The role of Technology in Education: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to further the ongoing discussion on integrating technology into the classroom. To accomplish this objective, technology will be utilized to demonstrate how technology is essential to education in the modern world via blended learning and online education. Some contend that technology should be seen as a medium that influences culture rather than just a tool. Therefore, ongoing meditation on the distinguishable qualities of technology as a medium that is neither value-neutral nor a disembedded force should go hand in hand with the integration of technology into education. Technology, on the opposite side, is deeply embedded in society and may be directly connected to other social processes and advancements. Consequently, the purpose of this article is to demonstrate the social embeddedness of technology by focussing on the ways in which technology is intertwined with other social phenomena, such as the economy. It is important to take into consideration the characteristics of technology as a medium in order to make the most responsible and efficient use of it in the educational setting. In the framework of the discussion regarding technology as a socially integrated medium, the potential challenges and opportunities that technology brings as a medium for education are acknowledged and investigated on a regular basis. A particular emphasis is placed on the possible benefits that educational technology might provide to theological education institutions.