The Availability of Technology for use in Teaching and Learning

 Technology in Education has revolutionized the way how students are able to learn and how teachers are able to deliver educational material in the classroom. The use of technology has become integral in education systems all across the world due to its significant impact and advantages for both teachers and students. Unfortunately, even with the advantages outweighing the disadvantages, still, a great deal of students and teachers are not able to access and use technology to aid of teaching and learning.

In recent years, the ability to use and have access to technology not only in Education but other aspects of life have become more of a necessary skill to keep up with the increasingly technological society. According to the World Economic Forum website, in 2000 broadband access alone in the US was about 50%. Today, there has been a massive increased to over 90%. On the other hand, less developed countries such as those in the Caribbean would have significantly lower figures due to vast difference in the infrastructure and the level of technological development than that of the US.

These inequalities between levels of access and availability, as it relates to technology and its usage can be referred to as a digital divide. In a World bank article entitled "Digital Technology in Education" suggests that in an effort to lessen the gap that is the digital divide, improvements in infrastructure must be made. For example, overall connectivity and software used and also the capacity of teachers, students and parental support.

What do you think more developed countries can do to assist in bridging the gap that is the Digital Divide?

References

Education and Technology Overview (worldbank.org)

Here’s how technology has changed the world since 2000 | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)