The need to improve the nation's education system is one of the most daunting challenges facing policy leaders in the United States. Fortunately, with recent expansions of high-speed Internet access, the challenges can be met, in part, due to new information technology solutions that were not available just a few years ago. The exciting advancements made possible by this technology provides policy makers with a set of tools to expand and enable learning in unprecedented ways.
The Use of Information Technology in School
Information technology is providing education administration officers with the means to provide their students and teachers with a new set of interactive tools that can break down traditional barriers presented through the one-size-fits-all approach. For instance, students can now complete their curriculum through the use of software solutions, such as those offered by Acellus. These software tools are integrated with the Internet and work by accessing high-quality video lectures from education professionals who offer specialized presentations in the area of study. These lectures are paired with software-based curricula allowing for the application of analytical metrics which can identify specific areas of student difficulty.
Once those areas of student difficulty are identified, the software can provide an alternative learning path which can be customized to each student's learning experience and capture student data so the overall effectiveness of the course is able to be assessed.
The Benefits
Flexibility is one of the primary benefits being provided by the application of school room information technology. Programs like the previously mentioned software are being used by school systems across the nation. They free up teachers to spend one-on-one time with students requiring special attention. The program also provides a benefit in that students are no longer forced to work at a generalized pace, which risks leaving them frustrated at being held back or too far behind to ever catch up. This approach removes the one-size-fits all worldview which has been one of the more challenging flaws of the traditional common education system.
Speed of Adoption
A July 2009 report by The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation stated that IT has the power to dramatically remake American schooling, raising performance while simultaneously cutting costs; however, the report lamented the fact that as of that date, IT had been limited to reinforcing--albeit improving--existing modes of teacher instruction rather than transforming them.
Tags: areas student, areas student difficulty, education system, information technology, Information Technology, Information Technology School
