Educational Technology Research Paper Sample

Advantages and Disadvantages

Introduction
Technology has become an essential requirement in modern education. It is facilitating the learning process. Most schools around the world use technology in order to research and fulfill other educational requirements. Also, teachers need technology to deliver information to students in an easy way. Technology in education has to be controlled and limited to ensure that it facilitates the learning process and is not used as a substitute for teachers. Educational technology has many valuable features such as making students interested. This helps students to understand in an expeditious manner, and this technology makes education keep pace with the developments of the modern era. Also, technology tools are instruments to strengthen the work of teachers, and help them to connect with students. However, there are some flaws in educational technology such as technical problems, which need to be regularly addressed. Also, students sometimes become too dependent, and they don't think on their own enough. These advantages and disadvantages make users of technology in education constantly evaluate whether to continue to use it or not.
Educational technology has advantages. The technology in education makes student interested and thus help students understand in an expeditious manner. Technology often promotes more practice and review in areas requiring memorization, such as spelling, math and geography. This frees up time in the classroom so educators can focus on skills like problem solving, character development and critical thinking. Technology also makes it easier to spend more time in learning. “After school and weekend time can become effective learning time with the right technology,” says David Vinca, founder and executive director of eSpark Learning, an education
company that focuses on bringing iPads and iPods into the classroom. Much like how smart phones extend the
workday by allowing professionals to send emails anytime, educational technology extends the school day for kids
who will happily play multiplication games or review grammar on computer programs” (Cleaver). There are many new programs in educational technology for example Smart AM “software that works the way students
naturally want to learn designed specifically for the classroom SMART amp enables co-creation and fosters student collaboration on devices, while giving teachers real-time insight into learning and contribution”(Smart). Furthermore, Technology also makes education more enjoyable. Touch screen technology, media, and other points of technology make it easier to get the children’s attention. It helps build interest in education and is very successful in terms of making education more enjoyable (Smith`s).
Another valuable feature in educational technology are technological tools; these are instrument that help strengthen the work of teachers by facilitating communication with students. Technology should be utilized as an instrument to achieve educational goals, and these are often developed with the involvement of teachers (Schrum). One example of such technology is Elmo, which is a mounted camera attached to a digital projector that allows the teachers to project documents and other object onto the board for the students to see (sharp technology focus). According to recent survey, teachers observed that Elmo helped in expediting interaction with students in addition to improving their concentration. For the teachers, the use of the visualizer or document camera lessens the time to prepare the lesson, thus increasing the time spent in interacting with the students. Another aspect where technology is used for educational purposes is through distance learning. Students can now have access to a satisfactory education through distance learning courses (Smith`s), an educational system that was supported by technology to keep pace with the developments of the modern era. Distance learning has been around for many decades now, but the advancement in information technology made educational opportunity through distance learning available to an even larger number of learners around the globe. Technology, however, should not discount the role of teachers in the learning process. “Technology may be changing the experience of education, but the role of teachers and parents grow increasingly important as they become the experts and guides for new learning resources” (Cleaver).
Even though technology in education has valuable features it has some flaws such as the students becoming dependent on using the internet to get their answers, rather than thinking on their own, and this is a very large mistake (Harven). The students need to realize the importance of the internet as a tool and not a means to an end. This tool helps them to understand. Also, students getting distracted on Facebook or other social media sites instead of focusing on their class or work (Harven) and, this keeps them busy during the class. Likewise, there are some technical problems, the new users in technology users occasionally erase all of their work, after spending hours trying to complete assignments, only to have them disappear through some personal or technical error, especially if the student has forgotten to save their work along the way, while working (Harven). These are just a few of the disadvantages of using technology for educational purposes.

Conclusion

The advancement in technology has been beneficial to people in different ways. For one, it is now used in the facilitation of learning and teaching between students and teachers. In a way educational technology has paved the way to make students interested in their studies. Interaction between the learner and the teachers has never been easier. On the other hand, the teachers have also found an ally with the technology that we have today, for instance, the teacher’s time spent in preparing the lessons are significantly reduced. In addition to that, technology also made the possibility to reach out to as many students around the globe through distance learning. However, with all these advantages, there are also the disadvantages that came with the use of technology, such as the student becoming too dependent on the use of computers and the internet. It is therefore necessary for all students, teachers and parents to be aware of the negative effect of too much reliance on technology. Technology that is used wisely can be beneficial in the long run; it is the process of misuse that brings the risks.