Jagpreet
07 August, 2024
Table of Contents
For the past decades, researchers have been trying to understand how humans learn and remember. But now there has been a transformative shift in the academic genre due to technology. Futurists and experts in the field are expecting that technology will evolve faster in the next 100 years than it did in the past 100 years.
And this will heavily impact the learning process all over the world as technology has become an integral part of classroom learning and our educational practices. Videos, online tutorials, educational nuggets, interactive simulations, online courses (MOOCs), podcasts, LMS, discussion forums, digital libraries, collaborative platforms and the list is endless to show the involvement of technology in our academic landscape.
It makes a more prominent impact when young minds are fostered with infographics and interactive videos, during their classroom learning. A child who is surrounded by technology is likely to have a better grip on the core concepts rather than one who is reading a book and imagining stuff.
Let’s deep dive to understand to what extent technology is impacting our academics and what further effects It can have on the future of education and learning methodologies.
Nowadays, the impact of technology is quite evident on the learning outcomes of the students. A study of kindergarteners in Auburn, Maine has shown that students who use iPads score better in every literacy test than those who don’t. Again in another comparative study by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in California, it is seen that students using iPads saw their maths scores shoot up by 20% in a year in comparison to the ones who are reading it through textbooks.
No wonder, technology deeply influences the way we think, imagine, grasp and understand core concepts of various academic disciplines. Some of the fundamental reasons why technology is increasingly becoming the backbone of modern education include personalised education, greater accessibility to resources and enhanced learning experiences.
And let’s find out the other key reasons:
Personalised and self-paced learning
Collaboration and teamwork
Skill development
Flexibility and Convenience
Global Interaction and learning opportunities
Resource efficiency
Real-world simulations and applications
Lesson planning and teacher support
Interactive assessments
Up-to-date content
Engagement and Motivation
Technology is considered the catalyst for changing how teachers teach and how students learn. In a classroom setting, physical or virtual where engagement and collaboration are paramount, technology does a fantastic job of facilitating interactive learning, fostering student participation, and enabling seamless communication among classmates.
With the use of infographics, videos and interactive simulations, technology not only encourages students to think creatively and innovatively but also supports and guides them with student support features and virtual tutoring.
Learning becomes fun, exciting, engaging and effective once technology becomes the mode of delivery. Let’s understand the role and contribution of technology in classrooms -How does it impact learning and enhance the overall education experience?
Surveys from all around the world have repeatedly confirmed that students love it when they are played a video or made to listen to audio rather than read out a textbook. The most commonly used technology in schools is laptops and tablets.
Since images make a strong impact on learning and stay in memory for a long time, technology has been introduced to overhaul the learning process. Using technology, teachers can make a student’s least favourite subject to become more interesting. Videos, online tutorials, storytelling, and interactive teaching methods easily capture students’ attention and also encourage them to show their creative and innovative side.
With every passing day, we understand that technology is revolutionising the way we interact, study, work, or perform different activities. Right from ordering groceries from online stores to taking examinations, technology has imprinted its presence on every small and big thing.
Digital communication, social media management and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are some of the top 21st-century technology skills that every one of us should be aware of. These skills are paving the path for tomorrow’s growth and advancement in society. And, when technology is integrated into learning practices, it helps students have a hands-on experience to hone their digital know-how.
Obviously, technology prepares students for future trends, understand the future outlook and enables them to think and act proactively and innovatively.
Related: Top 5 Emerging Education Trends to Watch Out For in India, 2024
Students retain information better when technology is used as a learning tool.
In many studies, it has been concluded that students who study through digital mediums like PowerPoint, interactive simulations, and educational tutorials engage better with their studies and retain information more effectively.
Moreover, results could further improve if online quizzes, polls, games, puzzles and interactive case studies are included. This helps the students find their topics interesting, and exciting and helps them concentrate on their studies for longer.
One of the best features of technology-based learning is that it facilitates the students to learn at their own pace, with no defined timeline.
Each individual grasps topics at different speeds, depending on his previous knowledge base, interest, and learning style. The learning process becomes more solid when students are given the flexibility to complete their lessons in their own set time, rather than pushing everyone to finish at the same time.
Learning platforms like Coursera, edX, Udemy, Skillshare, BYJU and LinkedIn Learning provide educational courses as well as professional development courses for students to support them to excel in their respective study fields. These platforms provide on-demand tutorials, LIVE as well as pre-recorded videos, interactive assessments, quizzes, and presentations to facilitate fun learning.
Additionally, these also have featured tools to track progress, set goals, and receive feedback, helping the learners stay motivated and on track.
Have you heard of Moodle, Blackboard, and Google Classroom? Well, all these platforms are designed to enhance teaching and mentoring practices.
Technology not only facilitates students, but it also offers a lot to mentors. With digital libraries, academic journals, and e-books, both students and teachers can have access to a wealth of information just with a single touch. This helps them to do comprehensive research, comparative study and explore topics beyond the classroom curriculum.
Forums, live chat, file-sharing features, email integrations and other multimedia resources are extremely helpful both to students and teachers to hone their skills and facilitate seamless communication.
In the 21st century, technology has opened up a million different ways to use the science of learning. To take advantage of these opportunities, we need to have a clear blueprint of the learning outcomes we target to achieve. We must measure each student’s progress on a personalised level, understand their needs, and shift our focus to fun learning.
To achieve all the learning and teaching goals, it is important that faculty and administrators take active steps to make learning more technology-oriented, interactive, versatile and engaging.
Interactive videos, e-books, tutorials, presentations and educational nuggets can make learning more fun for students. Integrating technology in classroom education helps students engage with their studies more effectively.
Quizzes, games, puzzles, polls, and online assessments prove to be more effective in evaluating a student’s performance in comparison to traditional classroom study.
The benefits of technology in classroom teaching are as follows:
Personalised learning
Better engagement in studies
Easy collaboration with teachers and peers
Developing real-world skills
Access to a wide array of resources
Global Learning
Self-paced learning
Data-driven insights to track students’ progress
Technology provides interactive tools and platforms that help students engage with their studies, unlike traditional learning methods.
Likewise, Interactive whiteboards, educational apps, and multimedia resources like Moodle, and Class Dojo cater to different teaching styles, making teaching and learning both effective.