Impact of Digital Technologies on Education (Essay Sample)

Impact of Digital Technologies on Education
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Impact of Digital Technologies on Education
Abstract
This research looks at the interaction between education and technology, focusing on the proposed blended learning model as a bridge to the gap in learning created by the difference between traditional and technologically mediated learning. The paper emphasizes the need to focus on the advantages of technology and use these advantages to fill in the gaps in learning, especially those caused by geographical and other physical barriers that are easily circumvented by technology. The study further examines the importance of policy and guidelines in implementing technology in education to prevent adverse impacts such as overreliance on technology, addiction, and high social barriers. Finally, the study proposes further research on the interactions of technology and education, focusing on its integration with traditional learning models to strengthen the supplementary benefits gained from the exchange.
Introduction
The advancement in technology has brought about changes in education, mainly attributed to how knowledge is received and distributed. Looking back into pre-technological advancement, education is seen as unidimensional, meaning that society mainly distributed learning through single known channels. However, knowledge distribution has become multidimensional today, with technology providing different ways and processes through which educators and learners interact. Technology is a tool or channel through which knowledge is shared, and interactions between learners and educators occur. In their study of students and their interaction with technology, Jones & Healing (2010) explains a complex interaction between technology, education, and students who, in this case, were first-year English university students. This brings to question the adoption of technology in learning and how its interaction has impacted the learning process over time. Junco & Cotton (2011) equally initiate the discussion on the negative impact of instant messaging on student learning in their case study of students in various institutions. There is a disconnect between technology and education, a factor best explained by exploring technology's negative and positive impacts on learning. The exposed gaps in technology as a tool of learning and its role in enhancing and improving the weaknesses of traditional education calls for more research on blended learning and how it can be used to fill the gap left by implementing either traditional learning techniques or new technology