From Radios to VR Headsets: A Look at the Evolution of Technology in Education.

Over the past half-century, digital technology has grown exponentially in education. The technology used in schools before the digital revolution was mostly limited to radio,

films, and television. These were used with the same reasoning to incorporate them into education as we do with today's technology. Using technology, lessons can be tailored to the student's learning and reach more students.

Looking back at the history of radio, films, and television in education is quite interesting. All three of these technologies lay the foundation for reaching numerous students. People started experimenting with airing educational programming over the radio in the 1920s. Educational programs became popular over the radio so more programs were developed. Films were used more during World War 2 to train the ever-growing numbers of recruits. The lack of instructors and the lack of time made the use of films an ideal way to train recruits. Television arrived on its own in the form of education. Different entities experimented with programming to develop the best way to engage students. The government saw the importance of television in education and set up provisions to ensure that television plays an important role in education. Those technologies served as the precursors of the digital technology that we use today.

When I think about technology in education and how far it has come, my brain is spinning. One thought that came to me was a TV cartoon first aired in 1962. It was about a family named the Jetsons that lived in the future. The son Elroy and the daughter Judy went to school but in some episodes, they would sit in front of a TV talking to their teacher and doing their homework. Who would have thought over 60 years later students would sit in front of a computer and participate in a Zoom meeting as illustrated in the cartoon?

With the advancement of computers and the internet, education technology has brought us closer to what once was someone's vision of the future. It was the COVID outbreak that caused schools to pursue the technology to educate students from home. Programs like Google Classroom, Zoom, and other programs became essential to the advancement of the learning process. Although not everything worked perfectly, it was the start of a new era of education. 

In the future, students could wear glasses that transport them into a digital world. This world would enable students to move around the classroom and interact with their peers and teachers. They could go on virtual field trips to different countries or planets, or have conversations with historical figures. Although VR technology is currently in its early stages with the VR headset, with further research and development, this technology could become a reality.