"Technology is everywhere in education: Public schools in the United States now provide at least one computer for every five students. They spend more than $3 billion per year on digital content. Led by the federal government, the country is in the midst of a massive effort to make affordable high-speed Internet and free online teaching resources available to even the most rural and remote schools. And in 2015-16, for the first time, more state standardized tests for the elementary and middle grades will be administered via technology than by paper and pencil.
There’s the booming ed-tech industry, with corporate titans and small startups alike vying for a slice of an $8 billion-plus yearly market for hardware and software. Much attention is also paid to the “early adopters”—those districts, schools, and teachers who are making the most ingenious and effective uses of the new tools at their disposal.
But a significant body of research has also made clear that most teachers have been slow to transform the ways they teach, despite the influx of new technology into their classrooms. There remains limited evidence to show that technology and online learning are improving learning outcomes for most students. And academics and parents alike have expressed concerns about digital distractions, ways in which unequal access to and use of technology might widen achievement gaps, and more."
Herold, B. (2016, February 5). Technology in Education: An Overview - Education Week. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/technology-in-education/#blended
EdWeek.org - user agreement - all citations comply with the user agreement.
Full access to the article is available at the link above if the user hasn't access more than 5 articles with the free license. EdWeek - $39/year subscription.
Pros
Free online teaching resources for rural/remote settings.
Standardized tests at all levels can be administered online (better setting for many and less waste of natural resources).
"Student’s academic strengths and weaknesses, interests and motivations, personal preferences, and optimal pace of learning can be integrated."
"And educational software and applications have grown more “adaptive,” relying on technology and algorithms to determine not only what a student knows, but what his or her learning process is, and even his or her emotional state."
Files:
Cons
Most teachers have been slow to transform the ways they teach
Limited evidence showing that technology and online learning are improving learning outcomes for most students
Concerns about digital distractions are increasing
Concern's about unequal access to and use of technology possibly widening achievement gaps
"Racing Phenomena" - Students (males more often than females) want to get through the process faster, rather than accurately.