Is New Technology Reshaping Education?

by Aaron Murphy in Clonmel. Written during a Content Management lab session.

Writing on paper or in notebooks has forever been how students operate in classrooms. This has changed dramatically in recent years with the rise of new technology, such as desktops, tablets and phones. Note taking is now possible and in some respects better on tablets, as they allow students to keep all of their notes for different subjects on one device. Tablets also reduce the number of and cost of textbooks a student needs as e-books are now available. Assignments can now be done digitally also, which speeds up the process drastically.

There are of course some drawbacks to these technologies. Tablets can easily become a distraction for a student that is bored or cant focus during class. Issues with cybersecurity can also arise which can result in devices being hacked and important information being leaked.

Technology also has many advantages for educators also. It is common in most classrooms in Ireland to have a desktop computer, which can be used to check and keep track of attendance patterns for students, grade assignments that have been submitted online. Other technologies such as projectors allow for educators to display slideshows or videos to their students which can be very beneficial as it can represent a lot of information in different forms than text. AI is also beginning to rise in popularity, which can be used to help struggling students, although overreliance can be problem. Some may have a negative opinion of these new technologies, but there is no denying that they streamline the education process.

During #ictedu23, Annette Cregan will discuss her research into the the digital competence of third level students entering initial teacher education. Her literature review and feedback from surveys is revealing interesting conclusions about how technology is reshaping education.

[Aaron Murphy is earning an Honours Degree in Creative Media and UX Design on the Clonmel Digital Campus of the Technologicial University of the Shannon. Read more ictedu23 items.]