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 cannot imagine living without itwe 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 the benefits and drawbacks that technology has brought to this fieldwhat benefits and demerits incorporating technology in this field have brought.
Perhaps the most visible advantage isadvantage of it is that it allows students to access more varied informationmore and varieties of information with just a few mouse clicks. With technology, students canStudents, with the help of technology, can choose to research topics, and meetfill 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 who need more supportstudents in more need. In other words, using technology in this way ensures that all studentsall the students get what they need, and also when they need it while allowing teachers to focus more on students who are struggling academicallyacademically poor students.
Another advantage is that technology helps students accommodate multiple learning stylesaccommodate multiple styles of learning. For example, some students respond better when information is communicated verballywhen communicated verbally rather than in written words. For such students, recorded lessons, audiobooks, and podcasts can effectively be incorporated into lessonswoven 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 only acquire facts but alsonot just acquire facts, but also understand, interpret, and turnapply these facts into useful and interesting knowledge. More importantly, without such interaction, it is highly unlikelyvery highly unlikely that teachers would be able to help students build self-esteem and confidence and emotional maturity, especially whenespecially, 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 to using itopen-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.
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.