The 21st century is the era of technology. Technology has touched every aspect of our life and education has been really transformed. Technology has had a formidable impact on education and has helped it to reach the masses. But, as the second face of the coin, there are some grey areas also that need some consideration.
Get trained by the Best Universities online:
Do you ever feel the need to upgrade your skills and qualifications but do not have the time to attend a college/ university for the same? Online MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) is the answer to that. Many websites provide the opportunity to pursue online courses from esteemed Universities like Cambridge, Princeton, Duke, Oxford etc. Most of these courses are self-paced i.e. the student can do it at his own pace. The student has to appear in online tests and after the completion of the course, you are eligible for a certificate by paying a nominal fee. This helps in not only learning new skills but also in upgrading your resume. If you feel you have a skill that you can teach, there are websites that offer the opportunity for individuals to record their courses and upload them online. If there are takers for your course, you may also start earning by sitting at home!
Digital Education in schools:
Digital Classrooms have transformed the learning pedagogy involved in the classroom. Forget about the old days when you had to drag through the day while being engrossed in a dry book. To teach the students about space science, the geography of plains, plateaus, mountains, or the kingdom of plants and animals; there are interesting videos that are shown to the students to learn from them. These interactive videos help the students to learn things practically and give a new lease of life from the boring one-way communication lectures. The use of audio-visual aids helps in making the students understand a topic in a better way. Similarly, many websites/ apps offer the same opportunity to make learning interactive for kids while working on a tab/ computer at home.
Data Analysis
There are many companies who conduct multiple tests online to collect essential data and share it with the schools. These tests generally grade the students on different parameters of varied subjects. This detailed analysis helps the schools to understand which classes have understood the concepts clearly and which classes are lagging behind in certain areas.
Online Counselling:
Career Counseling is one area which is missing from our education system. However, through means of technology, many websites offer the opportunity to get your counselling done online. A student has to appear in some online psychometric tests that test his aptitude, interests and personality. After analyzing the interests, the students can then connect with counsellors through online video discussion and plan his career. A detailed report is then generated after the discussion with the counsellors.
The Other Side:
Although, there are many facets of technology that open doors to opportunities, sometimes, technology becomes a hindrance to learning as well. With the advent of online games and social networking websites, some students find it difficult to concentrate on their studies and avoid such distractions. Games like PUBG, FORTNITE etc., websites like Facebook, apps like TikTok, Instagram etc. extract a lot of time from the students’ busy schedule.
However, one must realise that it is not that these websites/ apps always have a bad influence on the students. If used judiciously, under the guidance of parents, these can help greatly in reducing the stress levels in students and help them to rejuvenate themselves after a long study session.
Technology is definitely a boon for this generation. It is our responsibility not to make it a bane for us!
