technology-changed-education

Technology and education, retrieved on August 8, 2021,

https://theirworld.org/explainers/technology-and-education

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