Technology-Enabled Learning and the Future of Higher Education

New technologies are emerging at a rapid rate and are continuously providing platforms for students and teachers to teach and learn in the way the future demands them. Employers have opted to integrate more advanced technologies into workstations to improve the overall output of daily operations. Hence, the chain goes back and it becomes the prime responsibility of Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) to produce graduates who have sound knowledge of the use of technologies. Although technologies or digital tools used during teaching and learning may not be directly used in the work field, some hands-on experience will surely help graduates adopt more advanced technologies.

In recent times, it would be difficult to have a course offered by an HEI without using any technology. The use of technology in the course opens more options to teach the same content in multiple styles maintaining the standard to the highest level. Not only that, integrating technology enables more student engagement and allows students to take responsibility for their personalized learning. However, if this process is not given careful thought, it may seriously affect overall student learning. The readings from session 1 highlight the use of theoretical framework and models for technology enables learning, the important parameters such as the community of inquiry (Col), technology pedagogy and content knowledge (TPACK), and technology integration matrix (TIM) while discussing the role of technology in education. While technology is embedded in courses, the quality of education still spirals around the quality of teaching. And for this to happen, the two key parameters of technology-enabled learning must be included: how to use the technology and the right pedagogy that needs to be employed during lessons. Take for example, an observation of students coming out of high school who are mainly taught using traditional methods often find it difficult to cope with USP foundation courses mainly because of various technologies embedded into courses. It takes them some time to get familiarized with digital tools they tend to become better learners from semester 2 onwards.

The new technologies are slowly enabling the education system to change. The rate at which it is integrated will surely transform teachers to be just a facilitator where learning will be mainly through an artificial intelligence system which will be available at all times. Teachers will need to review their teaching philosophy which should reflect on the importance of technology combined with pedagogies in lessons to achieve higher results with students. In the future, students and technologies will be at the center with the perception that online tools and technology are not distractors but are essential elements of education.