In about thirty-five years ago Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech entitled, "I have a dream." He said, "I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood." Kingâs dream has come to pass, but some issues people have to face then include but not limited to collaboration, multicultural issues, and valuing diversity.
Just like King, I have a dream that higher education will be affected by information revolution greatly in 2020. Computer technology and information superhighway will be the driver of higher education this 2020. Also, some issue people have to face will include but not limited to collaboration, multicultural issues, and valuing diversity.
Collaboration
It is common today to have students in the same class work on a project, but because of computer technology and information superhighways there will be development of group work across the towns, states, and other countries. Substantial investment in education technology will enable schools to access hardware, software and Internet connectivity, and provide for better collaboration between the students and teachers.
Students can connect with scientists, engineers, architects, or professors and engage in research and surf all over the globe through organized real-time electronic field trips. They will be able to easily collaborate with other students around the world. They can take free classes offered by other schools or training centers. As more on-line courses are being provided on the Internet, millions of students will participate in inexpensive educational experiences online. Also, there will be curriculum integration in general studies, vocational, occupational, and professional studies. If students have to collaborate very well, they have to deal with the issues of culture.
Multicultural
Technology will enable students to work across their cultural boundaries. For instance, students in an African country will be able to network with students in Japan, Europe, or United States at a click of a mouse. In order for students to work well together, they need to understand each other. It is important to know their reason behind their differences in thinking and behavior. Students will learn about other culture more than their own culture as we approach 2020. Technological investment in education will enable students to connect on-line resulting in the transformation of thousands of classrooms to the digital age; as a result, interact with different culture. Without this investment, most of the students that now benefit from education technology would have been left behind. Instead, from inner-city districts to remote rural schools, students can now communicate with each other and share vast educational resources. When students deal with multicultural issues very well, they also need to face the issues of diversity.
Diversity of learners
The issue of diversity here means dealing with our differences. Our differences can be attributed to gender, age, culture, social class, and other. These issues will become less of focus to students in 2020. Computer technology and information superhighways will enable students to work together no matter what their differences may be. They will value the differences and allow learning from each other.
In the 2020 and beyond, computer and information technologies will enhances teaching and learning, and creates a dynamic learning environment in which the following benefits will be derived:
Students will develop lifelong learning
Integration of education technology into learning and teaching will help students to embrace collaboration efforts, multiculturalism, and valuing of diversity.
Students and teachers will have access to rich instruction and a vast knowledge base that includes other students and educators worldwide.
Teaching and learning will be customized, allowing students to explore their personal areas of study and interests any time they want to, anywhere they may be.
Challenges for the Future
There are many other issues to consider especially in using new technologies in education in the year 2020 and beyond. We need to deal with the changes that occur to the culture of the classroom when new technologies are introduced. Is there any cost implication of the new technologies? How can we ensure that new technologies are being used properly for instructional purposes? How can we make sure that new technologies go beyond merely providing access to information and assist in knowledge building? To answer these questions, we need to conduct further studies to address them.
Finally, just like King, I have a dream that higher education will embrace teamwork, value multicultural and diversity issues in a great extent in the year 2020. The driver of this is technology. If countries and ethnic groups are to achieve harmony and development, it is vital that they work continuously to build relationships of trust based on mutual understanding of one another's histories, cultures, customs, and values. Technology has provided an avenue to accomplish this.
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