This paper analyzes the impact of technology on education. Students interested in a critical analysis of electronic learning and information and communication technologies, and their effects on academic achievement as a function of the school, the student, the family, the teachers and the computer lab's quality, are particularly addressed. In addition, the paper explores the impact of technology, in the form of online courses, full degree online programs, simulators and multimedia software and computer-based experiments, in higher education. The results indicate that technology has not yet significantly affected academic achievement, as it is considered by students as a substitute for traditional lectures and defined as merely a convenience for faculty members. Technology is frequently credited with the power to revolutionize distance learning and the way colleges and universities are organized, delivering educational services and making them more accessible. The internet has changed many things, but it has not done so significantly in education, at least so far. Bricks-and-mortar still provide most educational instruction. Even as the technology evolves, the traditional physical university is highly resistant to change.
2. Historical Overview of Technology in Education
Many researchers have noted that education reform efforts seem to go hand in hand with the introduction of new technologies in the classroom. According to van Braak, Tondeur, and Valcke, this close connection between technology and education can be traced as far back as 1830 when William Alcott published his book "The Young Man's Guide," detailing how students could use indented paper to take notes in class. However, many of the early technologies were dismissed as toys and gadgets that did not add value to the teaching and learning process. It is only recently that technology has moved beyond the gadget stage and has great potential for pedagogical renewal. Over the past century, several specific technologies have entered the schooling systems. Some of the most prominent technologies that entered the school include the blackboard, the textbook, the calculator, the filmstrip, the slideshow, radio, television, desktop computers, and the internet.
3. Current Trends and Technologies in Educational Settings
Devices are a way to get technology into kids' hands, but that technology should not be isolated. It should be used in conjunction with instructional strategies. Research supports the notion that educational outcomes are improved when teachers have an instructional framework conducive to digital resources. This framework must help teachers develop strategies to lead students through complex issues and demonstrate challenges and prompts that engage students in higher order thinking. Devices and the software they utilize must be planned in detail. Educators must have an understanding of how the different pieces of technology used connect with their teaching strategies and learning objectives. Devices and their associated software should engage and motivate students, resulting in effective learning in students. Through focused use, digital technologies become valuable tools that are seamlessly integrated into the curriculum.
4. Benefits and Challenges of Technology Integration in the Classroom
Marked and irrefutable advancements have been witnessed in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The area of education has not been left untouched, with educators and researchers alike expounding on the perceived and realistic benefits of technology in education. This chapter seeks to provide an analysis between utilization and demand for educational technology by exploring the pedagogical benefits and challenges undermining or emerging from technology integration in the classroom. The part suggests that educational technology has a range of advantages when implemented in the classroom, but the under-resourced, unsupported and haphazard way in research indicates that rather than negatively impacting the teacher experience, technology is more likely breaking the teacher and preventing the real potential of technology in the classroom. With regards to the integration of technology, a range of challenges and concerns exist that need addressing before the benefits of the technology can be realized. Research presented in this chapter leans heavily on empirical evidence and is examined in conjunction with Rogers' (2003) diffusion of attributes. The implication of utilizing educational technology ranges from enhanced test performance, increased engagement, facilitating group work, including 21st-century skills, and promoting differentiation in learning to challenges teachers face when integrating technology into their teaching. These challenges include technology competing with teachers for the attention of students, encouraging plagiarism, and facilitating the palming-off of an under-supervised learning process.