The impact of Personal Computer on education in last twenty years.

University Degree Education and Teaching

The impact of Personal Computer on education in last twenty years

Dennis Siu Lun Yu

April 29, 2004

Computers are used extensively in daily work, and the role of computer in education is becoming more and more important. In the last twenty year computer development has changed a lot in traditional education industry. For these reasons, there have been few effects that impacted on education in last twenty years as significantly as the computer development of personal computer has had positive effect on education. Efficiency, effectiveness and lower cost far outweigh the negative side effect; Intellectual Property and Copyright.

There are always few IT teaching tools in modern classroom such as Electrical projector, learning application program, and Personal Computer. All of them are involved with personal computer while working. Teachers always use those teaching tools to maximize student reflection and encourage progressive thought, taking multiple perspectives, and independent thinking. Electrical projectors which are used in class can presence teaching material and knowledge in more graphic and sound effect. This action may attract student’s attention, interest and concentration in studying. Students learn better when they interact with and process information rather than just hearing it (Sproull & Kiesler, 1991). Learning application such as forum and online study group can get students involved more discussion, and analysis, because it encourages students ask questions, search for other student’s answers to their questions, comment on and review other student’s work, and then restructure and organize answers to their original question. Consequently, it has positive gains in achievement on effectiveness.

Technology has improved the Efficiency in education, and largely for the better. For one, in the past, teacher used overheads to present selected tables or figures. Now each module which they teach is accompanied by a full set of slides that serve as an outline of the lecture as well as provide tables and figures. Today's teaching and learning tools have expanded well beyond the use of voice, chalk, and pen. Teachers now devote more class time to discussions, cases, and video exercises because they can present the material more efficiently.

Cost of education may be reduced while using ...

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Cost of education may be reduced while using computer with it, due to teacher tends to use computer to prepare their teaching material, communicate and manage teaching task. Using computer to prepare teaching material can reduce the use of paper, process time. For example, teacher can use internet as his or her research source in a very low cost, and store their teaching material in electrical version, it can reduce to cost for store and spread easily. At the result, it may the total cost of education reduced.

The negative side of effect on education is problem of Intellectual Property and copyright. Due to Intellectual Property is invisible, easily spread and easily storage. Most of teacher realize that is a problem, and they have not ability to avoid it, because there is trade off between cost and security. If teacher would like to make its Intellectual Property more security, they need to pay more attention and resource.

In conclusion, there is positive effect that impacted on education in last twenty years as significantly as the computer development of personal computer has had positive effect on education. Efficiency, effectiveness and lower cost far outweigh the negative side effect; Intellectual Property and Copyright. It shows positive gains in achievement on different area of education. The main gain is students learns more in less time when they receive computer-based in instruction, and student like their classes more and develop more positive attitudes when their classes have computer-base instruction involved.

Reference

Sproull, L., & Kiesler, S. (1991). Connections: New ways of working in the networked organization. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Odette Radi. (2002). The Impactof Computer Use on Literacy in Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Skills: The University of Melbourne.

Sivin-Kachala, J. (1998). Report on the effectiveness of technology in schools, 1990-1997. Software Publisher’s Association.