The History
To truly appreciate what technology has done for education, we need to first look at the history of education. Many of you are well aware that some of the leading universities of today have existed for half a millennia or more. The University of Bologna in Italy was founded in 1088, almost a thousand years ago. However, that falls short when compared to the oldest, still operating university in the world – the Moroccan University of al-Qarawiyyin, which was founded in 859 in Fez.
Now, the point we are trying to make doesn’t just lie in the fact that many universities are centuries old. It also lies in the fact that the way lectures were conducted in them hasn’t changed much since they were first created. Students have always been in large classrooms listening to their teachers talk for an hour or more.
Essentially, the world of education hasn’t changed at all for hundreds of years. Still, with the technology we have today, it’s finally starting to change so much that these classic methods of teaching will soon be entirely different.
The Ways Technology Impacts Education
- Students can now actively engage with the learning material as technology has made lectures more interactive than ever before. Students can now learn not only by studying but by doing, researching, and getting feedback on their efforts.
- The Internet offers students all the information they need with just a few keystrokes. They no longer have to waste time searching for information in books, but they can type in what they want to know at any given moment.
- Teaching no longer has to be about a teacher talking to students. They can now use simulations and modeling to make the lectures more approachable and fun, which increases student interest.
- Technology has made education available to everyone. Not so long ago, education was reserved only for the lucky ones, especially higher education. Today, mostly thanks to technology, anyone has the chance to gain as much education as they want, as long as they are ready to dedicate themselves to it.
- There is now more communication and collaboration in education than there has ever been before. Technology ensures that students all across the globe can cooperate and that teachers can formulate new methods with like-minded colleagues from thousands of miles away.
However, the most significant change lies in the teacher-student relationship. For centuries, teachers have been the primary source of information, while the students were passive receivers of it. Now, the role of teacher is moving towards that of a guide while students are actively learning and taking responsibility.
