Phones in Class?! Technological Advancements in Education
Publishing Solutions Group
Full-service development, production, translation and audio for print & digital products. K-16. SOWMBA certified.
by Sophie Pollack-Milgate
Summer 2023 Intern
Education in the 21st Century
Educators in the past favored the “teacher-centered” model of education. The teacher-centered model focuses on the teacher’s responsibility to communicate knowledge to students. As a result, teachers often transmit knowledge through lectures, with students passively receiving information. However, the 21st century—an era shaped by new technologies—demands new approaches to education. Recently, educators have increasingly favored other approaches to education, including a “student-centered approach.” Under this approach, students play an active role in constructing meaning themselves as they learn cooperatively with others.?
Another trend in 21st-century education is to focus on new goals of education that will enable students to thrive in modern life. According to the widely accepted 21st-century goals of education, students should work on skills like critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration; gain a sense of agency and capability; and develop important non-cognitive traits like self-awareness and empathy. The 21st-century goals respond to the demands of the modern technological world, and they go hand-in-hand with the idea of the student-centered classroom. In turn, modern technology can help teachers follow through with the modern goals and methods of education.?
Types of Technology in Education
There are many ways of using modern technology in education. Some are already commonplace: PowerPoints can present information in engaging ways–for example, allowing students to view videos and graphics. Educational apps like Kahoot can help students review information while interacting with one another. Mobile learning, or the use of personal electronic devices in education, can enhance learning too. For instance, when students have personal devices like tablets, these devices make distance learning possible, give students access to digitized content such as online textbooks, and promote collaboration via cloud technology. Even personal cell phones can help students. Learners can communicate remotely while they work on projects, get help online, or use apps to track their study time.
Other examples of technology are less widespread but could enter many classrooms soon. For instance, there are virtual reality headsets, which can allow students to explore parts of the world or to take virtual museum tours. Then there is 3D printing: with 3D printing, students studying design can print models for projects, or students learning chemistry can print molecules to study. Similarly, robots can help students learn to code and to problem-solve.?
Benefits of Technology in Education
These examples of educational technology have the potential to contribute to the goals and methods of 21st-century teaching. Technology can help students personalize their learning and participate in more engaging learning experiences. For instance, an educator could allow students to choose between writing a paper, recording a podcast, or creating a website. Relatedly, if students have specific interests, technology can allow them to research these topics; students now have access to resources across the world. Technology can also provide students increased connection to people beyond their classroom. Students might present and receive feedback on projects in a public forum or connect with students in different classrooms through coordinated events. Technology can also connect students within a classroom to each other and to teachers: students can collaborate on Google Docs, and teachers can collect data on students’ learning and provide individualized feedback.
With all the promise of technology to further education, there are a few caveats to consider. To be effective, educational technology requires infrastructure and resources: students and teachers must have access to the internet and to devices; educators must develop digital learning content; and schools must invest in professional development. And because educational technology requires these resources, its use also has the potential to further pre-existing social inequalities, with economically disadvantaged children having less of an opportunity to harness the benefits of these technologies. Thus, educators must work to address the digital divide. ?
Publishing Solutions Group
Publishing Solutions Group provides services that help make the best use of educational technology. Our tech-savvy team is always thinking about the forefront of education as we work on digital and interactive classroom materials, bringing education into the 21st century. Moreover, PSG’s translation services help create digital resources that students with a variety of linguistic backgrounds can access. In short, we strive to make technological education effective and equitable.?
领英推荐
Links
References
Serin, Hamdi. “A Comparison of Teacher-Centered and Student-Centered Approaches in Educational Settings.” International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, vol. 5, no. 1, 2018, pp. 164-167.?
Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education: 2017 National Education Technology Update Plan. U.S. Department of Education, 2017, https://tech.ed.gov/files/2017/01/NETP17.pdf. Accessed 16 August 2023.?
“How to Use Technology in the Classroom: Benefits & Effects.” Drexel University School of Education, https://drexel.edu/soe/resources/student-teaching/advice/how-to-use-technology-in-the-classroom/. Accessed 16 August 2023.?
Berry, India. “Top 10 Technologies For The Classroom.” Technology Magazine, 2021, https://technologymagazine.com/top10/top-10-technologies-classroom. Accessed 16 August 2023.?
Bernacki, Matthew, et al. “Mobile technology, learning, and achievement: Advances in understanding and measuring the role of mobile technology in education.” Contemporary Educational Psychology, vol. 60, 2020, pp. 1-8.
Luo, Wenwei and Yang, Weipeng. “Special Issue: Narrowing the Digital Divide in Early Childhood: Technological Advances and Curriculum Reforms.” Early Education and Development, 2021, pp. 1-3.?