The Role of Technology in Education

Introduction

We live in a digital age where almost every aspect of our personal and professional lives is touched by some form of technology. So why should it be any different when it comes to schools and education? Gone are the days of the chalk board and abacus, (although perhaps now I’m showing my age) as many classrooms around the country are utilising technology more and more in everyday learning, as are senior leadership teams when it comes to curriculum and assessment strategies.

As market leaders in education, we understand that technology in schools makes a considerable difference to learning outcomes and allows schools to make informed learning decisions based on real insights and data. Our in-house team of curriculum and assessment experts have come up with a few ways technology can help to tackle some of the main challenges faced by the education sector, which we have outlined in our latest blog. First, let’s look at why we feel technology in schools is vital to giving pupils the best start in life.

The Benefits of Technology in Schools

As aforementioned, technology can play a huge part when it comes to all aspects of teaching and learning, some of the benefits include:

Teachers

• Improves teaching methods and tailors learning according to ability to create more engaging and effective lessons.
• Can provide high-quality training for future professionals and simplify the way teachers do their jobs.
• Improves collaboration and sharing of best practise.
• Reduces teacher workload.
• Increases teaching efficiency.
• Help teachers to analyse teaching practises to improve learning outcomes.

Pupils

• Pupils can access almost any source of information at the click of a button, from any geographical area, very quickly and very easily.
• It helps students to access a wider range of resources,
• Pupils are able learn more quickly and thoroughly.
• Interacting with technology helps pupils prepare for the ‘real world’.
• Improves accessibility and inclusion in lessons.

The Role of Technology in Education

Now let’s delve a little deeper in to how these benefits positively impact schools on a daily basis:

Promoting Effective Educational Systems

Undoubtedly, the introduction of technology in the classroom encourages the overall growth of pupils. A key role of integrating technology in education makes learning more accessible, exciting, and enjoyable. The development of technological advancements in education leads to enhanced knowledge and skills of pupils that can be used later in higher education and beyond.

Better Communication and Collaboration

We all know that the existence of technology has improved communication and collaboration in the wider world, and it’s the same in education. Teachers can communicate better with parents, peers and pupils and can promote home learning which can be tracked via learning platforms and apps.

Enhanced Resources

Education technology provides teachers with an almost limitless array of e-learning tools. Teachers can use various digital materials to magnify learning opportunities for pupils. From videos, to animations, infographics and gamification, teachers can engage pupils by delivering the curriculum in forms that appeal to the younger generation and are commonly used in modern society.

How Can Technology Help with Pupil Analysis?

When it comes to pupils, we all know that attainment levels can vary considerably, and keeping manual track of who is achieving what, in all of the different subjects that form the school curriculum can be a minefield. Technology based systems can help to streamline and standardise the collection and reporting of assessment data across your school or Trust. This data can be compared nationally and shared collaboratively to empower improvement and enhance learning outcomes.

Take our system, Sisra Analytics, for example. With Sisra Analytics, you can both simplify data management across Key Stages 3, 4 and 5, and make it accessible at any time to all of your staff. You can leave the sharing of printed documents behind and make intuitive, easy-to-read reports available in just a few clicks from any internet-connected device.