Changing Educational         trends

Every age is controlled by a passion and for us the passion is the internet.  The doubling and redoubling of computer power has created a drive to catalyse the information technology (IT) era. The Net is now a mighty force that has begun to overhaul operational systems that the brazen audaciously define as being ancient. The Net is said to consist of 2.5 billion documents growing by about 7.3 million pages per day. Adding the Web of connected databases and intranet sites there could be about 550 billion documents that are accessible by most surfers.

Among the crucial aspects of   our society that the new IT revolution has affected is Education. At schools and other learning institutions, computer technology encourages learning. Teaching through the multimedia offers an environment that is conducive for learning while allowing more personal interaction between the school and the child through better communication and quick feedbacks. Investigation of the mathematical process, scientific concepts, language patterns, geographical differences or historic events, within a meaningful context, is becoming not only easy but also interesting with the spate of knowledge now available on the Web.  

In schools the Internet has helped to consolidate peer interaction. Students, teachers, working professionals and home learners can interact with experts at schools, colleges, universities and industries. This broadens the horizons beyond classroom instructions and also enhances knowledge for career planning. In the new IT age the nature of work will continue to change in terms of demand for professional, technical and service skills. The IT revolution will keep everyone on their feet, as constant refinement, modification and updating are the watchwords. As a natural corollary, it has amply exhibited transformation in the way people view career options.  

The economic destiny and prosperity of entire nations rests on the use of the silicon-based computer technology that has truly taken the world by a storm. Education must reflect the influence of technology. Education institutions have to be imaginative and flexible to renew their vision of teaching and learning methods considering the potential of educational technology to meet modern demands of our society at large.  

How does one introduce computers to schools when most schools do not have resources to procure these? Read about this in next week’s column.