Impact of Information Technology on Education sp (Essay Sample)

Student's Name: Tutor's Name: Course: Date Due: Impact of Information Technology on Education Information technology in education is commonly referred to as Educational Technology and sometimes EdTech or just Learning technology. This is the ethical practice and study of facilitating learning and equally improving performance through the creation and management of appropriate technological processes and resources. In the last one decade, the use of Information technology in educational institutions has generally improved owing to the substantial advancements in technology, particularly in the use of the Internet and its related applications. This has majorly enabled easy learning through a convenient and effective access of educational resources among students. Research literature throughout the last decade show that technology can highly enhance literacy development, affect language acquisition, support learning, motivate students, offer greater access to information, and certainly enhance self-esteem of students. The researches have affirmed that information technology provides adequate opportunities for the students to modify or build their knowledge through the wealth of experiences that is offered by technology. Information technology is certainly transforming contemporary world of education. With the advancement in information technology, the traditional classroom education is subsequently being challenged by various models that enhance and change the way education operates. Furthermore, online education in the past decade have also been rapidly expanding information technology impact the current learning in various ways. According to surveys across North America, the use of information technology was found to be highly prevalent among students across the entire region. Similar surveys in other regions of the world equally presented an affirmation that the majority of students are relying of technology platforms to access basic educational materials in most of the learning processes (Achimugu & Oluwagbemi 26). The increased use of information technology in the recent years has majorly been attributed to the emergence of convenient platforms that enhance learning in educational institutions across the globe. These include the invention of more sophisticated hardware and software platforms that enhance easy access of information for educational purposes. The use of the social networking sites among young people is one of the most influential characteristics of the reliance on IT platforms to pass information among students. By 2010, most students had access to popular social sites that effectively promote learning of students at different levels of their studies. As from 2010, there has been increased use of laptops as opposed to the desktop computers by students. Since laptops are relatively portable, it makes it possible for students to conveniently carry them to classes, subsequently increasing their ability to access information through the internet. This has been one of the contributing factors for the enhancement of access of information for purposes of education. Moreover, students in many educational institutions commonly conduct their researches and assignments more effectively following the penetration of portable laptops that are seemingly the size of a book (Negi & Pandey 67). In addition, the used of information technology in education has also been improved by the emergence of Smartphones, which are equally helpful in the learning process, due to their portability and size, hence they certainly aid in accessing educational knowledge. Information technology has also changed the way the tutors teach at educational institutions by providing more advance mechanisms that enhance learning. With the current technological platforms, tutors are able to virtually deliver education content in a timely and convenient way. Increasingly, professors and other tutors in educational organizations are making course materials readily available online such that students easily access. The majority of these institutions have created online sites that provide direct link between the students and tutors to freely interact in real time. Such initiatives are critical in enhancing access and acquiring of knowledge for the students in a more convenient way (Achimugu & Oluwagbemi 28). Some of these online platforms also have a mechanism for virtual learning, which enable long distance learning, hence students do not need to physically be at school in order to access crucial materials for learning. The use of information technology has also embarked on a multimedia approach to education in most educational organizations across the globe. This commonly entails the Audio-visual education, preparations, planning and extensive use of devices and materials, which mainly involve both sight and sound for educational purposes. Some of these devices used include; still and motion pictures, television, filmstrips, audiotapes, transparencies, teaching machines, computers, records and videodiscs. Notably, the growth of the audio-visual education subsequently reflected developments in both the technological and learning processes. Scholarly studies in the psychology of learning processes suggest that extensive use of audiovisuals in the education sector has numerous advantages. In this regard, all learning can be stated to be majorly based on perception, in which the human senses gains information from a given environment. This means that conditions by which an individual gains knowledge are precisely determined by the way the intended information is presented, either in audio, video or both. Having both the audio and visual content of the relayed information, offers the most ideal environment for humans to easily memorize the intended information. These findings certainly prove the reliability and value of audiovisual in educational processes as provided by the contemporary use of information technology (Achimugu & Oluwagbemi 30). Distance learning has also been made possible through advanced use of information technology in educational organizations. Distance learning, also known as electronic learning or e-Learning is a method of learning at a distance, instead of physically being in a classroom. The late-20th century technologies in their most recent phases of interactive and multimedia opened up a series of new possibilities for an expected expansion of a form of home based learning, most of which were part time. This method of learning has in the recent past been technologically improved to accommodate more features that allow students to directly communicate with their tutors in real time. Distance learning conventionally widens access to students who are unable to physically attend classes due to issues like geographical remoteness, individual disability and family circumstances, among others, to study alongside others (Negi & Pandey 67). This is one of the most intriguing aspects of distance learning as students who are unable to physically attend classes in their studies, are able to be at par with their counterparts who have adequate time to learn directly from educational institutions. The advances in information technology have led to the realization of drastic changes in the lives of the disabled students in regard to their educational needs. Information technology provides several software and techniques to effectively educate such students. When provided at a very early stage, and with special training, people who are profoundly deaf from birth are able to pursue their dreams of pursuing an education. It is evident that students who are deaf lack the language stimulation that is experienced by student who can hear. The integration of information technology to offer crucial options to these students to ensure that they equally access basic education like their counterparts who did not have hearing disabilities (Higgins et al, 44). The use of IT provides real time interaction of the deaf students with their tutors, subsequently ensuring access of educational resources either online or offline through their computers. Technology makes education in schools enjoyable to both the students and teachers. It is apparent that sometimes it might be difficult to engage young students in the processes of learning. The traditional methods of learning require much attention of students in order to fully gain knowledge, which makes it difficult for students to maintain maximum concentration in classes. Tutors may equally find it difficult to teach a class of students who hardly concentrate on the topics being taught, an aspect that may affect the overall teaching experience. The advances in information provide numerous exciting options that enhance easy learning of students, as well as effective teaching processes for the tutors. With the availability of visual audio platforms for educational purposes, students are able to easily learn through video streams relayed to them, enhancing better understanding in their learning processes (Achimugu & Oluwagbemi 31). Other aspects that make the learning process enjoyable for the students is the incorporation of virtual learning that gives students the opportunity to learn away from the classroom at their convenient time. Numerous studies over the years assert that the use of information technology in educational institutions positively influence the attitudes of students towards learning. The studies assert that in the past few years of extreme use of information technology in educational organizations, students feel more successful while at school while using the various technological platforms for their educational needs. In addition, the studies have also found out that students who use information technology educational platforms are greatly motivated to learn, which subsequently increased their self-esteem, as well as self-...