Education system in the 21st century is evolving at a rapid pace worldwide. Gone are those days when students relied only on books to gain knowledge. With technological evolution, new avenues are created to learn new skills and knowledge. The Internet has opened a new age of evolution in shaping the society and is playing a significant role in shaping the future.
Modern Education Vs Traditional Education
Traditional education is the conventional method of learning new things from books by using tools like chalks, pens, books and others. Teachers present in the classroom present lectures on a subject and also provide the necessary notes and guidelines to students to learn new things.
Compared to traditional education, modern education focuses on helping children become decision makers and quick thinkers. Although books still play a major role in gaining basic information, there are other sources available to expand the learning horizon and access unique information related to a particular topic. Among these other sources, internet is the most widely used secondary source used by students and researchers for accessing knowledge.
The growth of modern education system
Traditional learning methods fail to impart necessary skills to students to survive in the fast-paced society. Most of the information available in offline mode such as books are not updated and provides a constricted and linear view on a topic. But the education system has changed significantly in recent years. Evaluators look towards the critical and analytical approach undertaken by students to answer the questions. Hence the modern internet based education system is gaining prominence in recent years.
Demand for online teaching is increasing significantly among students. As huge amount of resources are available online the overall cost associated with learning decreases considerably. Thus to access the knowledge available online, the users need to have a basic understanding about how the system works, Hence, computer literacy has become a valuable skill among the students and researchers. Learning how to use computers help students to research topics, write better answers, gain higher marks in exams and improve their grades.
What is computer literacy?
Computer literacy is a skill that helps users learn the art of effectively operating computer systems. A computer literate person is able to successfully locate information in digital platforms using simple and complex operations. The person has knowledge about basic computing operations and hardware elements of the computers. In recent years, computer literacy skill has become one of the most important skills for job-seekers in the market.
How to increase computer literacy?
First step to increase computer literacy among students is to help them learn about the basic equipment used in computers such as mouse, keypads. Once the user’s understand the different software and hardware present in the computer, they can learn about how to use them.
One they have a basic understanding of how the system operates, the students can then learn about the various software packages such as Microsoft Word, paint, excel, PowerPoint among others. Becoming proficient in these basic tools will help them to effectively utilise the online resources to prepare their assignments.
Instructors need to provide tutorials to the students about how to safely use the internet. This step is extremely crucial as it helps the users protect themselves from scammers and safely venture into the online world.
Last but not the least, computer users should learn to use communication services such as email. Learning how to use email will help them to become professional and effectively communicate with others. It is one of the most important tool which is used on a daily basis in offices and professional networks.
Importance of computer education among students
With changes in the modern education system, the importance of the internet is growing significantly. Students continually require help with homework and assignments to get higher grades in school. The Internet provides access to vast knowledge on a particular topic and helps to improve the quality of writing the assignments.
Additionally, computer skills help job seekers to land job opportunities easily compared to others. There are several online platforms such as LinkedIn, Indeed and Monster.Com which list the job opportunities available in the market. Learning computer skills at an early age helps the users get access to better job opportunities in the future.
Furthermore, learning computer skills also help to improve users’ efficiency. Assignments can be easily completed on a computer using homework help websites and students can also use designing software to make their assignments presentable.
Lastly, learning computer skills helps to improve the overall learning experience. Technology helps students to learn new concepts easily and effectively. Modern classrooms are equipped with smart technologies which use computers to teach students. Such technologies help to make learning fun and interactive.
Caution Before Using Computer
There is also a certain amount of disadvantage associated with the use of computers. As students heavily rely on the internet to complete assignments, their assignments can have certain degree of plagiarised content.
Furthermore, as students are engaged in computers, their social interaction decreases. Hence, constant use of computers and other gadgets negatively impacts the social skills of students.
Online channels contain cyber bullies which target unsuspecting students. Hence, the teachers and parents need to remain vigilant to monitor the student activity and ensure that they are not exposed to such threats.
Conclusion
The question regarding computer education has evolved from ‘do we need to learn computer skills?’ to ‘how much computer skills should we learn?’ These skills have evolved to become one of the absolute necessities in today’s education.
Computers have made the learning experience of students much easier and interactive. Although their importance is growing, still conventional education remains the primary source of knowledge for the students. Hence, it is important to identify ways to integrate these two forms of education and help students learn about computers.
As technology is budding, new modes of learning will evolve that will further increase the importance of computers. Hence students must prepare themselves with the changing world by learning about new devices and technologies and build a strong and successful foundation for the future.
