Question

2. How has Digital Media influenced (or changed) the field of education? Include a historical (before and after the digital media) and global perspective (include discussion of the US and at least two additional countries). Include whether the change has been positive, negative, or both. Support your discussion with reliable data. I need 500 words.

Answer 1

In the field of education, digital media has changed the way students learn and complete assignments. Now that students have computers available in the classroom, they have access to information they could not get using traditional learning methods. Having computers also enables those who are visual learners to better understand the material, as they can watch videos and play interactive games that assist them in understanding difficult concepts. Although, some students can misuse the computers by choosing to access their personal social media outlets. Before, students did not have access to the internet and had to get information from textbooks or rely on notes taken during class. The information that was being taught was not the most up to date version. Also, if students struggled there was not another way the lesson could be taught to them. It is amazing to see how far technology has come.

India is one of the many countries around the world that has a literacy rate below the global average. According to the 2011 Indian census, the average literacy rate for those over 7 in India was 74%, which is a full 10% lower than the global average of 84% (Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner India, 2011). Literacy is one of the biggest indicators of a country’s level of development, the lower the number the less developed a country is. Thankfully, to combat this low literacy rate, tech companies like Talentedge have been working to bring online education to even the most rural parts of India. Talentedge is a technology education company that allows users to access college courses online, all they need is a wifi connection and a computer. Having access to digital media allows citizens all over India the same benefits that those going to university have, but in the comfort of their own home and at their own pace. This push to bring online education to the poor and impoverished will bring up India’s literacy rate and overall prosperity.

In China,digital education is seen as a solution to many of current educational needs. It has the potential to increase access to education, while lowering costs and promoting a more high-tech economy. At the same time, the rise of digital education could exacerbate the existing digital divide between China’s cities – where some 80 percent of students use the internet at home – and rural areas, where only two percent of students have internet access in their homes.In 2012, China met its long-stated goal of spending four percent of GDP on education. In 2013, total education expenditure grew by nearly 10 percent again. Spending on digital education in particular, both public and private, has expanded even more rapidly.Digital education in China encompasses a broad range of facilities and products, both foreign and domestic. It includes online education platforms, e-campuses and e-libraries, and the software to power them. China has announced ambitious plans to create a universal digital learning environment, promising to provide broadband connectivity to all K-12 classrooms by 2020. To take advantage of this surge in Internet connectivity, all provinces have been asked to start digital education trials by 2015.There is no denying the considerable risks and uncertainties surrounding China’s digital education market. But there is also no denying the potential opportunities.

In United States State governments set overall educational standards, often mandate standardized tests for K–12 public school systems and supervise, usually through a board of regents, state colleges, and universities.Although technology has displayed positive outcomes, studies also highlight the negative impact technology can have on the United States of America's Education System. One of the issues regarding technology is the issue of speed. With technology acting as a learning tool, technology can also be viewed as a distraction.In the United States of America, there is a significant gap between students' of privileged and disadvantaged backgrounds. While virtually almost all students in privileged households have laptops or computers in their household, around 25% of students from disadvantaged backgrounds did not have that technology in their households. The effectiveness of online learning does not only vary amongst social class. Studies have proved that online learning can have more of a negative impact on you at younger ages than at older ages. For younger students it is almost required they have a structured environment.[57] Within structured environment, younger students are more capable of growing in discipline and communication skills. It is a challenge for most teachers to make their learning activities fun and engaging to the younger audience.