The benefits and challenges of technology integration in the classroom (2024)

Technology has perhaps come to exercise one of the strongest influences on the way students receive their education today. Technology integration can be defined as a confluence of educational technologies, tools, curricula and content which not only refine teaching and learning strategies but also serve the ultimate goal of improving the learning outcomes for learners. Yet, even as technology integration brings in a range of benefits for most stakeholders including administrators, educators, teachers and students, and the broader education ecosystem, it simultaneously poses a slew of challenges. Specifically from learners’ and instructors’ standpoints, apart from benefits, what are some of the challenges that they often face in terms of technology integration in the classroom?

Access an overriding challenge

One of the biggest challenges confronted by the educational sector in transitioning to a tech-driven landscape has been in terms of access. This is especially true of a developing country such as India. Only a small percentage of students currently receiving physical classroom lessons possess personal computers, laptops, notebooks and other such devices. According to data, only 11% of Indian households have any type of computer. Even more worryingly, only 8% of households having members aged between 5 and 24 have a computer and an internet connection together. The country has nearly 25 crore school students alone. And for schools, according to a report by Union Education Ministry published last year, at least 55% of schools in the country had no computer facilities and nearly 66% had no internet connection again underlining the access challenge. Hence, this lack of regular and reliable access to hardware equipment, as also software and an internet connection, has been a huge barrier in the way of technology integration in the classroom.

Teachers inadequately trained in edtech and IT systems

The second and no less relevant than the earlier challenge is that a vast majority of teachers and instructors are not conversant or comfortable with using gadgets and the internet effectively. Combined with this is the fact that for the longest time, there has been little emphasis on teacher training, upskilling and continuous professional development (CPD) in the country. Although NEP 2020 has sought to correct this by way of stipulating 50 hours of CPD requirement for teachers and other forward-looking regulations, it would require a mammoth effort to bring all teachers to the required standards for effective integration of technology in the classroom. Another challenge is that teachers have been found to be typically resistant – more than students – to the adoption of technology in their delivery of lessons. According to a survey, while nearly one-third of Indian teachers lacked proficiency in digital tools, only 50% of teachers could conduct online assessments and 40% could use content-authoring tools. This shortage of teachers qualified in technology integration suggests that employing inadequately or under-trained teachers could in fact have negative implications for the learner community. Worse still, a large number of teachers, especially in the older age groups, are often not convinced of the benefits of using technology for education. They also feel less in control of their class and tend to shy away from technology as much as possible. Thus, teachers’ attitudes and beliefs are equally important for integrating technology in the classroom.

Lack of continued support for adapting to the demands of tech-driven ‘classroom’

Another critical challenge has been an absence of a robust support system for teachers as well as students who wish to pivot towards tech-driven teaching-learning architecture. In order to make an enduring shift towards digital and online forms of classroom teaching, teachers would necessarily need support over a relatively long period of time from trained professionals. Short-term and intermittent training is hardly helpful in this regard. In fact, teachers can effectively integrate digital tools and mediums with course content, lesson plans and modes of delivery only when they have mastered the basics of computer and internet usage. Experts even point towards what is known as the & “double innovation” problem that the teachers face wherein not only do they have to prepare themselves for the subject area that they are going to teach but also for the technology that they are going to employ thereby adding to their preparation time.

Plethora of benefits outweighs the challenges

Notwithstanding the challenges, it goes without saying that technology integration in the classroom has several benefits and is increasingly being acknowledged worldwide.

Perhaps the biggest benefit is that it removes the so-called time and distance barrier between teachers and students. Even from the remotest of locations, students can take lessons from a teacher. Another huge benefit is that a greater number of students than ever can connect with the best teacher in a given field or speciality across time zones and borders. For teachers, the availability of audio-visual tools along with digital simulations and models goes a long way in helping them explain even the most difficult and abstract concepts to their pupils. Technology also enables them to give personalized attention to individual students. The emergence of AI-driven assessment and feedback systems makes their tasks easier while also helping them keep track of their student’s progress on a more automated and sustained basis. Speaking of automation, the advent of learning management systems means that teachers can upload lessons that the students can access at their convenience. For students, given the indestructible nature of content and instructions, it becomes so much easier to revise and retain learning material. The tech-based tools also induce curiosity and interest among them thereby raising their learning productivity. Most importantly, given the inherent nature of the technology being futuristic with most future jobs and career options requiring some degree of technological proficiency, a tech-driven educational system indeed makes students future-ready.

END OF ARTICLE