Why is IT integral to education?

Technology has transformed every facet of our lives. There was a time where writing letters and using landlines were the only modes of communication but in the past two decades, the world has changed drastically. We are in an era where the world has become ever so small and we are looking to make it even smaller and this holds true even in Education. Gone are the days when chalk and board were the methods of teaching. Gone are the days when schools found it challenging to maintain records and present it to different stakeholders. We are in a period of transformative change, where students are smarter, education tools are in abundance, and academia is more knowledgeable.

Smartphones, tablets and other IoT of wireless devices have impacted every industry so it is only expected that schools will adopt this technology to impart education and enhance the teaching-learning process. The evolution of web-enabled learning means students now have access to a plethora of research at their fingertips and can collaborate and share ideas with their peers and with teachers alike. IoT has played a vital role for teachers too, who now can set the pace of a classroom, based on the different learning abilities of their students.

The advent of digital schools in the past 10 years means education has been reimagined to integrate 21st-century skills essential for students in this information-based economy. The skill sets of yesterday and no longer the required skill sets for tomorrow. It is imperative for schools to develop the effective application of critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration of their students to be successful future leaders. To accomplish this, schools have deliberately turned to technology to maximize the learning outcomes and empowered educators to create digital learning experiences that advocate exploration, analysis, and formulation.

In the end, successful adoption, implementation, and integration of technology in a school means implementing technology into the classroom to vigorously enlist cooperation among students and boost the learning process. Technology in education makes teaching more effective, learning more fun and the impact of learning outcome more meaningful!