Impact of Modern Technology on Education

-         Inputs by ​Mr. Amarend​er​ Katkam, Founder & CEO of Smart Bridge Educational Services Pvt. Ltd 

Regarded as the foundation upon which economy, arts and sciences flourish in the 21st century, modern technology sustains civilizations all around the world. This new age of technology has also facilitated the rise of global communities and the easy exchange of ideas and resources. From automation of several manual tasks, simplifying critical complex processes for greater efficiency to wide-spanning access to food, healthcare, socialization and productivity - technology has fundamentally redefined every sphere of our daily life.

Technological Footprint in Education

While modern technology has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years, it has also penetrated each facet of our everyday lives, including education. Technology has extensively revolutionized the field of education, and its significance cannot go undermined. This growing dependency on modern tech within the education sector has resulted in round-the-clock connectivity with students and the availability of various forums for learning assistance. As we have already witnessed the increasing power of tech during the global crisis of the coronavirus pandemic, there will surely be a rise in many more applications to aid students in development and learning.

Modern Technology - As Aid In The Educational Sphere

Educators have recognized modern technology as an effective tool in aiding instructions and enhancing the overall learning process. With tech in the picture - or rather, in the classroom - the process of learning has metamorphosed from passive and reactive to active and interactive.

Visual explanation of any subject matter makes it more interesting, enabling eager participation from students compared to a traditional classroom setup. From Powerpoint presentations to simulation and 3D visualization tools, technological developments have opened a range of pedagogical resources for educators to help students grasp concepts without difficulty. Modern technology has also eliminated the unnatural divide between theory and practice by promoting working on real-life-based issues and learner engagement - in contrast to memorization and rote learning.

The advent of technology has also brought the world closer by erasing geographical limitations, making the phenomenon of ‘distance learning’ commonplace - especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. With this introduction of online degree programs, physical presence is no longer a necessity in classrooms. Several foreign universities and educational institutions make online degrees available for students globally for learning and certifications. It also nurtures a healthy collaborative and cooperative atmosphere among students and teachers from different cultures, thereby helping students to enhance their communication skills and global knowledge. Already popular among working students who wish to learn at their own pace and looking for flexible studying programs, the concept of online degrees is getting more support and awareness.

Apart from those who are housebound, tech also helps meet the needs of students with intellectual, social or developmental disabilities. With rapid progress in modern technologies like tactile devices, devices that synthesize speech from text, screen readers or braille electronic notetakers, students with hearing, speaking or seeing impairments can also receive a quality education.

Impacting the education sector for the better, modern technology has improved our ability to create learning environments according to each student’s needs, as opposed to rigid classroom structures of the past.

Modern Technology - As Part Of Educational Curricula

Another dimension of the education sector freshly under impact is the academic curriculum which is now being reshaped to integrate modern technology.

With the country and the world at large heading towards a digital future - where coding, AI and data sciences will gradually become an all-pervasive aspect of our lives - students are now being provided with a favourable environment to explore technology in their academic curriculum.

The redesigned curricula concentrating on base strands of knowledge, skills and ethical implications in AI or data science enable students to develop problem-solving and decision-making competencies in these areas of technological disciplines. Furthermore, laying and strengthening the foundation in modern technology early on is also making them industry-ready for the future.

While modern tech is an indispensable tool at workplaces, it has also inundated our personal lives. Their inclusion in the classroom - both as a supplement to the teaching and learning process and as an integral part of each stream’s curriculum - is aimed at giving students a first-hand experience of a future that will excessively rely on them. Not only that, but it will also ensure the success of a digitally literate future generation in the new increasingly automated and AI-driven world of technological advances.