The Positive Effects Of Technology On Higher Education

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The learning environment of universities we experience today greatly differ from what our parents used to experience. Technology is omnipresent in our daily lives and that the use of technology in higher education is on an increasing trend. In the past, instructors were using chalkboards and face-to-face interaction to communicate and convey ideas. However, with advancement in technology, exchange of ideas and communication can be done through the internet or other gadgets. Technology has a positive impact on higher education through the establishment of an effective teaching method, improved communication and accessibility, and the reduction of cost.
Technology has a positive impact on higher education by the creation of a better methodology …show more content…

Currently, attending a research university is expensive. With the application of technology in higher education in the form of online courses and mobile learning, the cost of obtaining a degree would be lower. Bonvillian and Singer (2013) writes that even though big investments are required for online and mobile courses, the cost will eventually be lower as it is distributed among vast number of students taking that course. Online courses requires expensive startup cost for the development of good quality online videos and the development of a good server to attract students. With online class’ capabilities of reaching the global scale, the number of participants learning through online courses can be large which can lead to a division of the cost burden. Moreover, Waldrop (2013) writes that “when one professor can teach 50,000 people it alters the economics of education”. In other words, Waldrop expresses that with more people being educated with less academic staff, the cost of higher education would lower because of the spread of cost. A combination of technological and traditional approach to higher education can also lead to a more affordable alternative to higher education. Bonvillian and Singer reported Sanjay Sarma, director of MITx, that first order learning can be done through cheap online courses and second order learning can be done through a research university to save both time and money. The combination will lead to both effectiveness and efficiency to obtain all the knowledge similar to that of learning in a traditional method of education. A cheaper alternative to obtain a degree is supported by technology with the implementation of online and mobile

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