How has technology changed Education?

We grew up with new technology but teaching was still 'old school'.

Once upon a time, quite a long time ago, in a place hundreds of miles from my then home in Bedfordshire, I attended University. Well, it ended up being University, it was actually Sunderland Polytechnic when I arrived, remember those?

Now, we were no strangers to technology back in the 90's when I was doing my degree and I had grown up, as had many of my peers being a bit of a technology nerd, enjoying many a happy weekend comparing notes with friends on which version of BASIC was better for computer programming and trying to load games from cassette onto a variety of machines from Sinclair, Commodore and even the BBC (well Acorn). I even remember my first friend to get a mobile phone and using it at a music festival. When I say mobile, I mean what was in essence a car battery, a cord and a huge handset, not mobile at all!

So technology was there, all around us and we did use some pretty cool kit (for back then) on my degree course, especially when studying radio. That's right, I got to stick bits of tape back together to edit interviews. Technology at this stage was not really impacting on pedagogy within the learning space in such a way that it changed the way that we learnt or more importantly the roles of teacher and learner. Back in my University days all lectures were still lectures, we sat there and listened and the lecturer talked at us. Move on to 2020 and things are beginning to change. We have just witnessed how, if learning technology hadn't been so advanced we would have seen most teaching just stop.

Redefining roles and changes to teaching

Technology is helping change the way that teachers can teach and it also changing the way we can learn. Active learning in smaller groups is beginning to take place more often with blended approaches meaning that the same information is able to be presented in different ways for different learners.

Distance learning used to be a thing that your parents did if they missed out on doing a degree the first time around but now, thanks to technology, more people are learning when and how they want or need to, in order to fit in around their already busy lives.

Accessibility and inclusion

Software and hardware solutions are making information and learning more accessible to those who previously were denied access whether the barrier to access was disability or language or something else. Everyday we see new advances in technology which break down barriers and help make learning spaces more inclusive. Be it wearable tech that enables a blind person to identify what is in front of them or software that helps someone with a cognitive processing issue make sense of information.

My eldest who is rubbish at spelling (no point denying it) can now get along with writing easily as a piece of software with a dyslexic spell checker picks up most of his mistakes. During lockdown when I was helping the children with home study, all the teaching was delivered by online platforms such as Google Classrooms with feedback from the teacher. There was video learning, interactive quizzes, games you name it, learning has never been delivered with such a range of resources.

Careful with that iPad Eugene

Sorry, couldn't resist getting a play on a song title in here. No prizes if you know the reference (you are all hitting Google now) but well done for having taste. As I conclude this series of articles on home study and learning there is a cautionary word of warning.

All this great technology has and is helping to change the way we can all access learning. Just thinking back to my days growing up with my friends, playing with computers and breaking joysticks on Daley Thompson's Decathlon, we did spend a lot of time running around and kicking a ball too.

Now, this might also be the case with your young ones. If it is great, but there is so much screen time now as devices can go everywhere with you. So if your children are using laptops or tablets don't forget the laptop riser on study day with a separate keyboard and mouse so they can type away (not on glass) in more comfort.

If they do need to sit for long periods at a dining room table and chair then consider making adjustments using back and seat cushions to remove pressure points and give better support of the back.

Above all, where you can get them to take a break from the technology and go and enjoy throwing a ball against a wall for hours like we used to do. It's actually really good fun and your hand eye co-ordination means you will be so much better next time round on that first person shooter or platform game (well that's what we will tell them).