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Introduction

The way humans learn could be drastically changed by technology. It might encourage the growth of connections between instructors and students, encourage us to reconsider how we learn and work together, help us close persistent equity and accessibility gaps, and change the educational process to meet the needs of all students. Especially during and during COVID-19, colleges and universities are spending a lot of money, time, and effort on technology for education. The essential guiding principles that should inform choices and policy-making with regard to technology in education must be clearly stated. Both the tools (hardware, software, networks, web applications/apps, etc.) and the processes (included in the use of technology in education) (methods and techniques used for instruction, assessment, tracking student learning, our educational organisations, learning management systems, etc.). In this article, "digital technologies" refers to multipurpose gadgets having Internet access, especially handheld and portable ones. Nowadays, it is widely acknowledged that such technology offers chances to alter how student learning can be structured. Everyone currently, according to Traxler (2010), normally owns one, uses one, and frequently has more than one of these devices. Due to this, it has been suggested that the availability of such gadgets may alter the established dynamics and patterns of the learning environment. This new era's trends can be explored by educators thanks to the mix of more conventional Internet access and personal Internet access.

Guiding Principles

To understand the relevant use of technologies in the education system, it is important to review three guiding principles in detail. These principles will help education in the technological field and identify the basic need for technologies in education. It will be helpful for teachers as well as students to reach and learn from anywhere and connect with each other. For example- During the pandemic situation, education went through digital mode due to remote conditions. It reflects, that nowadays it is an important tool for everyone.

Guiding Principle 1: Adding Value to the Education

The use of digital technologies has already become necessary as a result of the globalisation of education. For teaching, resource sharing, assessment, and managing the daily operations of academic institutions, online platforms were accessible. However, these platforms were utilised proactively. The institutes were compelled to switch to an online teaching model by the COVID-19 Pandemic in order to maintain the educational system. Developed nations were prepared to handle this issue. But developing nations made a lot of effort to fulfil this need. In this crucial period, digital technologies have emerged as education's saviour (Javaid et.al, 2020). The need for international integration in the educational system is highlighted by the current global crisis. Digital technologies aid in the development of skills like problem-solving, thinking structure building, and process comprehension that will be necessary for students to operate in a professional capacity. Additionally, they are getting ready for a more uncertain and dynamic future where technology will be indispensable. The learned traits and skills of students will be crucial to their success in the workplace (Seale et.al, 2021). Digital learning tools and educational materials enhance the classroom environment and add interest to the teaching-learning process. Additionally, they provide every educational institution more flexibility and freedom to tailor the curriculum to the needs of each student (Dufour et.al, 2010). Students can take a more active role and take control of the process while using computers and other technology alongside digital tools (Kovacs et.al, 2015). In this approach, the teacher acts as a mentor and has the power to validate learning effectiveness. Learners can get the necessary data from the plethora of digital resources or contribute their own material. Wiki pages, podcasting, blogging, as well as other Web 2.0 tools support co-learning by enabling students to generate material, interact with each other, and assess one other's work. Digital technology makes it simple to use learning-enhancing classroom strategies like gamification or flipped classrooms. Learning landscapes have developed as a didactic tool that combines several methodologies and enables the presentation of unique itineraries to each learner. Technology improves the motivation and significance of the instruction (Desai, 2010).

Future-focused small, medium and huge devised method businesses are growing rapidly and providing institutions of higher learning with a range of cutting-edge digital solutions. As a result, the nation's digital infrastructure will be of a high standard, enabling more people to access cutting-edge technology in education. All language barriers will vanish, and there will be more regional language learning materials available online. Connectivity to a huge library of relevant information is made available to students and teachers through e-learning and mobile learning programmes. Future educational trends will be driven by expanding network and internet capabilities, which will make it simpler to integrate cutting-edge technology into the classroom. However, online learning and teaching cannot completely replace traditional classroom instruction. The implementation of Education 4.0 has brought us to the era of hybrid teaching and learning, where both online and offline methods are combined to improve the outcomes

Guiding Principle 2: Contemporary Principles of Teaching and Learning

The needs of students in the digital age are taken into account when designing modern learning environments. Modern learning environments provide flexibility, chances for teamwork, independence, and connectedness to worldwide resources. Children of the present generation growing up in a world that is highly technical and knowledgeable have undergone a massive and quick shift in society and have altered national and international economic systems. ICT is used by families for regular contact, administration, business, and entertainment. (Gregoire et al., 1996). Their passions and wants are met in the internet world, which helps to build global communities. Most jobs now frequently require ICT-specific abilities, and many of them demand advanced expertise.

All ages of learners use technology, which is quickly getting faster, less expensive, portable, connected, and much more potent. The majority of kids nowadays are active and engaged online. More and more young people are thriving in the digital world and are at ease with both virtual and in-person connections. They simply assume that they can view and engage in real-time global events using interactive text, audio, and image technology. They anticipate having access to different media communications every day, seven days a week, and 350 days a year, which affects how they approach learning. They can easily access a range of resources and activities with the click of a mouse. Being highly connected, kids can multitask while doing their homework, talking on the phone, listening to music, browsing the web, and having online interactions.

In education, communications, and entertainment, students desire interaction. For many people, multitasking and parallel computing come naturally. They interact and operate with multi-layered packets of non-linear data disclosed up of graphics, text, sound, and video.

Their worlds are completely dependent on mobile devices, chat, blogs, wikis, webcams, reality television, and interactive games. Their intentions and their capacity to acquire, collect, modify, build, produce, and share information are shaped by present technology. Developing the skills, attitudes, and mindsets necessary to participate in society, manage complexity, and adapt to change requires ongoing learning with a clear goal and link to the real world. Contextual, complicated, varied, and ever-evolving knowledge. Education is inquiry-based, requiring knowledge creation and application construction. Students apply important concepts, integrate knowledge from several fields, and assess alternative solutions in the context of ethical frameworks. High levels of personalization and teamwork are necessary for this. (Burlacu, 2011). There is a need for technologically advanced new educational models that rethink organizational structures and curricula. Education systems are making investments in schools as collaborative learning environments where students, teachers, family, and the local community work closely together. The curriculum has a strong emphasis on depth, rigour, relevance, and comprehension, engaging all students in real learning. ICT skills are essential to better learning outcomes that let young people interact and work successfully in a world that is getting more complicated.

Guiding Principle 3: Values of technology

When used properly in the education, digital learning tools can increase student engagement, help teachers develop more effective teaching strategies, and support individualized instruction. Technology advancements such as virtual classrooms, video, augmented reality (AR), robotics, and others may not only make lessons more interesting but also create more integrated learning environments that promote collaboration and inquiry as well as give teachers the chance to collect data on students' achievement (Brill & Galloway, 2007). But it's important to keep in mind that technology is a valuable tool, not an end in and of itself in education. Technology for education has a lot of potential, but how instructors use and how it may be used to best serve their students' needs will determine how well it works. In the subject of education, technology serves four functions: it enhances the curriculum, delivers instruction, supports instruction, and helps students learn more effectively overall. Education has undergone a transformation thanks to technology, going from being attentive and responsive to becoming interactive and competitive. Education is vital in both academic and corporate settings. In the latter, employees receive training or instruction to help them modify their prior behaviours. The latter's training aims to arouse students' curiosity. In either scenario, using technology can help students retain and understand things better. In accordance with American University, 2020, the following are a few advantages of its:

Collaboration and communication are improved

Educational tools can promote collaboration. Along with interacting with teachers, students can also engage with one another during lessons. Through online classes and instructional activities, students have the chance to work together to solve problems. Through teamwork, students can support one another and exchange ideas. Students can communicate with teachers directly thanks to technology.

Options for Personalized Learning

Technology enables information to be accessible at all times for educational purposes. Classes can be completely completed online using a computer or mobile device. Hybrid learning mixes regular in-person training classes with remote access to technology. Both options allow for the technological customization of educational programmes for each individual learner. Teachers can create lessons based on the talents and interests of their students.

Curiosity Sparked by Interesting Material

Through engaging and educational materials, teachers can foster their students' natural curiosity and inquisitiveness, which is linked to academic achievement, according to research. Podcasts, AR, and videos may all be used it to make interesting content. For example, students can collaborate with peers globally or include videos in their projects.

Increased effectiveness and productivity of teachers

Teachers can utilize practical digital tools to maximize student learning possibilities, increase engagement from students, and increase productivity by utilizing technology. Additionally, it allows teachers to improve their teaching methods and personalize learning.

Conclusion

The term "digital technology" in education refers to a variety of applications and apparatus designed to assist students with specific accessibility requirements. The most effective strategy to reduce the number of boring, time-consuming chores a teacher must accomplish is to use technology in the classroom. Applications for digital learning can significantly reduce time and effort spent on repetitive chores like tracking attendance and performance. Children are trained on how to utilise technology effectively and appropriately, which can aid in decision-making and the development of self-discipline. Students who use technology in their education can better prepare for lifelong learning. These technologies give students access to a virtual world and the flexibility to obtain digital information in accordance with their preferred learning techniques. The digital classroom integrates technology into education by teaching students using electronic tools and software. Through the use of computers and the Internet, a conventional classroom can be converted into a digital classroom. With the aid of technology and high-end equipment, students may learn more effectively and monitor their progress. These technologies will be successfully incorporated into education in the next years to improve students' performance and the digital learning environment. In order to make long-term decisions in sectors such as global warming, water and air security, etc., modern technology has proven instrumental in complex data analysis and administration. These innovations take into account environmental sources while simultaneously fostering economic development. These seek to produce a long-term product while drastically reducing environmental and ecological concerns. These innovations lessen environmental damage, pollution, and other adverse effects.

References

American University (2020). How Important is technology in education? Benefits, Challenges, and Impact on Students. School of Education. Retrieved on 24 July 2022 from https://soeonline.american.edu/blog/technology-in-education

Bates, A.W. (2019)  Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning  [Online]. (2nd Edition) Retrieved on 24 July 2022 from at:  https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/front-matter/introduction/

Brill, J. M., & Galloway, C. (2007). Perils and promises: University instructors’ integration of technology in classroom-based practices. British Journal of Educational Technology. 38(1), 95-105.

Dufour, C. Andrade and J. Bélanger (2010). Real-time simulation technologies in education: a link to modern engineering methods and practices, in Proc. 11th Int. Conf. on Engineering and Technology Edu, pp. 7–10.

Seale, C. Colwell, T. Coughlan, T. Heiman, D. Kaspi-Tsahor, D. Olenik-Shemesh (2021). Dreaming in colour’: disabled higher education students’ perspectives on improving design practices that would enable them to benefit from their use of technologies, Education and Information Technologies 26 (2). pp.1687–1719.

Javaid, A. Haleem, R. Vaishya, S. Bahl, R. Suman, A. Vaish (2020). Industry 4.0 technologies and their applications in fighting COVID-19 pandemic, Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews 14 (4).pp. 419–422.

Desai (2010). Role of information communication technologies in education, in Proceedings of the 4th National Conference 6. pp. 109–126.

Burlacu (2011). Characteristics of the knowledge-based economy and new technologies in education, Revista, Administrative si Management Public. pp.114–119.

Traxler, J. (2010). Will student devices deliver innovation, inclusion and transformation? Journal of the Research Centre for Educational Technology, 6 (1), 3- 15.

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