Essay Sample on Integrating Technology Into College Teaching and Learning

Introduction

Technological literacy is the ability to use technology and computers to communicate and assimilate ideas that further increases productivity and performance. Scholars tend to believe that, when technological literacy is integrated into the learning process, then teachers and students will be able to record optimum performance, accounting for more academic excellence. Through the use of technology in the learning process, colleges can mark progress from the industrial age to date. Futurist tend to believe that, the world is at the information stage in which using technology to assimilate new information and ideas will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in determining the success of an individual. As colleges, university and other education institutions main purpose of existence is to equip students with knowledge that will further shape their future to a successful life, shouldn't such institutions integrate technology in their learning? Let's evaluate the significance of the latter statement while putting due emphasis in college.

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Technology presence in education has become a necessity in schools and colleges that have gained a lot of relevance in fields such as medicine, aerospace, defense, engineering, and agriculture. Recently marking the 21st century, the field of education has witnessed a boom in using technology in learning that further gives a broader dimension of its use. Both private and governmental educational institutions have been in the frontline in using technology to make the student learn more comfortable that may further enhance innovativeness and in their area of study.

Furthermore, a school should amend their teaching and learning strategies in school to meet the challenges and needs of the information age. The International Society for Technology in Education suggests that successful schools and colleges are those that can provide a technological experience to their student while learning. Such an endeavor has positive effects like; the ability of students to conduct effective decision making and become problem solvers, creatively use of tools, become publishers and communicators and finally being able to increase their capabilities in using technology. Use of technology in education is an integral part of most programs in college. In Murray State University, teachers are required to take CSC 199 introduction to IT. The program equips teachers with the exploration of presentation software, database, spreadsheets and word-processing (Nix et al. 7). Teachers furthermore learn to use Micro Front Page in an education course, EDU 103 that further assist them in creating formative e-portfolio.

For technology to be successfully integrated into the education system, it calls for support in funding. Murray State University is a perfect example that provides modern computers, top level quality printers and software titles that are licensed for the university. In this way, students and teachers can use technology in the learning process successfully. Through such supplies, the students can use technology in most of their courses. In the university, students use PowerPoint, Timeliner and Kidspiration software to carry out their class activities. Online resources such as Track stars are used for course reading and Web Quests for instructional design (Nix et al. 12). Faculty members, on the other hand, are entitled to provide lab time, ensure there is adequate time for the use of technology in class assignments and demonstrate specific technology tools.

In Owen School strategy, their classroom setting is like in any other school, but the only difference is that they have embraced technology in their learning. The school has a projection system with a video screen installed in the classroom. The lecturer informs the students they will be taught by a distinguished professor, from a well-acknowledged company. The only difference is that the professor will be conducting the lessons at the comfort of his home while the students are in the classroom hall. Technology, in this case, enables students to learn using video conferencing.

Additionally, across the university, the students are using technology to master subjects and enhance their learning. Technology is applicable in both elementary school and secondary school to college. The school faculty is designing their skills to use technology while students, on the other hand, are comfortable using technology to enhance academic excellence.

Additionally, Psychology Professor in the University teaches statistics lessons in the computer lab. Hence, the professor can integrate the traditional mode of lecturing while using computer projections to demonstrate projects that further enhance the learning. Margaret Smithey, a Peabody Professor, uses clips from the internet, news footage, audio and videos in her classroom presentations (Granberg, 3). Additionally, the lecturer has opened an e-conference for students who wish to keep in touch with their fellow students and the professors while in the internship period. To make regular references, the professor maintains a library of video footage of classroom lectures that she may wish to refer to at any given time.

Additionally, the Biomedical Engineering Department in the college wishes to launch technology integration in offering bioengineering teaching and learning materials. As a result, the school is planning to hold fundraising to develop technology in bioengineering. Such actions prove beyond doubt how the school considers technology critical in the learning process.

Professor Margaret Smithey admits that through technology, she can meet unexpected questions in lectures and make students understand more using video clips (Granberg, 5). In a previous class she held, Margaret confesses that student asked specific questions in management that forced her to use video clips that related to the question asked. Margaret further implies that students can connect to the problem asked and the video displayed in the classroom that makes learning alive. Students thus can understand, contrary to if she gave her own opinion or tell a story on the subject. Professor Tormarken, a tutor in statistics, suggest that his students can understand with ease as he incorporates computers in teaching statistics.

Furthermore, Tomarken put forward that challenging courses can be easily understood when schools incorporate technology into teaching such subjects. Tomarken asserts that, amongst the most significant challenges that statistics students are faced with, is transferring theoretical knowledge into the functional analysis (Granberg, 5). Students who often have a week math background are faced with this challenge in which Tomarken implies they can do better when using computers. Furthermore, in a previous semester, Tomarken suggests that he met a problem in sourcing for good books for teaching statistics, an issue he later on solved through technology. He implies that books at times tend to be comfortable or extremely wide and on other occasions not covering a broad scope. Tech came in handy as Tomarken used Prometheus System by copy-pasting the statistics notes on the website for students to access with ease (Granberg,5). As a result, the Prometheus system allowed students to focus more time on understanding the lesson rather than copying the formula. It also replaced books saving student the cost of buying books that may not turn out be much resourceful in the long run.

However, people may question the effect of technology on the teacher's role. Tomarken asserts that technology only equipped him better in the classroom but did not change him as a teacher. Critics tend to suggest that technology makes teachers lazy and less committed to performing their tasks. Smithey, however, disagrees asserting that technology changes teaching not teacher. She further points out that technology has a powerful way of influencing teaching and that it plays a pivotal role in creating a more interactive classroom session. Professor Tomarken also implies that the computer reduces the passivity factor as he teaches statistics using visual models and software (Granberg, 5). Students have to click the mouse and type numeric in that makes the learning process more active and lively. Smithey also credits the use of technology in accessing quality education.

Furthermore, technology improves the quality of learning and saves time in classroom discussion. Professor Smithey, for instance, requires her students to complete computer assignments from the CDs she has developed. In this way, students can complete their tasks and have a shared context making learning much easier when it comes to classroom discussions. Smithey implies that students and teachers can discuss dilemmas and critical elements in the video, that everyone has analyzed, watched and meditated on. Thus, the class can commence from there rather than taking 30 to 40 minutes showing of the video in the classroom then embarking on the classroom discussion. Tomarken further implies that technology increases the bond between teachers and students. When students can see the extent in which teachers go to ensure the learning process is more understanding and fun, there tend to exist an appreciation factor that makes them more motivated to learn (Bagchi 5). Moreover, both graduate and undergraduate students may at times question if teachers or lectures care about their academic excellence. Tomarken implies that the best way is in communicating if teachers care, is through the use of technology that makes learning easier and understanding.

However, technology often arrives with its challenges. Since technology rapidly changes, it's up to the school faculty to continually keep pace with it to ensure that no outdated technology is used in the learning process. Professor Owen fears that one of the digitized CDs shows he bought from CBS could one day turn out not to be useful. Tomarken, on the other hand, suggests that introducing computers into classrooms to enhance learning increases the chances of students to do something else not related to education. At times teachers are forced to parade around the students to monitor on the activities they are engaging on the laptops. Tomarken put forward that, students may at times surf on the internet creating a distraction in class. Maybe the faculty should reconsider using computers in classroom sessions.

Furthermore, to ensure that students embrace the use of technology in learning, teachers and the school faculty in general play a pivotal role. One faculty member cannot support the initiative alone, it calls for a group effort. Students can continue connecting to the internet, use the CDs in the library on their own but what will make use of technology to the next level is the ability of the faculty to join forces in ensuring the endeavor is a success. Additionally, to integrate technology successfully, physical facilities hold paramount importance. There is no sense in having the best technology in education with no physical facilities to support the system.

An example is a college with nice big screens and projectors fixed in front of the white blackboard. What happens if a lecturer wants to write on the blackboard and have slides at the same time? Hence it's vital for colleges and other schools to support technology with the appropriate facilities.

Technology acts as a guide to teachers that further change on the traditional method of teaching. The teachers can use scientific material for teaching students that makes it easier for students to assimilate information with ease and learn faster (Johnson, 17). Through the use of technology, a vast opportunity exists as students have an upper advantage of understanding lessons learned with ease. As a result, the technological classroom experiences enables s...