EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE ERA OF COVID PANDEMIC

    EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE ERA OF COVID PANDEMIC


The term Technology is derived from two Greek words; Techne (art/skill) and Logia (science/ study).  Technology is a collection of skills required to satisfy our needs. Educational technology involves total learning and teaching process. 

What is Technology? (https://youtube.com/watch?v=Giiz81_uzK8&feature=share)



Education has turned out to be a concern amid corona virus crisis in the world. The educational structure has changed dramatically all across the world, as a result of the pandemic covid-19 and thereby there has been a rise in the e-learning. Covid19 has disrupted the educational sector. Out of this chaotic situation came the realization of the potential of the technology. The classes shifted into online from offline mode, since the classes were shut down for an uncertain period of time. Each and every sectors of our life was having a difficult time. Technology helped to stay engaged in learning. It also improved the technological skills of both the students and teachers and thereby resulted in an increased digital literacy.

                     DIFFERENT TYPES OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

5 technologies that will change the classroom education [https://youtu.be/loFL5gT_m8I].

The potential of technologies in classroom is really cool and at the same time scary too. The boons are as follows; 

  1. Learning materials could be easily shared among the pupil very easily.
  2. Students were able to manage the time efficiently.
  3. There is a saying; "I hear, I forgot.  I see, I remember.  I do, I understand. The introduction and use of PPT, zoom, google meet, google classroom, video conferences and so on helped the students to learn better. Learning thus becomes interesting.
  4. Students can learn from anywhere, irrespective of the distance.
  5. Less energy consumption.
  6. Since the notes and audios remain there for an indefinite period of time, the students could easily access the notes whenever required. The teachers could clarify the doubts via these platforms and students can also ask their doubts via the chat box, especially those who are shy to ask questions during a live class.



The educational sector also suffered a lot during the pandemic. Just like a coin having two sides, there has been a lot of problems associated with e- learning. The banes of online learning are as follows;
 
  1. Since it is online, they are prone to technical issues like connectivity problems and thereby there is a high chance of loosing certain classes.
  2. Some students get distracted easily because of the social medias.
  3. Students loose their interpersonal skills as they loose their most beautiful period of their life inside the campus.
  4. It creates a sense of isolation and can cause mental health issues like stress, anxiety, depression and so on.
  5. Not every one will use the medias judiciously. They can lie or cheat during an online exam  or class.
  6. Online means more screen time. This can lead to poor posture, head ache, Poor eye sight etc. Recent research showed that; nearly 20 percent of the school children of age group between 8 and 10 came with complaints of dryness in their eyes and frequent blinking.
  7. It also affected the sleeping habits of the children.
  8. Not every students were able to afford the gadgets.
  9. Real life experience is far away from virtual reality.
  10. Communication skills were decreased.


Thus, we can say that the use of technology in the educational sector has both positive and negative impacts. In such a crisis, it is not practical to conduct offline classes and technology was the only link between the students and the teachers. It was the only possible way for the students to be in touch with the studies. Governments too supported the system by providing their valuable support, like providing gadgets for those who were in need(the poor). It has improved the digital literacy, but at the same time it caused certain life style diseases. There is an adage that goes like; "If health is lost, then every thing is lost". So, what is the point of all these education and money without health?. The only possible way is to blend both online and offline as far as possible for effective learning and stand united and thereby putting an end to the crisis.
Blended learning or hybrid learning combines both online and offline methods. It incorporates traditional teaching methods like lecture with the latest educational technology. This up to a great extend is effective in learning in such a pandemic scenario.

What is Blended Learning| Blended Learning models| Advantages & Disadvantages| Hybrid Learning.
(https://youtu.be/DTlmLGM3CgA)


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