Culture, technology and education

This paper discusses the impact of education on culture and how education has helped in shaping up the culture. Also, the advancements in technology in the field of education shall be discussed. Moreover, the future of technology in education shall be argued.
The characteristics of culture state that culture is learned and not biologically present, it is shared and not a concept regarding the unique qualities of an individual, it is passed from one generation to another and it is based on the human ability to adapt. Now, it was imperative to mention these characteristics to illustrate the position of education in this paradigm.
Education is one of the factors which can influence culture’s learning and adapting characteristics. Education today, which is more universal and based on scientifically proven assumptions, helps in negating the cultural beliefs which are not in accordance with the natural laws. For example, some regions do not voice for the fact that women should be equal opportunities in every sphere of life. This is because of their cultural beliefs. But education has, to some extent, created that awareness which has allowed women to step ahead. The second most important aspect that education has brought in culture is that it has universalized cultures. This statement means that today, people view themselves as a global culture and the position of regional, geographical and religion based cultures is diminishing. The rise of globalization has significantly increased this process. Today, there are multiple such education systems which are present in various countries promoting one global culture.
Technology has always been the driving force behind the global nature of education that is present today. Whenever there has been a significant advancement in technology, it has changed the face of the education process (Kumari, 2004). Let us look at the example of the introduction of computers in the sphere of education. Computers introduced the concept of learning through multimedia which was not conceived previously. The students now had the luxury to learn through audio and video aid. In the current scenario, however, technology has taken a major leap with students present in one country can be taught by a teacher present in some other country live through video conferencing. This has promoted the global culture that is discussed earlier.
When it comes to the future of technology in education, there are many positive projections. In the future, because of technological advancements, education may cross all the boundaries including that of culture and teaching may be a predominantly online practice. Moreover, the future may witness a rise in the interdisciplinary courses. For example, a chemical engineering majors may be combined with a social sciences major. But this leverage will come at a cost. The cost is that of the loss in the cultural values and an emergence of one culture for all of the humanity. Also, it can create more inequality amongst the realms of education. There are countries today which are deep below the poverty line and which do not show signs of improvements. The question is will these countries get the benefits of the technological advancements? The other major question is that is the weakening of the different cultures for the strength of the global culture an advisable step? The impact of the technological advancements in education will depend on how well the world strikes a balance between the costs and benefits of this concept.
Bibliography:
1. Kumari, S. 2004, Increasing Role of Technology in Education.