For over a century and more, education has remained unchanged in the format of teaching, the subjects taught and the curriculum followed by schools and colleges. Classrooms of students intently listening and absorbing the knowledge and wisdom put forth by a teacher or professor has been the established mode of teaching. Despite advances in technology and teaching concepts, this traditional mode has remained unchanged. The number of courses or subjects and the duration may have varied but largely the framework and the method of teaching have withstood changes that are otherwise visible in other elements. But educators have largely been incased in a kind of immunity against technological advancements until now.
However, it is evident that trends have been changing in the last decade or so and these changes, most of them brought about by technology will change end results. As technology continues to place its emphasis and impact on education, the role that education will play in the future can be analyzed only based on changing technology trends.
The world is changing at a rapid pace since the new millennium, getting smaller and bigger simultaneously; shrinking smaller because technology has allowed synchronous communication around the world. This global communication has caused an explosion of information that is bound to change the field of education. That change is happening is evident but whether educators and the educated are ready to accept the changes can only be seen in the coming future.
Some of the recent trends in education in primary education i.e., K-12 have been brought about by technology.
• The Internet revolution has been growing at a furious pace in the past few years. Teaching institutions have to do their best to keep up with technological advances so that their students benefit from them.
• The use of the Internet as a learning and teaching tool has helped educators harness the power of the Internet to interact and network with students even outside the classroom area.
• There is a direct relation between educational outcomes in schools with better infrastructure in technology and classroom infrastructure. Studies show that students exhibit greater attendance and enthusiasm and there are less instances of smoking and substance abuse among them. Improvements in school facilities greatly improved test scores and uplifted the morale and behavior of students as well as teachers.
• With the scenario changing rapidly, teachers and school administration are more willing to accept suggestions and recommendations from students on ways and means to improve teaching and learning systems. By firmly emphasizing the need for a strong framework of discipline in on-campus behavior students feel a greater sense of responsibility towards themselves, to the school and the community at large.
• Educators are beginning to look at students as individuals with different inherent strengths and weaknesses and not as a 'herd'; this establishes greater respect, understanding and personalized attention.
Therefore, it is heartening to note that education is not stagnating; rather the entire education industry is waking up to the challenges posed by technology and understanding that the impact is a positive one.