Scope and Role of Technology in Education

From the naissance of guru-shishya parampara to outside schooling to small classrooms to magnanimous schools and equally colossal number of students to now teachers slowly being assisted by high-tech, trained and ‘smart’ machinery.




To study the pattern, the method of instruction, through the ages has remained the same, with a slight shift from practical-theory paradigm to all theory with the introduction of the written word. Evidently the balance between the two is being apprehended and corrected by the education systems in recent times with the introduction of project-based grading in certain boards. On the same note, the change we see across the years has been the continuous and drastic fall of the teacher-student ratio which, plethora of research shows, may have a direct co-relation with the quality of education.

Enter- Technology.

The solution to this as devised by geniuses in our times has been the introduction of technology. While advantages of the use of this medium have been copious and conclusive, given that it is able to compact the world of knowledge from across the globe thereby increasing exposure to variety of information.
Ogden Nash said ‘Progress might have been alright once, but it has gone on too long’. Which I believe might be right about our age and its grave dependence on technology being the hallmark for progression.
To guide technology to fit our concretely defined purpose and agenda is more important than availability of these ‘smart teachers’ at hand. Technology that supplements traditional teaching and can be aligned to complement the ideology of the system can be said to be beneficial in furthering education. Use of technology may not be a standalone indicator of progression in schools but needs constant and continuous intervention to keep its role under check. No tool can surpass the excellence of a teacher but can only be used as a supplement to better its performance.
“A teacher that can be replaced by a machine, should be” Arthur Clark
As the only force that harvested (before the dawn of artificial intelligence) and shall continue to unearth brilliant minds are teachers.