Abstract
The paper discusses the relative effectiveness of different technologies as applied in the classroom. However, it finds that the question is largely meaningless because, while technology is used, it is not utilized fully, and the quality of its implementation varies dramatically between classrooms. Hence, it concludes that the question should be relegated for the future once empirical evidence has shown which mature approaches succeed.
Introduction
The modern classroom is rapidly being transformed through the introduction of various technologies. The emergence of COVID-19 has accelerated the process as many countries banned in-person education, driving schools to switch to distance learning models. With that said, while technology has brought many improvements to the overall education sphere, it has also been associated with substantial drawbacks. In particular, there are claims that the quality of technologically-facilitated education is not as high as that of in-person instruction. This paper aims to determine what technological approaches are most effective in the classroom.
Theoretical premises
The first article by Bray and Tangney (2017) discusses the practices that are used in mathematics education and their relative effectiveness. They find that, while tools such as online tutorials and dynamic geometry environments are beneficial, they do not fulfill their potential to transform education, instead enhancing conventional methods. The author believes this finding to be valid and generalizable to most educational subjects.
The second article by Azhar and Iqbal (2018) discusses Google Classroom, specifically, in the context of its ability to facilitate and organize education. They find that most teachers do not view it as such, instead relying on it only for document and basic classroom management and not changing their methodologies. Given that the design of Google Classroom suggests this approach to usage first and foremost, these results are unsurprising but still valuable.
Overall, the overarching theme of the reviewed research appears to be that technology’s potential in the classroom is generally not recognized. It is seen as a facilitator to traditional education methods that enhances convenience rather than a distinct and transformative tool. As such, it is challenging to determine which tools contribute most to education in the classroom because few to none of them are being utilized to their full potentials.
Discussion
Overall, the author agrees with the authors of the research that technology is not being used efficiently in the classrooms. In their experience, teachers often resist the introduction of new tools and methodologies and do not explore them to their full potential. While they may eventually recognize some aspects of a tool as useful, they will only use it insofar it does interfere with their primary teaching approach.
With that said, the author believes that this situation is likely to change in the foreseeable future. As long as technology’s adoption continues, innovative teachers will emerge who will develop new and effective ways to use the tools they are offered. Following proof that these approaches are more effective than traditional education, the schooling system will begin shifting to these new methods and embracing technology more fully.
Conclusion
Overall, the discussion of the relative effectiveness of different technologies is challenging to formulate due to the diversity of approaches and varying levels of their usage. With that said, there is little doubt that technology enhances the quality of education and has to potential to achieve substantially more than that. It is currently still early in the adoption process, and in the future, it should evolve rapidly.
References
Azhar, K. A., & Iqbal, N. (2018). Effectiveness of Google Classroom: Teachers’ perceptions. Prizren Social Science Journal, 2(2), 52-66.
Bray, A., & Tangney, B. (2017). Technology usage in mathematics education research–A systematic review of recent trends. Computers & Education, 114, 255-273.