Should homework take a digital avatar?

The raging debate and deliberations in the education circles these days is all about the use of technology in classrooms. Its presence has become a much-discussed topic for all stakeholders — be it parents or teachers. There is enough literature highlighting the pros and cons, and there are plenty of supporters for its inclusion. And then there are those who argue that its exclusion is not detrimental, but its inclusion may be more damaging than we imagine! The jury on this one it still out there.

We are educators responsible for imparting skill-based learning, which focuses more on ‘cause and effect’, application, creation and originality. This form of learning cannot be statically delivered to children or explained.

Children need to be engaged in a manner that they will process with a sense of understanding, with flexibility, differentiation and some innovation, keeping their attention level optimum. Children receive and process information as perfect multitaskers, and therefore, our system of delivering for these children needs to cater to their learning styles.

As educators, we need to go beyond our traditional approach and embrace methods that enables them to learn. Technology inclusion gives children the much needed diversity to a routine task. While the traditional pen and paper assignments continue, including digital forms of learning might evoke excitement for homework, assignments and projects. 

Given the unfailing presence of the Internet and devices in our lives, most children of this generation are able to accept, receive and process information at great speeds. Real-time corrections by teachers can save time and energy for the student and teacher, it can also ensure the student has understoof the concept well enough. From a teacher’s perspective, she gets work done on time using this method, it also saves paper, and reduced the chance of missing assignment records. 

It is no wonder that there are many takers for this approach and statistics indicate that 46 per cent are in favour. 

The naysayers believe that technology takes away the important written element as kids today find it difficult to ‘write’.

It is all about the mindset and how you control the deliverables, keeping it well within the context. A painkiller pill can become an overbearing paracetamol when popped everyday for the slightest of discomfort but the same used judiciously becomes a pain reliever. The same applies to technology — how you use it will be either motivating or addictive and this needs to be examined carefully.

The writer is an educationist, and founder of  KA EduAssociates.