This article provides information on modern computer technologies and their application in teaching, substantiates the need for using the latest technologies together with traditional ones, shows the role of each information technology in an educational process.
Currently, on a background of developing computer technology and modern means of communication, when their use becomes necessary in almost any field of human activity, people talk about computerized studying. New technologies are firmly established in our lives. The degree of their influence on a younger generation has increased noticeably over the past years. The virtual world occupies an integral part of students’ reality. But whether using modern technology will stimulate their intellectual development or not depends on adults, especially on teachers.
Each student should learn to transform and operate large information flows. A teacher, for one’s part, should apply computer technologies skillfully along with traditional ones to help young people reach this goal. Gaining knowledge and skills for efficient work with multimedia information is very important for a teacher of any profile. After all, using a computer in extracurricular activities and a classroom allows us to make learning process mobile and strictly differentiated.
Let’s consider several computer technology trends that are particularly popular today in an educational area.
Multimedia presentations
This information tool is interesting because it can combine various elements: testing, audio recordings, video clips, animations and more. It is also an opportunity to dwell on a specific slide and invite students to participate in a discussion. A huge advantage of a presentation is its use at different stages of a lesson: studying new material, summarizing the knowledge gained, checking homework and so on. It is important to note that a presentation should be formatted vividly and neatly. All arguments should be formulated clearly and briefly. Short textual explanations should be supplemented with graphic material: images, diagrams, charts, tables, etc. Therefore, preparing presentations requires a teacher to be creative.
Electronic encyclopedias
It may be rather time-consuming and boring to look for definitions in dictionaries, read textbooks to collect important facts. Using electronic encyclopedias in an educational process helps students to find the information they need quickly and without much difficulty. In addition, electronic directories can contain audio recordings or video clips that help learners create a complete visual picture of new knowledge.
Virtual experiments
A virtual experiment system has become widespread in schools, colleges, and universities. Students like this entertaining and demonstrative education form. It provides an opportunity to conduct an experiment that would be impossible because of security or financial limitations. In addition, experiments conducted in a virtual reality allow young people to study an ongoing process much more profoundly, as compared with a traditional method.
This technique encourages students to experiment and enjoy their own discoveries. It is especially convenient and effective if one’s major is associated with a responsibility for human life or material values. A dentist can learn to treat teeth without hurting any patient. Architects, pilots, physicists can also test their skills using a computer.
Computer games
Bright and interesting computer games can increase students’ motivation. Not only the novelty of working with a computer but also encouraging the right decisions has a positive effect on involvement in an educational process.
But it should be noted that an alienation effect often appears in case of incorrect selecting computer games. This means evading communication with friends, studies, spending all free time in the virtual world. That is why work with school and college students requires strict selecting and reasonable using logical games.
Virtual excursions
Virtual and interactive excursions represent one more interesting modern technology. In contrast to a traditional excursion, this type is distinguished by availability, multiple playbacks of important moments, regardless of weather conditions. Of course, a virtual tour does not replace a personal presence but provides an opportunity to get a complete picture of any object. During a tour, a student can choose a route all alone, look around, zoom in or zoom out some objects, consider remarkable interior details, overview a panorama from a distance, walk in separate rooms, read an explanatory text.
Educational assistance online
Each student is familiar with situations when there are too many academic assignments and not enough time to prepare them all. Also, some tasks are so challenging that young people should be nervous and overload their brains with new information to do homework at a decent level. All these conditions do not make their life easier and happier. It is sometimes impossible to preserve a moral balance without turning to specialists for help.
It is hard to find cheap and responsive essay writers among university teachers. Most of them do not provide such services or set way too high prices. It is also rather risky to ask a classmate “correct my paper” because one may be no smarter than you and just not notice mistakes you would like to eliminate.
The best way out is to cooperate with a specialized website. Many modern students order term papers, dissertations, essays and other academic assignments from such online paper writing services. They already cannot imagine their lives without the Internet and boundless educational opportunities it provides.
Will a computer technology force out live teachers?
Some people believe that artificial intelligence is close to seizing humanity, including an educational sphere, that all teachers will be replaced by robots soon just like e-books have replaced ordinary paper publications. Do these predictions have reasonable grounds?
Most experts claim that this definitely will not happen in the coming decades because the influence of live professors is still very significant. The educational effect of using modern computer technology depends directly on whether a teacher can convey to students what and for what purpose they should learn. It is the teacher’s task to attract and maintain students’ attention throughout an entire learning process.
Such an interaction stimulates lively interest, initiative, responsibility before a respectable professor. A cold, senseless machine will never provoke such an attitude, replace the relationships of a mentor and learners. It is very important for young people to receive compliments and reasonable critics, emotional feedback that a teacher can provide.
Students can adapt to a visual information presentation very quickly and get used to the fact that all data is provided in a ready form. They will not have to think and make decisions, which will lead to development inhibiting. Therefore, the best way to educate worthy young specialists is juggling virtual learning with a standard live communication in a class. The Internet and different computer programs cannot become a panacea, even though they are incredibly useful to students.
