The 21st century has been here for quite some time now and whether we like it or not, the digitization world is catching up with education technology as well in the advent of 21st century Classroom.
The only what is forward, and that’s why every one of us is committed to develop solutions that help bring about the necessary changes to ensure that the maximum number of schools have the opportunity to adopt the best educational models. Now, there has been much debate on whether the process is actually beneficial. Technology in education is indeed the way forward and thus we feel it necessary to point out that all institutions which have opted for technology have seen a few fold increases in their student results (an example being the structured pilot study for Flipped Classrooms in the College of Westchester)
The Advantages vs The Disadvantages
Let us start with the fact that the current educational practises that are followed in the traditional model have been around for centuries. In the last 2 decades, the amount of technology that we have come to take for granted was literally unthinkable in the past. Why should the field of education be left behind?
In the section of advantages:
- The first point in favour is the fact that most of the current generation has grown up with the technology we see all around. Having the same in the field of education will not only evoke their interest in the form of tablets and laptops, they will definitely feel more at ease using a medium that they have always seen in use.
- Next up is the fact that with shifting to the digital world, there are no real constraints of time and space. A student can now go home, watch the lectures that he/she is supposed to cover and come back the next day to discuss the problems that he/she is facing in the company of others in the class. Not only does this allow for better engagement, it allows better time usage as well.
- The content can be much richer. No matter how we look at it, it has to be agreed that a moving animation beats static pictures on a book any day. Combine with that interactive gameplay which can help enhance education and we have a definite winner in this aspect.
- Finally, the growth curve of each individual student can be measured with the amount and the kind of involvement that he/she is having. Active involvement was simply unfeasible previously. But with digital content, that is no longer a concept.
However, despite all this, it is not a one stop solution. For one thing, human intervention is still a necessity to ensure that everything functions the way it is supposed to. Moreover, with too much freedom, higher security threats arise as well. Of course, to manage all this, special training for the educators is needed. Economic capital and specialized infrastructure to make the change smooth is a necessity; it is necessary to understand that all students should be provided the same level of technology to bring them all on the same competitive level. It is also imperative to keep an eye on the level of scientific sources used by the students as a reference material as not all sources will yield top notch results. Finally, because technology is used to deliver the education, it is important to plan it out to be most effective. Although this can be labour intensive, the yields are proportionally higher as well.
The Verdict on 21st century Classroom
While it is true that there are problems, it has always been the same with any new technology. However, it is a fact that unless institutions adapt to newer education technology, they will be left behind because others are moving on. At Cetrix, we believe that affordable quality education is a fundamental right of every citizen, and it can be realized today only through digital technology. Statistics prove hat this is true only by adapting education to the digital age. In fact, our Future Learning Device Pilot in Sydenham School n London proved exactly that. Are you ready to be a part of the future as well? If so, do you think that your school will benefit from digital technology?
