Introduction
Technology has without doubt altered the way we conduct our lives. It has influenced nearly all the aspects of life and changed the way of living. Unquestionably, technology plays a significant role in every field of life. Thanks to technology, people do not have to perform majority of the traditional manual tasks since they can now be automated.
With the help of technology, many of the intricate and significant processes can be conducted with increased ease and accuracy with the aid of modern technology. Thanks to the multiple positive outcomes of technology, the education sector has undergone a notable change and as it is, this change has been for the better (Pea, 1998).
The invention of computers and the Internet technology have brought a major revolution in the education field. For this reason, the significance of technology in schools cannot be disregarded. In fact, the introduction of computers in schools has made it easier for teachers to disseminate knowledge and for the students to take hold of it.
To put it more aptly, the computer technology has added a fun-element to the learning process. Additionally, the invention of the internet has brought the much-needed interaction in the education sector (Miller, 2008).
The introduction of computers in schools has presented students with an interactive audio-visual media that makes learning easier. The invention of PowerPoint presentations and computer graphics software has been used in schools to deliver information to the students in an interactive manner something that enhances the comprehension ability due to increased interest from the students.
Additionally, the use of animation software and PowerPoint presentations acts as illustration aids to the teachers. This has been found to bring about alertness, increase student attendance and consequently improve grades. This goes ahead to show just how computer aided learning has revolutionized the education sector as compared to the use of textbooks (Miller, 2008).
Apart from the use of computers, another technology that has had a major revolution in education is the internet. The internet is a massive information center, which can be used as an effectual tool for obtaining knowledge.
Unlike in the past when a student had to dig through tones of textbooks in a library to research for information to back a 1000 word thesis, all that a student who is connected to the internet needs to do is to type some simple search words and they are presented with countless search results.
Currently, there are numerous educational websites and web indexes that give information on a wide range of subjects and this has made the obtaining of information to be an easy task (Eide Neurolearning Blog, 2005).
Today, online education and distance learning have redefined the field of higher education. Unlike in the past, students do not need to be physically present in a classroom for them to participate on the deliberations.
Many higher learning institutions have online courses for students who are unable to attend regular learning classes. Additionally, nearly all schools around the world now give students an opportunity to present their assignments online. This is quite a big development in the field of education and it can all be attributed to technology (Pea, 1998).
Although most of the effects of technology on education have been positive, it would be a gross mistake to claim that there are no negative sides to it. it is sad to note that the availability of technology on all areas of education has made people to forget that there are some ages, disciplines and learning styles that are better suited to different, non-technological based methods.
However, technology has influenced people in such a way that most educators do not have clear goals and solutions for how to achieve particular outcomes in some disciplines with the absence of technology (Miller, 2008).
It is also important to note that the use of technology has negatively affected the stages of learning and of cognitive development in young children. In most cases, the cognitive development in young children largely requires a multi-sensory approach that is impractical to simulate through technology.
For this reason, the insistence to use technological advancements in the learning process at this stage has greatly hindered the cognitive development of many children thus making many of them unable to function in the absence of technology (Miller, 2008).
Conclusion
The impact of science and technology in educations is enormous. Within a few years, technology in the educational sector has transformed learning from being a boring venture into an interactive and fun-filled activity. This transformation has not only been on the side of students but the benefits on the side of teachers have been innumerable.
Despite these positive impacts, technology just like everything else in the world has a negative side to it. One of these negative influences is witnessed in the area of cognitive development in young children, which largely depends on a multi-sensory approach that is impossible to conjure up by the use of technology.
However, weighed against the positives, the negatives should not discourage us from adopting the use of technology, which has brought a revolution in the education field. Indeed, technology can be said to be God’s greatest gift to the education sector in the 21st century.
References
Eide Neurolearning Blog. (2005). Brain of the Blogger. Web.
Miller, M. (2008). The Pros and Cons of Technology in the Classroom: Views of Technology in Education. Web.
Pea, R. (1998). The Pros and Cons of Technology in the Classroom. Web.