Has technology changed the way we learn?

The impact that technology has had and continues to have on learning is evident if you walk into the modern classroom. Over the last couple of decades the incorporation of technology into classrooms has meant that they have changed in numerous ways. One major change has been interactive boards; the board has long been the focal point of classrooms since the times when it was written on with chalk. You only have to walk into most modern classrooms to see the difference that this has made. Students now not only read what is on the board but they also look at pictures, watch videos and check answers all on the one board. That is leaving aside the potential for students to design their own activities and student participation and writing on or using the board; all of these are true interaction with the technology and the learning activity. A huge part of learning is from a kinesthetic and hands on experience of things. This is something that technology cannot replace. As L Monke reminds us

"There is a huge qualitative difference between learning about something, which requires only information, and learning from something, which requires that the learner enter into a rich and complex relationship with the subject at hand"

Previously only very brave teachers would venture very far from established methods of teaching, now it is not only possible but necessary to incorporate activities that use different learning styles - more pictorial/visual stimulus, more sound and more movement and interaction by the learners themselves. There is also the issue around the use we make of technology for research. Before the internet became a major part of our lives we did not need to be as concerned about checking the sources of any material that we find and also how easy it is to plagiarise. It has however afforded an ease of access to information that we nearly all take daily advantage of.

Reference

Monke, L. (2004). The Human Touch. Education next , 4 (4), 10-15.