Technology and Education
Most people are focused on how technology is enabling online classes, but there are some huge steps being taken in using technology to help make the educational experience more efficient outside of simply taking courses online. For example, there are a number of sites that let you compare courses to get a better idea of what classes you might want to take. Not only do these sites give you the general idea of the content of a class, but you can get reviews by other students, course rankings and even good reviews of entire academic institutions.
I know that when I’m looking for a product, Amazon reviews factor into my purchase decision–even when I’m not going to buy the item from Amazon. We are getting to a point where the same thing is going to happen with college courses–students are going to be making their decision based on what other students experienced. Eventually this may lead to a lot more competition for good teachers. Students are going to be able to do detailed comparison of all aspects of their education and choose an institution that is best suited for their needs. Colleges that attract the best teachers are going to attract a greater share of students and with modern technology and online education they can scale a single teacher many times beyond what can be done in a traditional classroom.
Beyond simple course comparisons, there are some opportunities to leverage technology to really drive continual improvement in education. What if test scores were constantly compared to course content? You’d be able to identify which teaching approach is most effective for any piece of knowledge that needs to be taught to students. You could also find which teachers are most effective at teaching each specific area of a course. It may be that three teachers working together to teach biology–each focusing on their particular strong point would produce much better students than by teaching three separate classes.
Technology is also making it easier to get the out of classroom experience students need. Software engineers can volunteer for open source projects and get valuable experience while still in college–even on high profile projects. Students looking for apprenticeship programs can find opportunities that would have been nearly impossible to locate without an internet search engine. Students studying Arabic can use Skype to talk with other students in Iran and get real conversational experience on their own without leaving their dorm rooms.
The opportunities are growing rapidly and technology is enabling a number of things that would have been impossible just a few years ago. Our children are going to face a very different educational environment that what we experienced. The technology will enable a number of opportunities, but it still comes down to having motivated students. An opportunity is just that–an opportunity. It takes a good student to turn an opportunity into a great academic experience. This is something that has been true in the past and will remain true in the future–regardless of technological advances.
