Model essay – UK and Malaysia Academic IELTS exam (July 2011)

Lectures were the traditional way to teach large numbers of students in the past. Now new technology is being used to teach students. Is this a positive or a negative development?

With its growth, technology has permeated into all areas of society.  Thus, it is little surprise that the education sector has also become heavily influenced.  It is argued that the use of technology to teach large numbers of students is a positive development.  This will be shown by analyzing how technology provides students opportunities for interaction and tools for effective lesson review.

Firstly, technology provides students with the chance to meet other students in their field and this can be very helpful to their studies.  For example, during my sophomore year of university, I enrolled in a class that had a very active online forum.  Anytime during the day or night, I could find classmates online to discuss ideas and solve problems with.  As this sort of instant interactivity is impossible under a traditional educational setup, it is clear that technology brings many positive elements to education.

In addition to this, technology provides students with stronger tools for review.  In my Twentieth Century English Literature course during my junior year of university, all of my professor’s lectures were filmed and each student was issued a weekly DVD of this recording.  When reviewing, this DVD was just as helpful as the notes I made during my professor’s lecture.  Traditionally, this sort of enhanced review would not have been possible and thus the merits of having technology as a part of the educational experience can be seen.

After looking at how technology helps to enhance student interactivity and their digest of information, it is clear that technology brings a lot to the classroom.  The speed by which students are able to absorb information is thought to continue to accelerate with the help of technology.