Textbooks Versus Computer Teaching

I asked myself whether I would have preferred being taught by means of a computer in school, or were textbooks the best option? I got a positive answer that reiterated to myself, the importance of textbooks. But have we asked this to the students of today? What would their answer be? They are seen to prefer computers. Some find it easier to read from the screen than from fat books. Some think that the machine makes the process of reading user-friendly. There are still some individuals, who dislike reading from computers and take to reading books. On the whole, there are mixed views on the topic and the ideas of both computer teaching and teaching from textbooks have their own share of fan following!

Technology is the need of the day and is also very ubiquitous. It has proved beneficial in all spheres of life. Computers have revolutionized common man’s life and have brought a dramatic change in the life of every human being. Plentiful information is available on the Internet that can be read by means of a computer. Hence one might not want to be deprived of this new world of information. The information is inclusive of all aspects of knowledge. It ranges from preliminary facts in science to philosophy of life. Almost everything that the books once carried is now accessible through a computer. Everything that the textbooks have is now just a click away!

Textbooks have been an integral part of education since long. School years consisted of studying from prescribed textbooks and applying whatever is learnt, to class tests and important exams. Then came the field one pursued as his/her profession. The years of specialization have always been drowned in textbooks and reference books. Once in a while, computer teaching supplemented textbooks. But today the picture has changed. We do not see books engulfing the educative years. Computer teaching plays a major role in the education of today.

A lot many things are simpler to teach by means of computers. If the information is supplemented with an attractive interface, it can result in greater readership. The different font styles, colors and sizes provided by the computer software enable ease in reading and understanding. Content on a computer can be made livelier than in textbooks by eye-catchy pictures, colors and animations.

Information can be presented in different forms over a computer. Information can be in the form of an audio recording or a video clip. Computer teaching is thus much more than just making students read from the screen. It is about providing them with a learning system wherein they can view pictures, watch videos and listen to speeches or lectures. It is about making the process of teaching and learning, interesting and interactive.

Next appear the concerns such as saving paper and optimizing information storage. It is quite obvious that a lot of paper is used in the making of textbooks. For bringing out elaborate explanations on topics, books take up a lot of pages, thus contributing to a high amount of the usage of paper. Information can be stored in a condensed form on computer systems, thus saving paper and environment! The high storage capacities of electronic devices can be harnessed for the housing of information. Electronically erasable memory devices can be used repeatedly. This minimizes redundancy and promotes reuse.

Computer teaching can inculcate the idea of self-study in students. It can help them become self-reliant. Computer teaching introduces the students to a new world of knowledge. It makes way for new technology to be a part of their education.

In my view, computers can be a brilliant aid to teaching. It is time we harness technology for education but textbooks can never go out of date. The treasure enclosed in textbooks is still of great utility. The information store that the textbooks bear, is indeed worth a read. Computers can replace textbooks to a certain extent. But the human component has no substitute. In any form of teaching, teachers are irreplaceable.