Uses of Computers

in Education

Roles of computer in education:

• Computers are a brilliant aid in teaching.• Computers have given impetus to distance education.• Computer software help better presentation of

information.• Computers enable access to the Internet which has

information on literally everything.• Computer hard drives and storage devices are an

excellent way to store data.

• Computers play a vital role in every field.• They aid industrial processes, they find application in

medicine; they are the reason why software industries developed and flourished and they play an important role in education.

• This is also why the education system has made computer education a part of school curriculum.

• Considering the use of computer technology is almost every sphere of life, it is important for everyone to have at least the basic knowledge of using computers. 

• Computers as used in education allows the learners to learn modern tools and knowledge that will make him or her ready for the possible technological changes in the future.

• Computers are commonly used in education for applications such as communication, distributing education materials, remote learning, performing class work and admissions. In some cases computer use may even be an educational requirement; for instance, some graduate and professional schools require students to have laptop computers.

Advantages:

• Storage of information• Quick data processing• Audio-visual aids in teaching• Better presentation of information• Access to the Internet• Quick communication between students,

teachers and parents

Disadvantages:

• Excessive use of computer by students lacks the verbal and non verbal cues necessary for the development of social and emotional skills. 

• Lead to decreased educational effectiveness within a classroom and allow for problems down the line in the child's schooling.

• When computers are use in teaching, there are tendencies that the effective teaching will disappear between the teacher and the learner. This is due to the intervention of the attention that is given by the student to the computer machines. In other words, computers could become a barrier in communication between the teacher and the learner.

• The gap between the rich and the poor could also be affected since computer machines are seldom accessible by the poor students while advantage is evident to those rich students who usually studies in the leading schools and universities which usually have this computer and internet facilities.

• this will lead into a kind of discrimination since rich students mostly have their own personal computers while poor students do not have. These are evident especially in the developing countries where most of the students don’t have their own computers at home.

• There are certain health disturbances that are associated with computers. Among of these are the eyestrain, repetitive motion injury and more. Computer integration in the teaching and learning process could also give some problems for those students who use to have poor eyesight or vision.

• Another consideration is that the fundamental skills are sometime neglected. An example of this is the use of the spelling and grammar tolls in word processing software which make the students rely on computer machines rather than doing the editing with their own as a way of enhancing their learning.

Thank you for listening..