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Today, the advancements and the spread of media and information technologies are bringing college students closer to new realities in contemporary society. Technology has become a crucial component in curricula throughout the nation. Every college in the U. S. Is spending million of dollars to provide students with the best and the latest technological advancements. What are the best uses of technology and how can It be used to enhance the education of college students? Technology has the potential to allow students to increase their paces and the productivity.
It empowers students learning with many kind of technologies such as the computer, Internet, Blackboard, chat room, etc. Computers have been around for years. They benefit students, faculties and everybody who learn to use them. Some colleges even require incoming freshmen to have permanent access to their computers or laptops. For students, computer literacy Is an absolute necessity for them, especially In writing their term papers. Every freshman has to take a writing class, which requires students to write papers by using software programs such as Microsoft word. This way, it forces students to earn how to use the computer to write papers.
Although not all students feel comfortable writing on a word processor, most of the students find correcting, revising, or editing much easier on the computer. It is not a bad idea to write papers on the computer because It Is faster than writing by hand when you have more than one paper to write. Students can cut, copy, Insert, or delete Just by pressing a few button, thus eliminating the need to rewrite or retype it again. Since the process is so easy and less burdensome, students are more likely to revise as often as necessary to ND up with as much productive papers as possible.
Computers are also useful to international students in language courses when they practice In basic skills. Software programs accompany SSL (English as a Second Language) Instructions. When students use these programs dally, they can Improve and increase their own paces efficiently. Theodore Razor states, “optional courses in computer programming began to appear mainly for students in the science, engineering, and business” (603). Computers have an impact on every field of study. Science students take advantage of computers by using computer graphics. Biology students can analyze and observe different kind of cells.
Architect students use computers to design buildings. Engineering students use computer to write programs and design circuits. Medical students can use computers to elucidate body structure. Lastly, business and accounting students often use spreadsheet programs in much of their works, while computer graphic students can use technology to design cartoon characters or animation advertising. Throughout their campuses. Internet access has been around higher education for many years. Schools try to provide students with faster Internet access in order to attics students’ needs.
It has become a tradition now that the Internet is always with higher education, especially in colleges. Sunken Orator claimed that “next decade, net work will become major conduit through which we conduct our lives”(614). It determines how well we are educated, the kind of Jobs we will get, how much we would get paid and much more. The Internet has been used in college academia for quite sometime. Professors create syllabus, which requires students to take online quizzes, to Join discussion chat room at least once a week for a credit, or to post their marry of the chapter on blackboard for an extra credit.
Internet is being used to enhance the classroom. It encourages students to participate more in class and motivate students to interact with other students in the same class. Studies show that the use of Internet in two and four-year colleges has been increasing rapidly over the last several years. The CAMPUS COMPUTING PROJECT, began in 1990, showing us some percentage of the increasing percentages of how the Internet is being used in several ways in colleges. Fig. 1 The percentage roughly quadruples from 1995 to 2001.
The Campus Computing Project) Fig. 2 Use of e-mail triples between 1995 to 2001. (The Campus Computing Project) Fig. 3 The listing of URL in a course syllabus more than tripled in the last five years. (The Campus Computing Project) Professors nowadays create their own web pages for students to go and find more information from sources other than textbooks. Students find it more useful and helpful for them in terms of extra learning outside the classroom. Students can look at their syllabi on the Internet without carrying papers everywhere they go.
They can look it up whenever hey want to, and professors do not have to worry about being bothered by students to give them another syllabus when they keep losing theirs. Moreover, whenever students have questions when they are not in the classroom or cannot meet professors at office hour, they can use email to ask the professors. In the mean time, the professors can respond to the questions via email while they are at home or somewhere else other than their offices. This way, professors can keep students up to date and make them feel that there will always be someone there to help them whenever they have problems.
Frequent student-faculty contact in and out of classes is the most important factor in students motivation and involvement. Faculty concern helps students get through rough times and keep on working” (Cone 49). As it said, it motivates students with the strength to carry on working productively and efficiently. It is an educational fact that all students learn at a different pace. Since students have instant access 24-7, computer and the Internet technology gives students a chance to pick up what’s left out that have to be done or repeat work on assignments that have not yet been revised.
Students will no longer feel left alone classroom anytime they need without worrying about people who would make fun of them because they are stupid or slow, or that the professors have to repeat what they said in class. Students seek help from people other than their professors because sometimes they might fear asking the professors directly so they turn to get help from their classmates. Students can tutor among themselves. Internet can provide students with groups tutoring sessions or one-on-one help. Students can peer review or teach themselves online.
Online peer reviews develop and trains dents to help one another at every different learning or different ability. Chat room, blackboard, and email help professors keep track of their students. Many students spend time at home chatting with people about nonsense subjects. New technologies, as I mentioned above, can turn wasteful time student spend into to a useful diligence to improve their learning ability. Through chat room, teachers can help students learn, and change their desire to get involved in their assignments more.
Posting homework on blackboard or through emails make things easier for tooth students and teachers. When students or professors have a conflict to attend class, students can post their homework or assignment on blackboard or email; besides, teachers can grade students’ assignment when they cannot attend class. Finally, teachers can contact students privately to make sure they are on task where they are supposed to be. When this welcoming technological environment was created for curricula, students no longer thought it was the hardest thing to finish their assignments or to get help from their professors or classmates.
Technology makes things easier for detent and faculty members. For students, technology helps increase their pace and productivity efficiency. It enriches higher education by creating more a relaxing and comforting environment for students whether they are inside or outside the classroom. It also bonds students with teachers, and students with students closer to each other. It is of no wonders that colleges and students support the purchase and use of computers and technologies. As a capable tool, technology helps students learn and that is, after all, the reason for going to college.