Information Technology Education

Information Technology Education

The evolution of information technology has brought numerous benefits across the globe. Apart from upgrading efficiency, it has transformed the world into a single community and made connections quite easy. Like other sectors, the education sector also enjoys the deep resource-well of information technology. Today, the utilization of information technology in educational matters has turned to be more than an option but a necessity. For effective learning, the stakeholders in the education sector have integrated the use of technology in daily learning processes. Despite these advantages, others believe that the rise of information technology in education has also brought with it some disadvantages, which usually go unnoticed. This paper explores some of the reasons for and against the use of information technology in education.

Reasons for and against the use of information technology in education

            The greatest advantage of integrating information technology in learning is that it enhances access to learning materials. The internet as technology is full of many learning materials that learners can access to help supplement whatever has been provided. For example, there are eBooks on the internet websites that they can access to expand or improve their knowledge base. Second, it provides room for continuous learning. In the current world, one does not have to be in the classroom to learn. The use of information technology has enabled everyone to carry on with the learning process, irrespective of their location. For instance, professors and teachers can send assignments or homework, respectively, to their students, and the students can finish and submit them without physically going into the classroom and so learning must not have to stop. Lastly, the use of technology in learning also encourages sharing of knowledge. With online discussion forums, learners can share knowledge, involve themselves in intellectual debates or discussions, and generally learn from each other.[1]

Contrarily, the use of information technology in educational matters also has some disadvantages. First, it makes learning become more expensive. Curren­­­­­tly, some learners, especially those in higher learning institutions, are advised to have a laptop being the generation of paper is being replaced by digital learning. This has not only made them spend extra money to purchase the devices but also purchase software for their gadgets and even maintaining them. This act is considerably expensive. Second, it has led to the use of misguiding information. Websites and other e-materials mainly focus on getting a good ranking that offering the information they should provide. This has resulted in much misleading information published online to earn more visits irrespective of its accuracy.[2]

In conclusion, I tend to be of the opinion that the integration of information technology in education is good. It helps provides a platform for learners to share knowledge globally, offers plenty of learning resources, and also provides a chance for continuous learning, regardless of one’s location. Moreover, it accelerates the learning process, and offer fun opportunities while practicing what they learn. Those who use it enjoys a natural advantage in a real-world learning setting compared to others who do not.

[1] Hamidi F, Jafari M.

[2] Ozdamil F.

Reference List

Hamidi F, Jafari M. Information technology in education. 2011 [Cited 2021 October 8]; 3(2011): 369-373. Available from the Journal of Procedia Computer Science: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050910004370

Ozdamil F. Attitudes and opinions of special education candidate teachers regarding digital technology. 2017 [Cited 2021 October 8]; 9(4): 191-200. Available from the Journal of World Journal on Educational Technology: Current Issues: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1161616.pdf