Why use EdTech tools

Long time back I remember seeing this poster in the library of my office. It said “If the hammer is the only tool you have, you tend to look at each problem as a nail”. I am sure you must have seen or heard this in many places. The point is that if you have more tools than just a hammer; say a screw driver, a drill, a spanner, a saw and so on, then you can be a better handyman than the one who just has a hammer. To further stretch the discussion if you have different sizes of screw drivers including the power screwdriver and same for drill machines etc etc, then you will not only be more effective but also more efficient.

Now lets take the same analogy to educational tools. Traditionally the main tool we have always seen in education is using chalk and blackboard by the teacher, and then a library for self study content for students. That worked quite well when I was in school.

But now as the problems around us are getting more and more complicated, the expectations from the education system are also increasing to handle new complexities, and more importantly bigger scales to teach a much larger set of students. So instead of using just traditional tools of blackboard and physical books, if a teacher can also use a host of edtech tools like powerpoint, videos, simulations, gaming, online quiz and so many other collaboration tools, then that teacher can be LOT more efficient and effective compared to the one who uses just backboard and physical books.

One important thing to note here is that addition of these tools is not replacing the old tools. So a blackboard and physical books will continue to be used in the education process, but usage of new tech tools gets added to the usage of old tools.

Also, while educational technology is providing these tools in the hand of the teacher. It has to be combined with the right pedagogy and training for teacher so that they can decide the right tool for the right problem and take the education delivery to the next scale.