Many countries in the world have incorporated information technology as teaching aids and in the curriculum for instructional and learning capacities. Therefore, this paper will explore the use of information technology in elementary education and its positive and negative impacts after deployment in the classroom.
With increased technology and knowledge progress in the world, each nation in the world needs to adapt to the learning skills which can make it cope with the science and information developments. The world is now a global village in that education and system of education in the community cannot be separated from other educational institutions, or from one nation to the other (Shute & Rahimi, 2017). Globalization has brought about standardization of aspect of growth and development such as education to necessities a fair competitive advantage all over the world. The 21st education is the center in which all progress and development in the world arise and therefore, it is a critical element in the social, political and economic development of the society. One of the sectors in education where information technology has been incorporated is in elementary education. Many countries in the world have incorporated information technology as teaching aids and in the curriculum for instructional and learning capacities. Therefore, this paper will explore the use of information technology in elementary education and its positive and negative impacts after deployment in the classroom.
Information technology is the processing of knowledge, methods applied, processing and transfer while information is being made in the process. Information technology is to gather, organize, store and the use of information in the form of sound, number, text, picture graphic using telecommunication and computer tools (Saravanan, 2017). Changes in information technology have necessitated changes in the classroom, and one of the important milestones is access to out class information by the students or the teacher. Countries in the world are gearing up in finding ways in which they can improve the quality of education received by the students. To promote human capital, schools and the education system are being integrated with technology, which is developing and changing rapidly. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) encourages teachers to give students technology-based education and other learning opportunities (Saravanan, 2017). This is the reason why many countries have initiated programs which instill teachers with basic technological skills.
The application of computer-assisted learning in elementary schools is the application of information technology as an integral part in learning and instructional process. It is fundamentally a form of multimedia technology which delivers lessons to the students. There several elements which are incorporated to make computer-assisted education a success; where it is used to deliver tutorial and teaching materials to be learned in the class (Fidaoui, Bahous & Bacha, 2010). This can be in the form of visual or audio presentations in class using technology-based teaching aids. It also incorporates control measures to measure the ability to acquire information and knowledge while using the technology-based teaching aids. The other aspect is the mode of simulation as to when the students will be exposed to the technology-based teaching aids and how it impacts them at each lesson. These are the factors which involve the application of computer-assisted learning in the classroom. Some of the most used information and technology devices used in the elementary classroom are LCD projectors, Smart Boards, cell phones and tablets, audio files and podcasts (Fidaoui, Bahous & Bacha, 2010).
The advantage of having computers in the classroom is that it can serve as a tutor and be used to deliver information to the students. For those students who fall behind in classroom, they can use podcasts or audio files to catch up with the rest in their own time (De Witte, Haelermans & Rogge, 2014). A teacher can record classes and transfer them to the tablets of the students for them to learn out of school. The benefit of this is because the device will be able to repeat the content as many times until the student fully masters the content. Due to wide curriculum and other activities, teachers do not have the time to repeat the lessons over and over, and therefore technology can be used to serve as an available tutor.
Technology-based education is learner-centered where the content and the lesson are tailor-made for the learner. Unlike the traditional elementary pedagogical methods which are teacher-centered, computer-assisted learning diverges the attention from the teacher to the content or lesson being taught (De Witte, Haelermans & Rogge, 2014). It is the students who benefit highly from this methodology because the input of the teacher is minimal. Students can give attention of the device or teaching aid in front of them which makes them more comfortable during lessons. As a result, there is increased enthusiasm in the learning process where the students find the lesson more interesting and appealing. It stimulates the attention and motivation of the students for them to remain interested in the lesson (De Witte, Haelermans & Rogge, 2014). This is beneficial because elementary students are hyperactive and can have sparing concentration spans.
Videoconferencing and chats assist the students in communication development regarding speaking, writing, and self-expression. Though it is a limited feature for elementary students, when tailored for them, it can aid in increasing the value of self-expression and esteem (Fidaoui, Bahous & Bacha, 2010). This is because it can provide opportunities for opinion chats through interactive smart boards and debates. In most cases, this would not require the formal consent of the teacher and can create management issues if not handled properly. However, the technology increases learning efficiency of the learner. This is because, with computer-assisted learning, students can pick and retain skills and concepts faster than the traditional educational teaching methods (Fidaoui, Bahous & Bacha, 2010). This learning efficiency is because of the reduced teacher time due to the use of computers as the tutor.
People are multi-sensory beings who receive a lot of information to process at any given time. Computer-assisted learning increases sensory stimulation. People remember 75% of visual cognition, remember 20% of what they have heard and 40% of what they hear and see (Shute & Rahimi, 2017). Therefore, the computer can stimulate several of the human senses and present them as data for larger retention of content. This is by incorporating several media all at once and delivering them to students. Information technology promotes learning as it gives a stimulating environment which increases enthusiasm. It increases visualization because it is natural that a student will become more attentive during lessons. Technological based visual aids increase the anticipation of the students in the content to be learned, thereby promoting attentiveness. Students are encouraged in my media which integrates both visual and audio capabilities (Shute & Rahimi, 2017). This, therefore, boosts the student’s way of learning and recall of knowledge.
For elementary students, most of these technology-based teaching aids must require the supervision of the teacher or the guardians. For first time students, it can take time until they are fully integrated into the use of media as a means of delivery of instructions. In case the students are computer illiterate, the teacher will have to deal with anxiety among the students (Fidaoui, Bahous & Bacha, 2010). This is because if students can be left alone with it, they would not know how to operate them, which might lead to failure of the intended instruction. Also, it can lead to damages which can be costly for the school to manage for repairs and constant replacement. Also, if students where to be left with a computer-based assessment process, it can lead to students feeling overwhelmed by the amount of data available for them (Fidaoui, Bahous & Bacha, 2010). This, therefore, needs the teacher to constantly remind the student of the instructions and not to focus on the computer. For elementary students, they can get more fascinated with what they will see in the media device and forget the synthesis the information delivered (Fidaoui, Bahous & Bacha, 2010). As a result, the student will not pay attention to what is being taught and fail to grasp the core concepts of the lesson.
To conclude, computer-assisted instruction and learning is the viable step of enhancing education quality in the world. Though not many schools in developing nations can afford to incorporate such in their systems, developed nations have taken bold steps in integrating technology in schools. It is understood that the disadvantages which arise as a result of computer-assisted education are not because of the devices or programs themselves, but rather their delivery. Therefore, there is a need for fine tuning of the computer-assisted learning and instruction to ensure that there is standardization of the learning process. Naturally, the advantages of incorporating information technology in classroom outweigh the disadvantages. Therefore, teachers and schools should be encouraged and facilitated to incorporate information technology in learning and instruction.
References
De Witte, K., Haelermans, C., & Rogge, N. (2014). The effectiveness of a computer-assisted math learning program. Journal Of Computer Assisted Learning, 31(4), 314-329. doi: 10.1111/jcal.12090
Fidaoui, D., Bahous, R., & Bacha, N. (2010). CALL in Lebanese elementary ESL writing classrooms. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 23(2), 151-168. doi: 10.1080/09588221003666248
Saravanan, T. (2017). Information Communication and Technology Tools for Education and Learning by Animation and Multimedia Learning System. International Journal Of Emerging Trends In Science And Technology, 4(8). doi: 10.18535/ijetst/v4i8.47
Shute, V., & Rahimi, S. (2017). Review of computer-based assessment for learning in elementary and secondary education. Journal Of Computer Assisted Learning, 33(1), 1-19. doi: 10.1111/jcal.12172
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