Technology has changed over the years. The evolution of technology in the education sector dates back 2,500 years ago. Technology has transformed learning in classrooms, with teachers keen to emulate new learning techniques with the help of technology.
Oral communication (mouth-to-mouth)
In ancient times, word of mouth was the only form of communication. Therefore, learning was verbal and is still the case in some countries today. There are reports that in ancient Greece, education was done by word of mouth.
In those days, people used to learn through poems, songs, and plays. Majority of people would recite poems only by listening, and not reading. The Writing method was less effective. However, by the end of the 15th century, writing started to take its course as the next form of learning.
According to reports, writing fossils were discovered in ancient Greece and India. By the 18th century, the use of blackboards and chalkboards as tools of learning had grown in popularity to imaginable heights.
By the end of World War 2, the United States Army adopted projector technology to conduct military training. These projectors were then replaced by high-tech projectors equipped with inbuilt software programs popularly known as PowerPoint.
Something you should know is that despite all this new technology, nothing comes closer to oral communication as a mode of teaching.
Writing as a learning tool
Written communication dates back to the earlier days of the Bible. The story of Moses speaks about how Moses used the Ten Commandments to convey written commands to the Israelites.
In the 15th century, the Europe Printing Press is what made written information what it is today; readily available and accessible. The growing demand for writing knowledge requirement by businesses and government offices, formal education has skyrocketed in Europe with much more people willing to learn to improve their literacy levels.
Even though technology is changing, written knowledge is regarded highly as a form of communication and hence an effective way of learning. Technology in writing also helps a lot when it comes to writing Pro-Papers . Students use new technologies and, therefore, improve their papers.
Video and Radio technology
British Broadcasting Corporation started transmitting education-based radio series for learning institutions in the ’20s. In 1924, the BBC broadcast its first educational adult series dubbed as ‘Insects in Relation to man.’
On the other hand, educational television programs came to play in the ’60s. In the year 1968, the UK government formed an Open University program partnering with the BBC specifically designed to televise educational TV series meant for University students.
International agencies of the United Nations spread video technology to third world countries. However, the UN’s efforts were short-lived in these third world countries because of lack of electricity, language barrier, and bad weather.
Satellite technology started in the ’80s to broadcast educational programs to local students. India launched its first satellite device in 1983 to disseminate regional education series to indigenous communities across the country.
As a result of high-speed internet and digital technology, the cost of video broadcasting dropped at an alarming rate. This drop in prices for video production led to an increase in the use of video media in lecture rooms and classrooms.
Computer system technology
Computers came into existence at the beginning of 1930, but the first moveable PC was first introduced in the year 1981. Since its inception, everybody knew that the moveable PC was going to become a key component in the quest for quality education. In addition, rightly so, the portable computer became a valuable learning tool.
In 1986, Toshiba launched the T1100 moveable PC (laptop) for worldwide consumers. In the following year, Apple Company launched a Mac Pro laptop, which was later reinvented to ‘Powerbook.’
That was the icing on the cake. In 1990, the World Wide Web (www) was heightened by the development of Text Markup language. This computer language software (HTML) makes browsing easier for internet users.
In 1993, Apple Inc manufactured the first Personal Digital Assistants (PDA’s) used in classrooms. By the year 1998, almost every learning institution in the United States had a computer and a stable internet connection. Computer Machines make life easier for learning institutions.
The future of learning
The future of education looks bright. Nowadays, almost everyone is glued to the internet. The birth of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook has facilitated learning to some extent.
Social media is thriving as the new form of communication between teachers and students. Lecturers use social media to interact with students on a one-on-one basis or engage students to communicate with each other through social media groups.
The internet has enabled the development of new ways of communication like webcams, and Skype. For instance, students are now able to do their research using Google search on the internet.
Apart from social media, Biometrics is another form of technology that uses physical traits to recognize people as registered users to a particular facility. The essence of Biometrics is to detect the physical and emotional characteristics of individuals in a learning institution, changing the course module in a way that fits a person’s desires.
Augmented Reality glasses are reportedly looked upon by Google as the next form of learning. Wearing reality glasses will facilitate learning in a way that they allow students to share data and information through lenses technology.
Bottom line
Learning has come a long way. Even as time goes, some learning techniques will never die — for instance, reading and writing; two things that have refused to go away. Even businesses and learning institutions are finding it hard to digitize learning completely.
This is because some things like reading will take some time to fade away completely. For example, doing away with written knowledge is almost impossible. Books have their place in society despite the new technology. In addition, learning takes lots of practice also (and reading of course). Therefore, going digital does not mean we are abandoning our reading culture.
