In the past, lectures were the traditional method of teaching large numbers of students in a classroom. Nowadays new technology is increasingly being used to teach students. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this new approach in teaching?
Sample Response
Technology has touched every aspect of our life today, so much so that we can not think of living without it, even for a day. The world of “teaching and learning” is no exception, and this essay will try to explain what benefits and demerits incorporating technology in this field have brought.
Perhaps the most visible advantage of it is that it allows students to access more and varieties of information with just a few mouse clicks. Students, with the help of technology, can choose to research topics, and fill their interests and needs, much more easily than by going to a library where resources may be limited. And the best thing about it is that all this can be done in a group, freeing the teacher to attend to other individual students in more need. In other words, using technology in this way ensures that all the students get what they need, and also when they need it while allowing teachers to focus more on academically poor students.
Another advantage is that technology helps students accommodate multiple styles of learning. For example, some students respond better when communicated verbally rather than in written words. For such students, recorded lessons, audiobooks, and podcasts can effectively be woven into their lesson plans so that they can extract the benefits.
However, while technology has allowed both teachers and students alike to accomplish more, it is not without disadvantages. One such disadvantage is that it has significantly reduced the “face-to-face interaction” between students and teachers. This “face-to-face interaction” is very important because it helps students not just acquire facts, but also understand, interpret, and apply these facts into useful and interesting knowledge. More importantly, without such interaction, it is very highly unlikely that teachers would be able to help students build self-esteem and confidence and emotional maturity, especially, when there is so much bullying in and around the classrooms.
To conclude, technology is a reality of our life today, and we just can not ignore it even if we want to. Therefore, we should be open-minded in using it in the field of education and learning in order to extract maximum benefits while also being wary of its negative consequences.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use standard spelling Original: we can not think of living without it Suggested revision: we cannot imagine living without it Why it matters: Cannot is written as one word, and imagine living is the natural collocation.
- 2. Clarify the clause structure Original: what benefits and demerits incorporating technology in this field have brought Suggested revision: the benefits and drawbacks that technology has brought to this field Why it matters: The original clause has a misplaced subject and an unnatural demerits collocation.
- 3. Use a direct subject Original: advantage of it is Suggested revision: advantage is Why it matters: The pronoun is unnecessary because the paragraph already identifies technology as the topic.
- 4. Use adjective coordination Original: more and varieties of information Suggested revision: more varied information Why it matters: Varieties is a noun and cannot be coordinated with the determiner more in this structure.
- 5. Use the correct collocation Original: fill Suggested revision: meet Why it matters: Needs and interests are met rather than filled.
- 6. State the need clearly Original: students in more need Suggested revision: students who need more support Why it matters: The original comparative noun phrase is incomplete and unnatural.
- 7. Use respectful wording Original: academically poor students Suggested revision: students who are struggling academically Why it matters: The revised wording describes the difficulty without labelling the students.
- 8. Use standard terminology Original: accommodate multiple styles of learning Suggested revision: accommodate multiple learning styles Why it matters: Learning styles is the conventional noun phrase.
- 9. Add the information subject Original: when communicated verbally Suggested revision: when information is communicated verbally Why it matters: The original reduced clause incorrectly implies that the students are communicated.
- 10. Clarify the lesson context Original: woven into their lesson plans Suggested revision: incorporated into lessons Why it matters: Their has an unclear referent because the lesson plans belong to teachers, not the students just mentioned.
- 11. Remove double intensification Original: very highly unlikely Suggested revision: highly unlikely Why it matters: Very and highly duplicate the same intensifying function.
- 12. Use the correct complement Original: open-minded in using it Suggested revision: open to using it Why it matters: Open takes to followed by a gerund in this meaning.
Suggested Rewrites
- we can not think of living without it we cannot imagine living without it
- what benefits and demerits incorporating technology in this field have brought the benefits and drawbacks that technology has brought to this field
- advantage of it is advantage is
- more and varieties of information more varied information
- fill meet
- students in more need students who need more support
Why this response received Band 7.5
The essay addresses both sides clearly, offering well-developed advantages about information access and learning styles and a thoughtful disadvantage concerning reduced face-to-face interaction. Its main limitation is occasional awkward wording and a somewhat narrower treatment of disadvantages; the best improvement is to add a distinct second drawback or qualify the interaction argument while tightening a few imprecise expressions.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both advantages and disadvantages are directly addressed with relevant explanation and examples, although the negative side is less broad.
Add another clearly developed disadvantage, such as distraction or unequal access, to make the coverage more comprehensive.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are arranged in a clear sequence with purposeful paragraphing and cohesive links that support an effortless progression.
Make the relationship between the two advantage paragraphs more explicit so each has a sharply distinct function.
Lexical Resource
A wide range of educational vocabulary is used effectively, with occasional awkward choices such as “more and varieties of information” and “academically poor students.”
Use more natural alternatives such as “a greater variety of information” and “students who need additional academic support.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentences are varied and generally accurate, with a small number of non-impeding issues in punctuation, coordination, and phrasing.
Review long sentences for unnecessary commas and ensure coordinated items follow parallel grammatical patterns.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
In the past, lectures were the traditional method of teaching large numbers of students in a classroom. Nowadays new technology is increasingly being used to teach students. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this new approach in teaching?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.