In this age and time, technology has affected education drastically. From schools to colleges and universities, everyone can feel the positive impact of technology on education.
While people talk about the negative effects of excessive screen time, we don’t always hear about the positive ways technology makes a difference in our lives, especially when it comes to learning.
Nowadays, the time students invest in learning can be utilized more efficiently and in the best way possible with the technology available.
If used well, technology can help improve education and learning for students, parents and teachers.
Technology has changed life as we know it, classrooms look completely different than it did 20-30 years ago.
Traditional blackboards have been replaced with digital projectors. And the students use a surplus of ipads to write down their notes and other things on it.
An Aid for Teachers
Technology is also proved to be a helping hand for teachers who sometimes find it hard to explain certain things within the boundaries of a classroom. Teachers enjoy technology as it offers a variety of free tools to enhance classroom learning, communication with parents or even their own professional development.
There are also websites where teachers can help and support one another.
Thousands of articles are available online to help teachers learn about what is changing in the world of education.
People may think that technology is just a distraction. But, that’s not the case. It can help encourage active participation in the classroom. Technology can help dull subjects turn into interactive and fun activities by using computers, tablets or other types of technology.
These are some ways in which technology helps education;
1. Helps students learn more efficiently
Online tools give students more flexibility in learning. A lot of students use YouTube to learn different types of concepts more effectively.
Others might complete some sort of tutorial online just to see if they’re on the right track. Technology offers variety to students in a way that a traditional classroom lecture can not.
It also motivates students to learn. There are many things to explore online through websites, apps and other stuff. They look forward to having a good time spent on their electronic devices exploring things they never knew about.
2. Improved communication
Communication is an essential part of any activity and when it comes to learning, bad communication is just not acceptable. Because of technology, communication barriers are gone and the flow of knowledge has been smoothened since then.
Teachers can also communicate easily with their students after class through a group on Whatsapp. Everyone can form a community where teacher assign homework to their students and students may ask for help if needed,
3. Learn at your own pace
Self paced learning is another big advantage for a student as there are two types of students, slow paced learners and fast paced learners.
Everyone studies at their own pace. Some people pick up quickly while others take time to learn something new. It benefits both styles of students, fast learners feel held back when they’re taking a course with slow learners. With online education, they can jump forward with their knowledge and will not have to wait for the slow learners to catch up.
Slow paced learners can’t rush through a course until they feel that they’re done learning all the important material. It can also be embarrassing for the students to have a slow learning pace, which can affect their mental health as well as their future success.
4. Advanced research
The old days are gone when students have to go through piles of books just to find a specific topic or a sentence to improve their learning.
With advanced research tools, students can find whatever they’re looking for in just a few seconds. There are many browsers like Google, safari etc through which you can get any type of information you want in just a few clicks.
Students can look on websites like paperhelp.org for help if they’re having difficulty in some school work.
5. Connects you with students
Technology can help teachers create a better relationship with their students. Many teachers use the internet to gather content for students.
Introducing technology into your lesson plans and using it to expand your knowledge of content will make a significant difference.
It’s important to adjust your classroom style to align with its advancements. Teachers can try different learning tools with their students such as introducing a projector in class and getting rid of the traditional blackboards. This will make the learning fun for students and will for a better relationship with their teacher.
6. Increases the collaboration
Group projects and assignments can be done easily with the tools available nowadays. From spreadsheets to online presentation makers, everything is available online.
The technology itself can be a goal that fosters collaboration. For example, teachers can assign a task to students of making a website on a particular topic, which won’t just give knowledge to them about the topic but will also teach them about making a website as a team.
7. Handy tools for teachers
Don’t think that technology just benefits students, it also gives teachers the opportunity to pursue professional development from the comfort of their device.
With the digital simulations and models nowadays, teachers are able to create lessons and exams in a very effective way and can also know about the progress of their students.
Websites like Students in Learning enables teachers to give or receive the projects or assessments of their students in real time. These softwares are made for teachers to stay updated with their students’ progress on how they’re doing in their assessments.
For example, teachers can look at how much time a student takes to do their assessment. It’s a way of making things easier for the teachers and to know how much time a particular student takes to complete a question and what can the students do to improve.