Computers are being used more and more in education. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.

It is argued that technology plays an ever increasing role in schools and universities. Student freedom is one of the main advantages of

this

and decreasing levels of face to face contact is one of the main disadvantages. One of the principle advantages of an increase in the need of electronic devices in education is the autonomy it provides students. Students have the freedom to focus on whatever topic or subject they want and study it in depth through the internet. A prime example of

this

is the number of online university courses available to students, covering a myriad of subjects, that up until recently were unavailable to most learners.

This

has resulted in more people studying

third

level degrees than ever before, at a pace and schedule that suits them. The main disadvantage associated with the increasing use of technology in literacy is the decrease in look to look interaction between students. Students spend more time looking at computer screens by themselves than interacting with each other and

this

is thought to lead to lower levels of emotional intelligence.

For instance

, the recent explosion in smartphone use has been at the expense of genuine human interaction.

This

results in soft skills, like verbal communication and empathy, being affected. In conclusion, the benefits technology brings to education,

such

as student autonomy, must be weighed against the drawbacks, as negative effects on human interaction. Overall, the educational benefits outweigh the disadvantages because human beings will always want human contact and most people will not solely use IT in education.