Is Digital Technology Really Helping Students with Education?

There has been a lot of talk recently about the negative impacts of technology on society, and especially on students. Perhaps the biggest problem which digital technology poses is that of distraction. Students often do get distracted by constant social interaction on their laptops and smartphones, which has proven itself to be detrimental to educational goals in many cases. However, taking a deeper look into the actual impact of digital tech reveals certain surprisingly obvious, though often ignored, truths.

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Positive Impacts of Digital Technology on Education Far Outweigh Its Negative Effects

The internet can be a place of massive distraction, with marketing, ads and social interactions always around the corner to disrupt the smooth flow of concentration. However, this can be easily countered with some self-control, adult supervision, and scheduled site/app blocking to facilitate the much needed unbroken flow of study sessions.

On the other hand, the positive impacts of having access to the internet and its many digital resources are numerous and almost unascertainable at this point! As we go through some of the most relevant and crucial online tools that have made studying a lot more productive and easier for students today, this point should begin to make itself more obvious to readers.

Online Education

From high school students to veteran workers, everyone can become a student online to improve their academic qualifications, empower resumes, and create better professional opportunities for themselves. The number of courses available these days in the various academic fields and professional training are numerous.

This has also created an opportunity for fraudulent sites to offer irrelevant or unaccredited courses to international or even national students, unfortunately. However, those are easier to weed out nowadays, for example, by visiting the accreditation authority websites that they claim to be registered on.

The point is that the affiliated degree courses across all levels and fields of education and training are making it possible for almost anyone to avail education from top-class universities, which they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford, be it on account of time, distance or funds.

Online Micro-tutoring

The concept of micro tutoring is not new, but it has been given an organized, online platform, with a vast resource and faculty base by Studypool. The student simply needs to ask a question about their homework/study/lesson/test, and then select a tutor from a long list of the online tutors to have it answered. They can continue the chat until the question is answered or the concept is clearly understood by the student. It is similar to an online forum in many ways, but more private, dedicated, and faster to get a response.

Collaboration and Communication

The biggest advantage which the internet brings at its core is communication, which in this advanced age of lightning-fast connections and download speeds, is almost seamless. This gives students the ability to collaborate with each other and their teachers, irrespective of their location. The exchange of information is essential for students, which is precisely what the internet provides via chats, voice chats, file sharing, webinars, etc.

In short, digital technology and the internet as a whole is a tool for students, and it’s up to them (as well as their guardians) how they end up using that tool. There is no denying the online dangers and distractions that are there today, but with a bit of common sense and some basic knowledge regarding how to avoid them, the internet can indeed be the greatest resource for information and education.