By Ammaar Bin Salem
I have ardently been pleased to read about the swing, Korea is having from textbooks towards incorporating e-books in PC-tablets. Online lectures & aides and live classrooms on the student’s PC-tablets would vitally made the students’ lives comfortable where they would be able to catch all the progress the class would be furthering with while the student is absent due to illness or else.
In addition to above, the heavy load of holding the backpacks stuffed with weighty textbooks shall also be remedied by having just a single PC-tablet in the backpack.
Having numerous benefits, still the idea of using entirely PC-tablets for education instigates in me a thought to reconsider whether the devices would only fall for benefits to students in their educational venture or does it carry costs too. Because, in my point of view, in addition to the benefits it may produce, the availability of live lectures and online aides can make students use other websites like those popular for social networking while the class is in effect, distracting the learners. Even the availability of live lectures can also make students to stay at home, miss classes and catch the progress on their computers. And in the midst of all, then, where does the teaching, which according to me is a continuous two way communication process, happens???
Think, Analyze & Share 
The last few lines of the review state a fine dilemma that at which direction the masses that are functioning in educational administration should go. The OP (Original Poster) enunciated various positive amplifications acquired by opting digital text books but the perplexed inquiry at the end compels us to contemplate the comparative advantage of its pros and cons. Although, I’d suggest that before introducing certain technological facility, students must be enlightened with abundance knowledge regarding the positive usage of Digital Textbook to abstain distractions so that the facility is not taken for granted.
I was reading the content in the article last night. One thing was ultimately clear about Korea that it has taken an advanced step and it can be interpreted as the foresight of the Government of Korea which realized the importance of IT for its youth and leading its nation towards digital age. Soon the fruits of this switch would become the title page of news papers all over the Asia. It is appreciating why because the Education Ministry is learners’ needs centered.
If we minutely observe the Pakistan Budget 2013-2014, it would be revealed easily that the bulk of amount is being invested where? (Visit this link; http://punjab.gov.pk/?q=system/files/ABS.pdf). In Pakistan, majority of students even are unable to learn basic computer skills. The Government schools located in remote areas of Southern Punjab are not equipped with Lab facility. Some of Schools have labs but not dedicated computer trainers. The budget allocated for IT and Education is still insufficient to cope with present needs of advanced digital education.
Keeping in view these facts in mind a critical observer would not compare Pakistan with Korea. Since, states are compared on the basis of few smiler characteristics and economic equality.
First, the basic education on equal and unified basis would be made sure. The advancement in Education would follow that step afterwards.
It is good to use technology in classroom. but as we see students misuse these technologies. e.g during class lecture they might be not paying attention, and doing other things on laptops. they waste their time and other students also. well according to survey, found that students who multitask on a laptop during a lecture scored lower on a test compared to students who did not multitask, and students who were in direct view of a multitasking peer scored lower on a test compared to students who were not in view of a multitasking peer. The results suggest that multitasking on a laptop is a distraction to both users and fellow students and can be detrimental to learning of classroom materials.
yes,using technology in education is a great idea to enhance the learning of students but i think we should not make students 100 percent dependent just on technology like Korean schools.According to my view point teacher have also importance in class and teachers have specific roles which they have to play in class.If we make students totally dependent on technology,then how they would learn hidden curriculum by just sitting at home and learning.Students learn other things also in schools such as communication skills,leadership skills,how to cope with different situations etc.in short ,using technology is really really good for students but we cannot denied the importance of regular classes,school and teacher…
I would partially agree with what ammar has said as far as he says that using and relying solely or majorly on the incorporation of tablets would make students miss classes and catch with the progress from home. But, still, I would say that technology and the developments should be used to aid the learning, but the technology and the tablets must be used within the limits, in order to minimize the misuse that can happen.
As far as the question of two way communication is concerned, I believe that teaching doesn’t necessarily require physical presence. It can equally be done through the effective use of latest technologies like PC-tablets where a student can have online discussion with his/her teachers on any query. The real issue however is social bonding and interaction of a person with other human beings, considered as an epitome of learning; constantly getting depleted day by day with the use of obsessive, prevalent technologies. In my opinion we need to put a balance in both physical and virtual world to get best out of both.
Although it is good to use technology in classrooms like as Korea but in my point of view we cannot totally depend on online lectures and textbooks because its not give full meaning to students and they do not aware of every thing.If they don”t understand something in their textbooks,then how they grasp on that topic without understanding.Where is the learning? I agree what Ammaar has said that online lectures can make students use other web sites in case of if the lecture was not interesting for them,they may use face book and play games to get rid of it.Then whats the use of it?whats the benefit of it?
Yes it is true that technology is helpful and beneficial for the students. it reduces your weight to be carried by you but what about your eyesight? Your muscles? When you have to spend hours and hours to read E-books sitting on your chair. However books add up to your burden but they also are easy to be read as you can move around while reading. You can also mark the important points on it. It enables you to add notes in to it. Moreover not everyone is technology expert. In my view technology no doubt is helpful but the textbooks have their own value.