The significance of 21st century in educational development

Education technology is the new dawn for learning at all levels of education, statistics have shown the power of technology. And this has made learning a digital 21st century education.

Teachers are now digitalized while embracing all forms of technology in teaching. And teachers engaging in digital learning are increasing by the day. This awareness is growing exponentially through all three levels of education, which are primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions that have imbibed technology to make education much more convenient.

Education has become more interactive and accessible. Educators now have different modes of imparting knowledge in their students. This diversity in learning now give students an array of opportunities to explore.

The 21st century educational equipment have introduced innovations through different tools to aid learning. Globally, different forms of gadgets are introduced to facilitate students learning academically. And students are benefitting enormously, this is proven through the ICT survey carried out , on over 340,000 students in 51 countries worldwide for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2018.

This report revealed that students and teachers benefit enormously from technological gadgets utilised in classrooms. and students perform excellently in their studies, when exposed to technological equipment. And these gadgets have contributed massively, EdTech statistics also shows that, 81% of college students believe digital learning technologies has boosted their grades.

Also students exposed to digital learning tend to learn faster and deeply. As it develop their innovative capacity and increase their chances to fit into a multi discipline. These technological gadgets improve students critical skills, and add to their intelligence, giving learners ability to identify problems and skills to solve these problems in every given society.

 Marian Dalton is an experienced teacher at Saint John the evangelist national school, Adamstown Dublin, Ireland. and has been teaching for 20 years. She compared teaching when she started to the present technological learning condition.

With more retrospect to the past 20 years when she started her teaching career in year 2000.  She said classes were more personal between students and teachers, all teaching was mainly teachers to students. This is because teachers are given the curriculum and all teaching must conform to the curriculum.  There is only one mode of teaching, which is from teachers to students, and nothing to aid the teaching. As students only work from workbooks alone.

She further explained that back then technology was not in use for teaching, the only computer available was not used for teaching, but for teachers, teachers do not have mobile phones as well. Blackboard was all they had to write on, which sometimes dirty their clothing and stressful as well.  

“I remember wheeling a big TV into the classroom to show the class the matches during the world cup in 2002 as Ireland was playing” She added.

Presently, technology has brought about many changes in learning, teachers can plan with the aid of laptops, and data are stored and shared on google drive. Teaching methodologies have changed, rather than students relying only on workbooks, they can now work in groups and collectively. The curriculum promotes child centred activities, rather than relying on teachers for all resources. It makes children more independent and critical thinkers. iPad is now available for all in school to enhance learning and make learning fun, all teachers have laptops to work with and interactive whiteboards to replace the blackboard as well.

All learning schemes and programmes are now interactive and fun with games, videos, songs, and other learning aids online which are fantastic teaching aids. This help gives more understanding to students. students who do not understand English will ask google to translate on their iPad to become participatory in class.

Publishers now have eBooks and lots of resources can be accessed online, teaching is now easier and becoming more interesting for students.

Education in the 21st century is becoming more interactive and engaging, allowing students and teachers to make learning alive at all times.