As our world continues to transform and evolve, so will our education system. Recently, the continuing incorporation of technology into the classroom has sparked a debate about how technology will change the way we learn – particularly in regards to whether or not priority should be placed on students learning how to code. Patrick Gray, a writer at TechRepublic, suggests a more measured approach in an article titled “Not Everyone Needs to Learn to Code”.
There is a growing movement suggesting that everyone learn computer programming, from students just learning their ABCs, to seasoned executives who presumably would enroll in remedial classes to gain some experience coding. The reasoning seems sound: as the world grows increasingly dependent on technology that’s built atop computer code, we should each have a basic understanding of how these technologies are built and maintained. A “coder generation” presumably would understand the how and why of when a technology doesn’t work, and could even self-diagnose and troubleshoot problems as they occur. The most vocal advocates of the movement recommend that coding be placed among the hallowed subjects of Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, the core of education.
While this argument has an obvious appeal, it could be applied to most complex modern technologies. The automobile and aircraft revolutionized business and society, yet most people are able to successfully leverage these tools without even a basic understanding of the internal combustion engine or aerodynamics. Everything from modern medicine to electricity is as critical, or arguably more critical, to modern society as computing and internet technologies, yet there are few calls for widespread, mandatory education in these areas.
For the average citizen, just as having a basic notion of how your home is built and the time and cost involved in such an endeavor makes us better consumers and caretakers of that home, a basic understanding of how technology is used, managed, and deployed will make us better users and consumers of that technology. This task can be accomplished without forcing people to endure years of a discipline in which they have no interest.
The Traditional Classroom Is Changing.
It will be exciting to see how emerging technology continues to change the way we learn in a positive way. Do you agree that advanced technology is changing how we learn for the better?
Sources: Not Everyone Needs to Learn to Code | TechRepublic
Photo credit: Unsplash
