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

It is argued that technology is playing 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 principal advantages of an increase in the

use

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

education

is the decrease in

face

to

face

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,

such

as verbal communication and empathy, being affected. In conclusion, the benefits technology brings to

education

,

such

as student autonomy, must be weighed against the drawbacks,

such

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 for

education

.