Is technology limiting children’s educational potential?

Most of us would say that technology has greatly enhanced our lives, especially in the last 30 years. Technology is leading the way in making our lives easier every day. Most tasks can be done from one tap of a device, even turning on the lights at home!

We know that there are downsides to technology’s increasing control over our lives, including the physical and psychological health implications. However, what cannot be overlooked is the risk technology poses to children’s education.

In 2010, Professor David Nicholas, Head of Information Studies at UCL, released research to confirm the notion that people, particularly young people, only absorb bitesize information from the internet.  They skim over a virtual landscape, hopping from website to website to find facts, without staying on a single website for very long. His research uncovered that two minutes is considered a long time to spend on a website. This does not give enough time to fully digest the information being read.

Is this how children are gaining information for their school projects, homework or even revision? Relying solely on the internet can leave gaps in a child’s knowledge of a topic. Either they get bored on one website and flick to another, or they rush their work. It is risky to think that a child has sourced and learnt all the information they need online without checking their work to ensure they have fully grasped a topic.

Why AE Tuition has never changed its teaching model
AE Tuition has been tutoring children for 11+ and SATs exams for 30 years. Our tuition centres are set up as a classroom environment, with a qualified teacher, two supervisors and eight classroom assistants in each class – we choose not to use computers.

It would make it easier if our business was run by computers that delivered our teaching programme, rather than qualified teachers. This would cut costs dramatically on both staff headcount and book resources. However, we know computers would reduce the quality of the teaching we offer. A computer programme is inflexible and cannot self-adjust to help each child in the classroom. Also, interaction with a teacher gives children other life skills and builds their confidence, which cannot be gained from a computer.

You cannot beat education delivered by a teacher
We recognise that technology is playing an important part in the advancement of the 21st century. However, when it comes to a child’s education, content cannot be delivered more thoroughly than through personal interaction with a teacher in a classroom. This gives children an in-depth understanding of topics and help can be provided if additional support is needed.

Tailoring a child’s education when needed
Children can learn in different ways. Part of a teacher’s training and the experience they gain in their career is knowing how to identify how a child learns best. A website will not be able to do this; it is a one-way learning approach.

How do you know that what a child is learning is accurate?
Some websites are recognised and follow the national curriculum, however there are millions of websites and articles available to download that can be inaccurate, subjective or do not give clear facts. Just as in state schools, our tuition centres follow the national curriculum. However, AE Tuition teaches beyond the curriculum and has a 30-year proven track record of delivering and achieving excellence.

 

The traditional approach doesn’t mean the old approach!
We can all agree that human interaction is much more valuable than a relationship with a computer. A classroom environment does not just deliver results; it gives children the support, motivation and confidence to build a solid education. Independent learning is an important part of a child’s education, enabling them to discover how to find information for themselves, but guidance from a qualified teacher is essential to make sure there are no gaps in their education.

To find out more about how our courses can help your child prepare for 11+ or SATs exams, visit AE Tuition Courses.