The past, present, and future of technology in education
Technology is consistently pushing educational capabilities to new levels. It has transformed the learning environment, minimized accessibility gap in education, and enabled us to design learning experiences that better meet the needs of all learners.
To get a good overview of how the relationship between technology and education has evolved, let’s take a tour into the history of education technology. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century revolutionized learning. Being able to mass produce books meant that we could disseminate and share knowledge at a scale and speed we’d only dreamt of before. You could possibly attribute the start of the ‘life-long learning’ mindset to this innovation. Books made information and learning material widely accessible which ensured that learning and development could continue even after formal education.
Another notable creation that had an incredible impact on education was the World Wide Web invented by computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee in 1989. The Web, the Internet, and affordable personal computers, enabled us to easily access and share vast treasures of information online. Fast forward a couple of years to the invention and mass adoption of search engines and social networking platforms, these innovations have completely transformed how we learn and what we learn. It certainly stirred up discussions on the way schools should be taught. As students can take more responsibility for their own learning, the role of teachers and the approaches to teaching also needs to change.
It is increasingly important for educators to act as learning catalysts, orchestrating and facilitating activities that spark curiosity and inspire learners to explore and create, to emphasize guidance and support, rather than focusing on creating presentations.
It's promising to see more meaningful conversations around the role of technology in education. Instead of 'should we use technology', people are asking ‘how can we use technology to give everyone access to quality learning’. Technology has shifted from being an ‘addition’ to the learning experience into a powerful tool that facilitates and encourages learning. Former US Secretary of Education John King affirms that technology has also helped to level the field of opportunity for everyone. Traditionally, learning opportunities have been confined within the walls of a classroom, but because of technology, these walls are no longer a barrier. Everyone, everywhere, regardless of their economic situation, gender, or skill-level have the possibility to grow and develop. Technology-enabled learning allows everyone to tap into resources and expertise from anywhere in the world.
Communication and collaboration in learning have also been expanded by technology. Class lectures are streamed, learning materials digitized, and group work is carried out on technology-based tools. This transformation in the way we learn has led schools and universities to reimagine and repurpose their physical learning spaces to foster more interaction and use technology as an enabler. But, redefinition can’t stop at learning spaces. As the set of skills we need to stay competitive in the future of work and become engaged global citizens is constantly evolving and growing, curriculums need to adapt and be flexible, and educators must not be afraid to continuously learn new skills alongside their students. School principal Nancye Blair also stresses that in order for students to effectively apply 21st century competencies like critical thinking, creativity, and communication in a technology-infused life and workplace, they need to acquire them in a technology-infused learning environment.
Looking towards the future role technology has in education, it is our hope that technological innovations continue to level the field of opportunity for all learners. That we design for accessibility and strive for equity by removing the barriers to education. These are guiding values for us here at Funzi too. We are working hard to make sure that learning is inclusive. And that everyone not only has access to it, but that the learning is also relevant, practical, and of high quality. With mobile phone technologies being the most accessible tool in the world, we’ve placed our bet on mobile learning to ensure that no one is left behind.
With a growing number of incredible initiatives in education, a booming EdTech and LearnTech sphere, increasing support and interest from leaders and educators to revamp our education system to better support learners, we’re hopeful and optimistic for the future!
Get in touch with us and let’s exchange thoughts and ideas, because if we’ve learned anything through our 5 years of working towards the Sustainable Development Goals, is that we need to work together to succeed.