The Pros and Cons of Technology in Education
Technological progress is changing the face of the traditional educational system. Certainly, it comes with numerous advantages. Yet, the fast changes also carry several drawbacks worth knowing about. Let’s see the pros and cons of technology in education.
Pros: Time-saving
One of technology's main purposes and biggest advantages is its time-saving quality. We develop technology to become more efficient and productive in most areas of life. The same benefit applies to education. The tech advances have simply made learning much easier, affordable, accessible, and time-efficient.
A simple example would be walking to libraries and spending hours on search vs. googling the issue you want to research and getting instant results. Sure enough, the comparison is in tech's favor. Communication, cooperation, writing, and other processes necessary for academic work can also be completed much faster with technological help.
Cons: Distractions
Alone with help, technology can also bring an element of chaos into our lives and classrooms. The attention span of children and students has been affected by the constant presence of technology in their lives. Getting homework done can become a challenge when students’ phones keep distracting them with notifications and messages. A good thing, young people can still find help on speedypaper.com whenever they struggle to focus.
Overall, students have to make more effort in studying and concentrating on the task. This digital era has turned the world into a much faster-moving machine. So, many young people fear not keeping up with the progress if they leave their gadgets even for a few hours. Plus, technology offers multiple entertainment options that tempt people into procrastinating and delaying their work.
Pros: Easy access to information
Modern technology has made access to all kinds of information instant and very easy. All one needs is a gadget and Internet access. Of course, such a transformation has made a big difference in the education system. Not only students but teachers also benefit from this change. For example, teachers can find various study materials Online. So, they can diversify their lessons for free and without much work on their side.
Students, in turn, can enjoy an efficient manner of studying. They can easily learn from home, coffee shops, etc., as they can access information whenever they are. In addition, they can also take Online. courses or start distance learning when necessary.
Cons: Dependability
Young and old, we all depend on technology these days. Of course, it is most visible among the younger generations. These children and young students were born into the world with technological advances. They can’t imagine a different life. However, the introduction of technology to schools also enhances such dependency. Students learn to rely on technology for most school processes and often can’t complete most tasks with the Internet or gadgets.
Pros: Engaging learning
Tech products have the power to make everything much more exciting, interesting, and engaging. Such power can do a lot for educational purposes. Teachers can use modern technology in their classes to create more engaging lessons. The more students are interested in the processes, the more they pay attention and memorize the material. So, giving young people a variety of ways to receive new information can facilitate learning processes, encourage participation, and ignite their love and interest in school subjects.
Cons: Additional expenses
Most modern technology and software are expensive. These are not on-budget options any school can afford out of pocket. Often, schools have to make budget sacrifices, raise money, or apply for government support even to afford a computer class. Thus, it is fair today that not all academic establishments can go with the times and acquire the latest pieces of ed-tech on a whim.
Plus, most expenses come in the form of maintaining and fixing equipment. Even when schools collect enough funds to purchase the equipment they want, maintaining it comes at a high price. Thus, schools need IT specialists who can protect their networks from cybercrime. Also, they need to maintain software, ensure timely updates and checks, etc. These operations also cost money. Thus, the budget disparities may lead to unequal education opportunities, which will affect young people’s development and the job market in the future.
Bottom line
It is hard to give a one-sided answer when analyzing the impact of technological advances on education. On the one hand, technology has completely transformed the system of education, making it more modern, efficient, fast, and engaging. Yet, on the other hand, people from an early age become very dependent on technology and have to rely on it in most life activities, school, and the rest.
One thing is clear, though. Technology is here to stay, and the education system will continue to change under its influence. So, it’s best to accept the progress and adjust the system to meet students’ needs.