More than a quarter of teachers believe textbooks will become obsolete due to the rise of the internet, a poll has revealed. A survey of almost 600 primary and secondary school teachers in the UK reveals that many believe more and more learning will be done online.And the majority think that information technology (IT) is now more important than traditional teaching methods.
Some 27.4% said that textbooks will become obsolete as increasing amounts of teaching material is posted online, while more than two thirds (67.9%) said IT such as interactive whiteboards and computers were most important to them in the classroom.
A fifth (20.3%) of the teachers questioned said access to a computer and the internet at home is “essential” for a pupil to complete homework, and a further 61.2% said it was “desirable”.
More than half (55%) said children who have no access to the internet at home are “seriously disadvantaged”, the poll by the e-Learning Foundation and the Times Educational Supplement (TES) found.
It is estimated that nearly two million children live in homes without internet access, the e-Learning Foundation said.
The foundation’s chief executive, Valerie Thompson said: “The digital divide is having a truly damaging impact on children’s prospects. Young people without access to the internet can struggle to complete their homework and coursework, and fall behind. Teachers are increasingly assuming that children have internet access, making it harder, and this can exacerbate the impact of the divide.
“If we are serious about improving the life chances of the most disadvantaged, we have to tackle the digital divide, otherwise the poorest children will be left even further behind.”
The poll questioned 585 primary and secondary school teachers in the UK over the last two weeks
Post published in: Opinions