Has education technology killed textbooks? The process of adapting digital devices as learning tools might have happened a lot slower compared to adapting gadgets for business or as a lifestyle preference. It is, however, changing the way students are learning today as more parents, children and schools are choosing these over traditional tools like textbooks.
One advantage education technology has over textbooks is that it offers fresh content on a regular basis. With a few clicks, content can be bought, downloaded or updated on the device. The process is also fast and easy for the tech-savvy, which most kids are and they easily adapt to its use.
Education apps comprise 10 percent of the selections at online stores and it is expected to grow by 28 percent in 2020, according to Huffington Post. The flexibility of education technology extends to both family and school environment so opportunism for learning are more compounded and supported.
This flexibility cannot be replicated by textbooks and other paper-based tools. Hence, schools are ditching the traditional methods and instead offer students tablets and chrome books similar to what their parents use at home.
Education technology has also made it possible for making learning specialized and personal, satisfying each student's needs. The devices also allow students to improve on assignments that go beyond the classroom environment. "The belief is that let's use the time outside of school to consume the material that we would then talk about in class," Professor Matthew Boyer said, per Independent Mail.
As with all things good, there is also some perceived disadvantage to education technology. For one thing, it exposes children to too much screen time. For another thing, not everyone can afford the best devices or access to the internet. School programs using education technology also differ as some might be more advanced and better equipped than others.
As far as the future of education is concerned, however, technology will overtake the textbook, if it's not already dead. Digital convergence is here to stay.
