In the current world education system, technology is a big part of the classroom. Whether someone is pursuing a BBA course, B. Tech, MBA, or any other specialty, technology is helping students big time. However, no matter how much value you may think it adds to a classroom, there are always going to be skeptics that will say otherwise. Technology in the classroom not only increases motivation but also enhances self-esteem along with the ability to work collectively with classmates. While the advantages of technology in education keep increasing, there are still a few skeptics that prefer to keep education on the traditional side.Here are some of the major pros and cons of technology in the classroom.
One of the main benefits of using technology in the classroom is the ability to customize student learning to meet all their course needs. Every student learns differently, and by using technology, teachers are able to adapt their lesson plans to suit each student’s needs. There are countless computer programs and applications available in the market that can be used to track students’ progress and find out how each one learns best.
Another advantage of technology in the classroom is that it saves a lot of time. Nowadays, there exist multiple tools, apps, and programs that can help with lesson planning and grading. This ends up saving a lot of the teacher’s time as everything can be done in seconds. Freeing up the teacher’s time is a significant advantage as this helps them focus better on students.
Technology gives students access to an endless amount of information online. If they want to learn about something, all they are required to do is Google it. Technology has completely destroyed the limitation that books once had. It offers students the freedom to look up anything they would want to know. Gone are the days of searching through encyclopaedias and books; today’s classrooms can learn just about anything they want to know in a matter of seconds using technology.
Excessive use of technology can often lead to antisocial situations. At times, students tend to lose their ability to communicate in social situations because of continuous use of technology. Students require interpersonal skills, and when they get access to technological devices in school, the time they get to spend communicating with their peers reduces, thereby, leading to anti-social behavior.
Many students have a far better understanding of technology than their teachers. Even if teachers establish some strict rules regarding the use of classroom devices, students still find a way around it to use cell phones to message friends, use social media, or play games. If there is going to be a significant use of technology inside of the classroom, then there must be a limit to it or some kind of blocking software put into place so that it doesn’t become a distraction for students.
Technology may look extremely accessible to all kinds of people, but that’s not always the case. There exist many schools which don’t have enough funds to make use of technology. Also, if teachers want to assign homework that involves the use of technology outside of the classroom, they would have to make sure that all students have access to it. This would promote inequality for the students who don’t have access to it.
Teachers are required to understand all the above-mentioned pros and cons of technology so they can make wise choices for their students. Universities like BML Munjal offer students the access to an idyllic amount of technology for their BBA course as well as various other courses. This way students stay more focused on learning.