The Importance of Technology in Education and Why it Matters

The COVID-19 pandemic brought forward unprecedented challenges that affect global education particularly, the primary school learners who are building the foundations for later learning. We are living amidst what is potentially one of the greatest threats in our lifetime, a gigantic educational crisis. According to the World Bank, as of March 28, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced more than 1.6 billion young students out of school in 161 countries. This is close to 80% of the world’s enrolled students. Not since World War II, have we witnessed so many countries and their schools go into simultaneous lockdown for the same reason. The impact of this virus has proved to be far-reaching, and no one can foresee its effects on education in the longer term. Whilst education required major reforms the COVID-19 pandemic, has pushed forward, the absolute necessity for educational disruption and online solutions that must: 

1. Be interesting for the targeted group of students as well as their teachers to ensure sufficient interaction with the new (on-line) process. 
2. Ensure a critical mass of educational results/progress to secure the cognitive development of young students.
3. Prepare young students for professional life and the job market of the future 2035 and beyond (support new ways of thinking and new emotional capabilities).

Today’s powerful tech-students need to be ready to face the 4th industrial revolution challenges by developing higher order thinking skills such as creative expression, innovative design, ethical problem solving and global perspective of the world.  Klaus Schwab the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, asserts that there are four distinct periods of industrial revolution throughout history, including the one we’re beginning right now. Schwab describes the 4th industrial revolution as the one that will trigger a dramatic technological expansion, shift the labor market demands and cause profound change in economic and social structures. In the World Economic Forum Report on global employment in 2018, 54% of world employees need to upskill and re-skill by 2022. In the same report the need to directly connect school education with workforce demands was referenced as one of the most crucial issues that education faces as professionals need a broader diversified range of skills that complement basic literacy, numeracy, and science. Today's Alfa Generation students are more connected, educated, sophisticated and technologically literate. They use smartphones, tablets effortlessly and work with Siri, Alexa and Google Assistants naturally as young inquisitive minds require engaging learning experiences. It befits the entire educational community to disrupt teaching and learning with high-quality instructional resources. 

To conclude post COVID-19, education is called upon to formulate comprehensive all in one holistic, eLearning solutions to meet the challenges of an era of accelerating change and workforce transitions, integrating technology to build a better teaching and learning experience, bridging the divide between the 21st century skills required by the labor market and the skills being provided by traditional academic institutions.

About Digipro Education Limited

Digipro Education pioneers of FUNecole®, leaders in the Ed Tech market and independent of any technology provider, offers an exceptional holistic eLearning environment where primary and elementary students collaborate to solve problems and develop creative solutions. 

The FUNecole® solution fully supports STREAMS (Science Technology reading wRiting Art, Mathematics and Social Studies) and facilitates the communication between teachers and students seamlessly embarking on multidisciplinary learning experiences where boundaries between disciplines disperse.