- ADVANTAGES
-Motivation and Engagement
While students are not always interested in a lecture, they may find curiosity about a particular subject due to an app. Using educational apps is a way to promote interest in topics that students might otherwise disregard.
-Individualized Learning
Children can go at their own pace rather than have to follow the teacher’s rate of instruction. Having the opportunity to learn without a teacher’s direct influence encourages students to value independent study.
Special Education Barriers Can Be Removed
Technology may give children with disabilities a way to learn that they cannot receive in a traditional classroom environment. For example, there are apps that focus on helping dyslexic children to read.
Assist Teachers
Anything that supports a teacher also helps students. In addition to assisting teachers with grading and organization, technology helps a teacher educate their students. Apps can act as built-in lessons and aid a teacher in tracking a student’s progress. Furthermore, the right app can enhance a teacher’s lesson by offering another approach to a subject.
- DISADVANTAGES
-Attention and Emotional Development
Daniel Goleman Ph.D., of Emotional Intelligence fame, worries that the use of technology is affecting the ability of children to focus and may impact emotional development. He argues that children may not develop necessary self-control and empathy for other people if they do not learn to pay attention in a school setting.
-Overstimulation
Janice Kowalski, M.D. notes that overstimulation due to excessive screen time has been linked to emotion dysregulation and a reduction in sleep. Although the recommended screen time for a child is much debated, it is clear that the use of education technology in school can only contribute to increased stimulation. Teachers and parents need to be aware of symptoms of overstimulation, such as difficulties in managing stress and regulating mood.
-Many Teachers are Not Familiar With TechEd
The majority of teachers learned how to teach using traditional methods because they have not received significant training in the use of apps and computers to enhance their students’ education. It is fair to wonder if a student’s education suffers because teachers don’t know how to integrate ICTs into a lesson plan.
-Technology Imbalance Leads to Learning Disparities
Knowledge of technology is not created equal. Those children that have more familiarity with tablets and computers have an advantage over those kids who don’t. This disparity lends itself to the possibility that education technology contributes to inequality in learning.
- FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE
Using education apps in schools is a double-edged sword. There are many advantages but multiple shortcomings as well. Schools must learn to integrate the use of education apps into their classrooms in an efficient way, without oversaturating the classroom environment. Additionally, children must be taught to use technology responsibly.
Are Learning Apps Helping or Hurting Education? (2019). Retrieved from https://www.educationcorner.com/learning-apps-helping-hurting-education.html
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