You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Present a written argument to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic:
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer 1:
Computers are now quintessential in many areas of life and they are being extensively used in many fields including banking, retail, research, manufacturing, information exchange among others. However, their application in education is still debatable, as some traditional styles are still preferred. I believe, computers have revolutionised the education sector but a human teacher is still indispensable.
Some subjects can be taught and explained better with the use of computer technology. Basic mathematics, language learning, programming and any area which requires a student to memorise basic facts through repetition are well suited to computer learning. The computer can be programmed to provide an endless number of simple questions, and as the student answers these questions, the facts are learned and reinforced. Moreover, distance learning could be an example where computer technology could be thought of as a blessing as it has made it quite intuitive and useful to learners.
However, in the learning and practice of more complex ideas, the computer is not often adequate. A computer can evaluate an answer as right or wrong, but it cannot determine why. It cannot find out why a student is making mistakes and then represent important concepts differently so the student will understand. It cannot determine at what stage in a mathematics problem the student has made an error. Tasks involving reasoning cannot be taught by computers, as there are too many variables for a computer to deal with successfully. In these cases, a human teacher is indispensable in a classroom. I human teacher adjust lessons plans, feedback and act spontaneously in a classroom that a computer cannot.
In conclusion, while computers are useful for practising simple skills, they are not an essential feature of higher education, because they cannot monitor a student’s performance, track mistakes and adjust feedback, they are still not an alternative to human teachers.
Sample Answer 2:
The present era is called the era of technology and computers are extensively used in all sectors including education. With the increasing presence of computers and the Internet in education, many believe that the traditional teaching method will soon become obsolete and computer-based teaching method will become the mainstream education system. I personally believe that computer and technology without any doubt have accelerated the education system but they will never replace teachers and both computers and teachers have distinctive roles to play in education.
It is true that in some areas of education, computers could be more important than teachers. For instance, in the distance learning system, a computer can become more important than a teacher. However, we must remember that teachers are still important to run the education system effectively. Second, computers are connected to a vast network called the Internet and they are better than teachers in terms of reference, research and knowledge distribution. When a teacher has knowledge on a particular course or subject, a computer connected to the Internet can offer almost any information to a student in any field of study. Again, computers can process a huge amount of data per second and thus can be more helpful to students while conducting research work or in scientific experiments. They are also more important while evaluating a student’s performance. Finally, computers can be better equipped with recorded lectures and could be more helpful to students than their teachers.
On the contrary, teachers are still considered the backbone of our education system. Computers might handle a large amount of data, assess our exam papers more accurately or connect us to the world, but they cannot teach us discipline, morality and the value of time. Thus a teacher not only teaches us important lessons from academic books, they actually instil the most important human qualities among us. Teachers are important to inspire students, teach them morality and all the good qualities of life where computers have almost zero contributions in doing so. Teachers are more important in explaining the intricacies of academic and personal life and can become great mentors for students. Finally, their role to evaluate us and guide us in life is incomparable.
In short, I believe that computers are important in education where a large amount of data processing or automation is required while teachers are important to inspire us, guide us and infuse good qualities among us.