Free Essay on How the Internet Has Changed Education and Transformed the Classroom?

The internet has transformed the communication along with the computer in the entire world like nothing else has done before. The development of telephone, radio, computer, and telegraph set the phase for this unique integration of capabilities (Welsh, 2018). It is a world-wide propagation ability, a mechanism for dissemination of information, as well as a medium for the association as well as interaction between people as well as their computer without geographic location regard. The internet characterizes one of the most productive examples of sustained investment benefits along with the commitment to study and information infrastructure development. Starting with the early exploration in sachet switching, the industry, academia, and government have been associates in evolving as well as deploying this exhilarating new technology. Technology has changed almost all of life’s aspects today, and education is also included.

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In some instances, education appears much similar as it appeared in the past years. The educators lecture from a platform at the classroom’s front while the learners sit in rows while listening. Some of the learners have books in their front and opened and appear to follow as the teacher is lecturing. Some of them may look bored while others talk to their neighbors, and this implies that even though technology has impacted education, some behaviors are not changed. Currently, classrooms do not look different from the past, except in a case where students are learning using the internet. Modern students may be found looking at their smartphones, tablets, or laptops instead of books.

Technology has expanded education access greatly. In the medieval period, it was challenging to find a book, and only a few children could access education opportunities. Individuals had to go to town centers to get an education, but technology has changed several things in this sector. Currently, a massive amount of data or information, for example, videos, books, images, and audios are available at the fingertips of individuals through the internet (Welsh, 2018). Formal learning opportunities as well can be found online in the entire world through a podcast, Khan Academy, traditional online degree curricula, and many others.

The technology has also extended the opportunity of collaboration and communication. Traditionally, classrooms were relatively isolated, plus collaboration was limited to other learners in the same building or classrooms. Nevertheless, technology has played a vital role in this sector hence enhancing both communication and collaboration (Purdue University, 2016). Today, technology empowers kinds of associations as well as communication undreamt of the previous. In the current world and using technology, students who are in rural area classrooms, for instance, can learning concerning the Arctic through following the team of scientists expedition in the region, view photos, read the blog posting of the scientists, e-mail queries to the scientists, as well as get involved in a live talk with the scientist through a videoconference.

Besides, technology has enabled the student to share whatever they learn with their colleagues in other classrooms who are in other schools who are pursuing the same expedition. Also, learners can collaborate on cluster projects using technology that is based on tools like Google and wikis docs (Nnodim, 2018). The classroom walls are not considered as the barrier since technology allows new methods of learning, working as well as communicating collaboratively. As a result, students can make a discussion forum and hold an open discussion with other students from different places, and it becomes successful.

Technology has also started to bring changes to the roles of students as well as educators. In the previous classrooms, the educators were the main source of information, and the students passively receive it. However, this teacher’s model as the sagacious on the phase has remained in education for several years, and it is also in evidence today. Nevertheless, due to the information access as well as an educational opportunity that has been enabled by the technology, the roles of the teachers are shifting today in several classrooms. Therefore, learners take responsibility to gather essential information using technology since teachers are expected to provide only the guideline for the students to get knowledge concerning the topic. Schools, as well as universities in various countries, have started to redesign spaces for learning to promote this novel model of education, use technology like an enabler, and foster interaction as well as small group work.

Technology has enabled e-learning where students are committed to other activities to attend classes online hence ensuring the students do not miss classes due to the commitments (Purdue University, 2016). In several countries where students enroll classes while working, schools and universities encourage online learning where the students are provided with a website link to login to the system when the class began. In some developed countries, they also offer exams online, and they have a way of discouraging cheating.

In conclusion, technology is a vital tool that has supported as well as transformed education in various ways. It has made it easy for educators to create instructional resources to enable new methods for students to learn as well as work together. With international internet access as well as the smart devices’ ubiquity that can connect to the internet, it becomes easy to learn away from the classroom. It is the responsibility of educational technologies to utilize this opportunity from the technology to impact education for it to become effective as well as efficient to all students.

References

Nnodim, C. (2018, August 8). How Technology Has Had a Positive Impact in the Classroom • ONEder. ONEder. https://blog.oneder.com/2018/06/25/how-technology-has-had-a-positive-impact-on-the-classroom/

Purdue University. (2016, September 17). How Has Technology Changed Education? https://online.purdue.edu/blog/education/how-has-technology-changed-education

Welsh, A. (2018, May 2). How Internet affected the modern educational process. Education Beyond Borders. http://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profiles/blogs/how-internet-affected-the-modern-educational-process