Impact of Computer Technology on Education Industry
Communications
Abstract
The use of computer technology since its inception and its incorporation into the education industry has had many impacts and influences. The impact has been felt by all stakeholders in the industry which includes the student s, teachers and administrators. Computer technology has impacted the education industry by transforming it from its simple and raw initial form to the great and efficient state in which it is today. Computers have been incorporated in almost every area of education. Technology has led to more efficient educational systems that are easier to manage. These are able to offer wholesome and more understandable education to students in a more interesting way. The introduction of computers into the education industry has served to make the industry more dynamic by introducing varied ways of learning as well as different instructional techniques for teachers. The technology though has not been entirely blameless as in some areas it has introduced new challenges that were either not present or easily manageable in the past. This paper examines the influences that computer technology has had on the education industry as a whole as well as how these influences have impacted specific stake holder sin the industry.
Introduction
Computer technology is a global resource that is increasingly becoming a necessity in today’s world. As globalization increasingly takes the world in an interdependent and integrated direction, the role of computers is growing more important. As a matter of fact almost all present-day technology is hinged on computer technology in one way or another. Since the emergence of the computer technology and its introduction into the education industry, around three decades ago, the education industry has continued to steadily grow both in capacity, influence and efficiency. Education and computer technology have an interdependent relationship because the latter plays a pivotal role in the broadening of the industry through increasing efficiency in different factors related to the education industry.
Impact of computers in education
One of the most fundamentally important ways in which computers have impacted education is in their contribution to easier management of the huge information resources (Gura & Percy, 2005). Computers technology has increasingly facilitated the creation, management, storage, retrieval and the transmission of essential academic information and has made it tremendously easier for all stakeholders in the industry to perform better. Students, Teacher and other members of faculty as well as administrators and other professionals in the education industry have all gained value in one way or another, from the contributions of computer technology to the education industry. It is now possible through the use of computers to store numerous books, papers, research materials and a bulk of useful information in a computer where it can be easily accessed and managed as opposed to dealing with large numbers of physical books which take up a lot of space and are comparatively time-consuming. Computer technology provides ease of study, so that at the touch of a button, academic material is able to be accessed with less tedium. Computers also provide many helpful academic tools that help in the learning process for students such as Microsoft office tools for writing academic papers.
Computer technology has impacted the education industry in its contribution to ease and widening of research. As compared to the situation in the past decades where research in the education field had to be done over long durations of time, and many times involved movement to different parts of the world from where to find information, computers have significantly lessened this burden. Computers have made it possible to store large amounts of information in computers and thus making it possible to do research at relatively shorter periods of time and more efficiently (Gura & Percy, 2005). The networking and sharing of information globally that computer technology affords the education industry also serves to provide more information. Scholars around the world are able to share information through computers thus widening the scope of research. Information sharing is made possible through the use of social-networking tool such as Face Book and Twitter which make it possible to exchange information among friends and acquaintances. This increased efficiency in research has greatly boosted academic and scientific research standards and has led to many discoveries in different field and to the addition of scholarly work world-wide.
The education industry has benefited from computer technology in that the latter has greatly enriched the learning experiences of people all over the world. Computer simulations and computer –generated virtual reality experiences are able to present various concepts to students in more interesting ways (nsba.org, 2007). Concepts that may be difficult to grasp are easily illustrated through such simulations and this enriches the experience.
The advent of more recent computer technology has resulted in the expansion of the education industry and increased the number of people who can access education. Computer technology afford many people the opportunity to study via computers; an activity that has come to be known as E-learning. It is possible to study and earn degrees and doctorates through studies via computers .many institutions of higher learning are now incorporating E-learning departments in their programs and their demand is increasing in popularity as more and more people become aware of the need to work more and thus have less time to physically be in classrooms (Gura &Percy, 2005). School work and assignments are type and send to tutors via computers through the internet.
Computers and the study of computer technology has led to the birth of new fields in education. These include fields that involve the study of computers, computer software and other computer-related technologies. These fields include areas like computer science, computer engineering, and software engineering. This has offered the education industry new fields and has therefore served to enrich it.
The efficiency and increased productivity provided by computer technology has greatly benefited administration in the education field. Institutions of all levels of learning as well as other education –related institutions are able to manage their operations better by the use of computers. Large databases of information are able to be easily handled (nsba.org, 2007). The use of highly sophisticated modern computer technology has made communication very easy. At the touch of a button, individuals in different continents can talk and even see one another as though they were right next to each other. In this regard, computer technology also makes it possible for educational institutions to share information and to collaborate in various educational endeavors. This serves to enrich the quality of services provided to scholars. Professionals working in the education industry in different capacities are able to make use of computers to make their work easier. Management of student grades, curriculums, student admissions, and other student records is greatly simplified by computer technology. The same is also able to be shared within institutions to make the running of educational institutions efficient.
Publications in the educational industry have also increasingly become simpler over the years through the use of computers. More efficiency in publication and heightened speeds of publication make it possible to publish more books and articles in lesser time as compare to past years where publication was a long, manual and tedious process. Computer technology has also played a big role in making the cost of education effective. The huge costs of paper and books in past years mad education an expensive pursuit. This however has been reduced by the advent of computer where physical books for instance may be replaced by E- books.
Computers have also been very useful to teachers at all levels of educations, right from kindergarten teacher to doctoral –level professors. They provide easier ways to provide instruction to students and make communication between teachers and students easier. Instructional methods are made easier and in many cases more effective by the use of computers. A variety of learning styles has also been made possible as a result of computers such as the use of visual aids and recordings as opposed to the more traditional lectures. The strengthening of skills basic skills is also achieved through supplementing normal lessons with computer –aided techniques (nsba.org, 2007). The technology has also made student assessment easier and quicker. Advanced computing technologies have also improved the qualitative integrity of education curriculums. Availability of new and varied forms of information which the students can easily access and manipulate makes the process of learning more interesting.
For instance if one is good in art, then he may be able to make use of numerous art programs to develop and nurture such talent. This has increased student motivation levels for learning (Kovalchick & Dawson, 2004).
Negative Influences
One negative impact of computer technology to the education field is that it has made it easier to cheat. Academic plagiarism has especially increased since the advent of computers and the huge academic and scholarly resources available through it. It is easy for students to access information written by other scholars or professionals and pass it off as their own original work (Oliver, 1999). Academic plagiarism is a rising ethical and moral issue and it greatly compromises the integrity academic work.
Computer technology has made a significant contribution for special education needs. Special computer programs are used to provide need-specific aid to users. These include the use of devices and materials that involve sight, sound, or both for educational purposes. Among the devices used are still and motion pictures, filmstrips, audio recordings e.t.c.
Computers also apply a role in the Marketing and advertising of educational institutions. The internet is the most popular tool that institutions use to advertise themselves and the different programs that they offer (Gura &Percy, 2005).Most universities have developed websites which can be accessed via computers and information about them may be easily accessed.
Implications for Professionals in the Education Industry
In the education industry computers have greatly lessened he work load on employees by provided efficient programs with which to organize and manage work (Gura &Percy, 2005). This has improved employee productivity and moral for work. In other areas of the educational industry however, the ability to compress work and manage large amounts f job loads by a single computer has made it more cost –effective for institutions to do away with some employees in favor of computers. This therefore has resulted in the loss of jobs for a lot of people. It has also resulted in less privacy for many people as a lot of information about individuals may be accessed via the internet.
State of the Art tools in the education industry and Future Trends
State of the art tools and computer technology in the education industry involves high-tech computer systems and programs that allow students and teachers to interact with academic and educational material. Computer programs also provide highly sophisticated simulations of theoretical events to make it more real to the user. A study about the universe and space for example may be accompanied by a virtual reality experience where computers produce simulations that create and present to the user very life -like universe (LaMont & Maddux, 2003).This is a valuable tool that aids the user to understand material better and produces an overall positive effect in learning. The use of interactive educational programs is also a current technological improvement in use .in future the whole education industry may be entirely run by computers through distance and E-learning systems (Oliver, 1999). As computer technology continues to develop, so will its interaction and impact on the education industry. In the future all or almost all of paper work will be eliminated to pave way to a computer –dominated education industry.
Conclusion
In light of all the developments and achievements that computer technology has made towards education, it can be concluded that its role in the industry is immense. Computer technology has infiltrated almost every area of education and affects all stakeholders. As more effective computer technology continues to get invented, it will continue to saturate and impact the education industry, largely positively.
Fig 1.1 Children studying using computers
References
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NSBA.ORG. (2007).Technology’s Impact on Learning. National School Boards Association.org.
http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/tiol.html.
Kovalchick, A. & Dawson, K. (2004).Education and Technology: A-I. California: ABC-CLIO Inc.
LaMont, J. D., &Maddux, C. D. (2003). Technology in Education: A Twenty-Year
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