Role of Technology in Improving Education Part 2

In our previous article we looked at two of the positive ways in which technology is having an impact on education: helping with reading comprehension and language acquisition. Let’s continue this now by looking at two other ways in which technology improves education.

Technology in education and learner motivation

Many educators believe that a significant number of learners have become unmotivated by the traditional education methods, like reading of textbooks and listening to lessons and lectures. Technology gives the ability to create a much wider array of teaching and learning methods, which introduce variety and increased interest that in turn lead to heightened levels of motivation.

These methods include the use of the Internet, images and video, games, music, simulations and wikis. These can be delivered across numerous devices like laptops, tablets and smartphones.

This is a generation for whom technology use is a staple of daily life; they are completely surrounded by and immersed in it. They like technology. They spend hours a day playing video games, chatting to friends on instant chat and surfing the Internet. It follows that education that ignores technology is going to lose its audience, so to speak. And education that incorporates the technologies that learners have chosen to use in their private lives will see higher rates of motivation. It therefore stands to reason that technology will increase motivation in the classroom or lecture hall, given that learners and students constantly use technology in their private lives.

Indeed, teachers routinely report increased levels of engagement and motivation when digital media is introduced. An interesting additional element is that this levels further increase when students are given the opportunity to share their work with a variety of people across the Internet.

Research studies have reached the same conclusion. One in particular found that students using laptops displayed increased motivation and persistence in completing tasks, often voluntarily going beyond the assignment requirements. Many of them even took the laptops home to continue on the projects after school hours^[1].

Technology in education and self-esteem

The same study found that the use of laptops contributed to an increased sense of empowerment and sense of pride. In general, the research strongly suggests that technology can have a positive impact on the self-esteem of students, especially those with already low self-esteem and self-confidence.

Many teachers and researchers have noted a dramatic effect of technology on levels of self-esteem. This has been particularly noticeable among learners from disadvantaged home backgrounds. This seems to indicate that technology not only helps in the classroom, but also has a wider effect on the learner’s self-esteem outside of the classroom.

Part of the reason for the self-esteem increase appears to be that technology makes the learning process easier. As we spoke about above, the current generation is very au fait with technology and becomes more motivated to complete tasks successfully when technology is incorporated. It makes good sense that the sense of achievement derived from successfully completing assignments will have a positive effect on self-esteem.

It is also the act of learning a new technology that increases self-esteem, as well as the accomplishment of technology-based tasks. This has been linked to the value that is placed on technology in our current culture, so that mastery of technology automatically leads to an increase in self-esteem^[2].

However there is also broad consensus that technology in and of itself is not a cure-all. The teacher or lecturer is still a vital link in the education process. It is the combination of good teaching and technology that has the most positive effect.

Notes and references:

1. Mouza, C. (2008). Learning with laptops: Implementation and outcomes in an urban, under-privileged school. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 40(4)

http://schoolsteachersparents.wikidot.com/issues:effects-of-technology-on-motivation

2. Effects of Technology on Classroom and Students
https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html

Role of Technology in Improving Education

The role of technology in improving education – Part 1

Technology plays a positive role that touches on almost every aspect of education. It can make the development of literacy easier, improve the ability to acquire language, provide greater access to information, support learning, motivate students and enhance their self esteem.^[1]

Technology has changed the way we learn. Perhaps one of the biggest ways in which it has done so is that it has shifted the emphasis from text-based learning to visual learning. Everyone now has access to a whole new range of learning resources and aids, largely due to advances in technology.

Technology is changing the ways we access and consume information

Now it’s no longer just about learning from books. Digital devices like computers, smartphones and tablets have fundamentally changed the presentation of information. Mobile apps and website like YouTube have created an ecosystem of learning resources that presents many more varied ways of accessing and digesting information. Students can use interactive apps to learn tasks or watch videos to understand topics and ideas.

It’s not only in formal education that this is happening. Social learning has also benefited from these technologies, and they have made it much easier to self-educate. Think about how we approach learning challenges in our everyday lives.

Let’s say there is a DIY project around the house that we want to tackle. Previously we would have been limited to either sourcing some sort of manual or book from a real-world bookshop, or asking someone to show us how to do it. Now, however, we have so many more options. We can watch a video on YouTube in which someone takes us step by step through the project. We can download an app like “Instructibles” which will similarly step us through it. Or we can use an online forum to get the information we need.

One of the most powerful and popular learning resources available today – made possible by video and Internet technology – is the range of TED Talks. These cover almost every topic under the sun, and allow people to access useful and interesting lecture and demonstrations at any time. It’s a virtual library of information at our fingertips.

Technology and reading comprehension

Even when it comes to something like reading comprehension, technology can help immensely.

Studies in the US^[2] suggest that technology tools can significantly help students to understand reading material, especially those who struggle with this.

Technologies are available that allow students to change the way the text is presented visually. There are technologies that help students to navigate the text and move around in the document more easily.

Technology has even changed the way we read. Devices like Kindle offer incredibly useful tools, like searching. We all know what it’s like to laboriously page through a book to find a specific paragraph. Now the ability to instantly search the entire book has made the finding of information much quicker and easier.

Technology and language acquisition

A similar scenario exists with language acquisition, particularly the learning of a second language.

The main implementation of technology in language acquisition is computer-assisted language learning. Research shows that this type of learning allows students to work at their own pace, which lowers anxiety and increases their interest in participation, whether it be in a classroom or at home.^[3]

The role of Internet technology

Digital materials allow distance barriers to be overcome. The Internet offers a vast wealth of language learning resources, be they curricula or simply exposure to the target language usage. Computer-mediated instruction can then supplement this: chat rooms, forums, instant messaging tools and VoIP tools like Skype all allow the person learning to interact with instructors in real time.

These technological advantages positively impact students’ learning experience, when used in interactive ways. The key appears to be engagement: with the tools, with the materials and with the teacher.

In our next article we will look at technology and motivation, and the impact of technology use on self esteem.

Notes and references:

1. ACT, 2004; CEO Forum, 2001; Boster et al., 2004; Mann et al., 1999; Tracy & Young, 2006; WestEd, 2002.

2. Can Technology Improve Student Comprehension?, Education Development Center 2007
www.edc.org/newsroom/articles/can_technology_improve_student_comprehension

3. The Use of Technology In-and-outside Second Language Classrooms: How, What, and Why?, Hiromi Noguchi, Teachers College, Columbia University Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics, 2011, Vol. 11, No. 2

http://pocketknowledge.tc.columbia.edu/home.php/viewfile/download/150398

Impact of technology on learning

Technology is having a profound impact on almost all aspects of education and learning. We need only to think of the Internet and all the information that it makes accessible to understand how much things have changed. Add to that a range of different devices, the expanded communication environment, and the learning communities that extend beyond the classroom and we can clearly observe a sea change happening.

The communication evolution

Possibly the greatest impact on education and learning has come from the development of a myriad of new communication methods, made possible by the Internet. This has gone hand in hand with a variety of new communication platforms, similarly enabled. The most impactful of these have been social media platforms like Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter. Along with these have come new ways of interacting and conversing, most notably what can be termed “text-speak”: a virtually new truncated dialect complete with its own spelling conventions and short cut abbreviations for phrases.

Extended classroom communities

Allied to these developments in communication is a plethora of peer-based communities. These include discussion forums and other web-based platforms. Learners now find themselves able to access a variety of other interaction opportunities around the work they have been given in the classroom. They can discuss it with others on social networking sites and forums, they can post assignments for marking and they can get involved in syndicate groups at university.

All of this deeply changes the education model. Whereas previously it was a case of doing class work and assigning homework in a more or less closed system, with the relationship between teacher and learner virtually the sole learning relationship, nowadays learners have access to a much wider network of what can broadly be called “learning resources”.

The deluge of information 

While enabling a richer learning experience, this simultaneously poses challenges that learners need to learn to overcome. With such a deluge of information, which can be accessed via the Internet, comes the task of learning to evaluate the information. It cannot be consumed too quickly – the learner needs to digest, think about and apply it meaningfully. Similarly the learner needs to be able to sort good information from bad, to verify sources and to follow logical threads from one source to another. This places a serious responsibility on the learner – it’s not simply a case of finding information and immediately applying it. It needs to be thoroughly evaluated first.

Interactive textbooks and tools, and the Internet

No longer are learners confined to printed textbooks, possibly supplemented with visual documentaries. Today there are thousands of websites that offer videos, e-books, interactive study tools and assessments. Not only this, but the ways of accessing this information and these tools are numerous. Learners have laptops, tablets and smartphones.

The introduction of tablets into the classroom has had a significant impact on teaching methods. It is now possible for both teachers and learners to access vast resources quickly and easily, in real-time. Lessons can be supplemented by visual, multimedia and interactive elements instantly sourced online. Additional learning and study aids can be introduced into the live environment of the classroom, making it much easier for teachers to reach the learners at whatever stage of information processing they are during the course of a lesson.

A double-edged sword

Of course all of this technology can be both a good and not so good thing. At the same time as it enriches and expands the educational experience, it also poses brand new challenges for both educators and learners, which we need to become very familiar with to find inventive and responsible ways of overcoming. As much as technology can streamline and simplify the educational experience, it can also make it more complex and challenging. The solution lies in gaining complete familiarity and experience, and applying it as judiciously and appropriately as possible.

How a successful career will provide for your future

When embarking on your career you should always be looking to set and achieve goals. Make sure to start every day with purpose, strive to succeed and always do your best.

While different careers, job roles and positions require different goals and plans, there is one goal that should remain constant no matter your career.

That goal is to be successful

Now many people measure their success purely on how much money they earn, what cars they drive and how big their house is, and while this can be a measurement of success, it does not mean that if you are not wealthy, you are not successful.

There are many other ways to measure success, it all depends on what you want to achieve in your career.

The key is to decide what you want to achieve and what you would classify as success, write it down and constantly work towards it. Remember to keep reviewing this as your priorities and career goals will change 

“If you don’t define career success you’ll never know when you achieve it.”

Here are some points to consider when defining the success you want to work towards:

Build and maintain relationships:

Some people base their success purely on the relationships that they build with other people and the impression they have on them in the work place.

Family time:  

Your success could be a successful family life, ensuring that you give your family your dedication and time when you are able too.

Make a change:

Making a change in your organisation could impact the growth of it, and the people who work for it. Making a change can be seen as a great success.

Create something:

As an artist, writer, architect or engineer being the proud creator of something could be the success you want to achieve.

As you strive to achieve your own success in your career, you will find that you will be rewarded with so much more than just the financial element to provide for your future.

You will be rewarded with growth and a drive to continuously succeed at everything you do.

Eduloan can help you invest in your future success

Whether it’s technology, study fees, registration, textbooks or accommodation, Eduloan can assist you with all of your educational finance requirements.

Since 1996 Eduloan has awarded study loans to the value of over R4 billion.

To contact Eduloan today about financing your career aspirations, visit www.eduloan.co.za or call 0860 55 55 44.

New student survey shows Facebook is king of the castle

On 3 March 2015, a Student Tech Survey was conducted by World Wide Worx and Student Brands with the help of Standard Bank. The new survey was conducted across South African tertiary education institutions. Over 2300 students took part in a study to establish the social media platform trends among our tertiary education students.

An overwhelming 97% of the students that participated said that they use the social media platform Facebook. Twitter came in second with 67% followed by YouTube with 44% and WeChat with 22%.

The survey also showed that 40% of students are using Instagram and 36% use LinkedIn.

"The survey is a powerful indication that the student market - which comprises future working professionals - is embracing social networking," says Vuyo Mpako, Head of Innovation and Channel Design at Standard Bank. "It is therefore important to note that social networking will become a central component of any services provided to this market in the future."

It is all down to instant communication

"Communication is at the heart of students' use of technology," says Daryl Bartkunsky, MD of the Student Brands youth portal. "They are also extremely budget-conscious, so anything that cuts the cost of making contact will appeal to them."

When it came to instant messaging 92% of students said that they use the WhatsApp service with 55% using Facebook Messenger and 48% using BBM.

The question of addiction

One of the key questions that was asked in the survey was whether students felt that they were addicted to social media networks. While their answers showed that this has become a problem for our learners, the numbers were less than expected.

11% admitted to being “very addicted” and 43% said that they were “a little addicted”.

The same question about instant messaging did show an increase, with 20% saying that they are “very addicted” and 35% being “a little addicted”.

Smart devices

When it came to students’ smartphones 25% of students admitted that they gave their smartphones priority when it came to studying for tests and exams, the same number also said that they would use their smartphones in lectures instead of paying attention.

"Technology delivers both the positive and negative for students," says Goldstuck. "The overwhelming finding of the survey, though, is that it enhances their academic and social lives and their lifestyles in general."

Whether it’s technology, study fees, registration, textbooks or accommodation, Eduloan can assist you with all of your educational finance requirements.

Since 1996 Eduloan has awarded study loans to the value of over R4 billion.

To contact Eduloan today about financing your career aspirations, visit www.eduloan.co.za or call 0860 55 55 44.