The development of the education system is influenced by economic, political, social, and technological trends in modern society. The most important ones are globalization, the population’s aging, and the economy’s digitalization. Nevertheless, changes have taken place. In many ways, it is digital technology that has fundamentally changed education. First, technology has dramatically increased access to education. In the Middle Ages, books were rare, and only a select few had access to education. To education, people had to travel to learning centers. Today, there is an enormous wealth of information (books, audio, images, videos) available to absolutely everyone willing via the Internet, and formal learning opportunities are available online all over the world through Khan Academy, MOOCs, podcasts, traditional online programs, and more. Access to learning opportunities today is unprecedented in its scale thanks to technology.
Second, opportunities for communication and collaboration have also been enhanced with the help of technology. Traditionally, classrooms (groups) were relatively isolated, and collaboration was limited to a circle of students in the same classroom or building. Today, technology includes new forms of communication and collaboration. For example, students studying in the rural United States can learn about the Arctic by following expedition teams of scientists in the region, reading publications by renowned scientists on their blogs, viewing photos, emailing questions to scientists, and even talking to them live via video conferencing (Zhu, 2018). Students can share what they are learning with students at other educational institutions and other states that are tracking the same expedition. Students can work together on group projects using technology tools such as Wiki and Google docs. Classroom walls are no longer a barrier because technology allows new ways of learning, communicating, and working together.
Third, technology has also begun to change the roles of teachers and students. In the traditional classroom, such as what we see in de Voltolina’s illustration, the Teacher is the primary source of information, and the students passively receive it. This model of the Teacher, as the “sage on the stage,” has existed in education for a long time, and it is still very relevant today. However, because of the access to information and educational opportunities that technology has allowed, in many classrooms today, the Teacher’s role shift can be seen to ‘leadership on the side,’ as students take greater responsibility for their own learning using technology to gather relevant information (Zhu, 2018). Schools and universities across the country are beginning to redesign classrooms to implement a new model of education, reinforce interaction and work in small groups, and use technology as a tool.
Digital technology is integrated into the entire education system, including both students and teachers. The impact of technology determines how students learn, and teachers work, that is, on the efficiency and effectiveness of the education system as a whole. Technology is used to enhance learning, so it is vital educators that are comfortable using it to ensure that students receive the full benefits of educational technology. Despite the challenges, it is imperatively important that we plan our education systems with these mega-trends in mind. All of these trends are essential to consider in our educational systems. The future is not a distant, outside world where we can direct our problems to be solved through education. The future is here, and education systems must learn from it. Our success will depend on how effectively we use our knowledge to anticipate the future and how quickly we take action to shape it.
Reference
Zhu, X. (2018). The Integration of Media Technology and the Change of Education (IMTCE) — A Study of Model of the Impact of Media Technology on Education. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 8(6), 422–427. Web.