Major Technologies that Offer Massive Support to Learning
Technologies – We live in a world where we can get almost everything at our doorsteps with a few clicks. From ordering groceries to booking a cab, technology has enabled us to do our everyday tasks with absolute ease. It’s no surprise that technology is also shaping the education industry for the better.
While it is now possible to attend classrooms remotely from your homes, one can also get assistance from qualified essay writers online. As technology continues to evolve, we are witnessing a lot more innovation in the education industry than we did in the past century. In this blog, I will discuss 8 major technologies that are helping improve the overall learning experience.
Digital readers and tablets:
Schools are looking to replace heavy hard-copy textbooks with digital alternatives that can be easily accessed via a tablet. Let’s see the pros and cons of this piece of technology.
Pros:
- It relieves the students from carrying around a backpack full of books
- It offers a centralised, accessible place for all study materials
- The regular updates of digital content eliminate the additional cost of purchasing new textbook editions every few years
- Apps added to tablets can offer personalised learning opportunities
Cons:
- Not every student can afford a tablet. Even if schools can provide a table to each student, they need to implement a proper policy to deal with lost, damaged or stolen assets
- It will increase the screen time of the students drastically, which can impact the overall health of the students.
3D printing:
3D printing has the ability to create anything from car parts to artificial limbs. In the classroom setting, educators can use 3D printing to create hands-on models that students cab investigate and interact with.
Pros:
- 3D printing is helpful for both visual and kinaesthetic learners
- It reduces the time teachers need to spend on creating their own models
- Creating models relevant to the lessons engages the students
Cons:
- This technology does not come for cheap. Thus, a school may own a 3D printing machine, but that does not mean every student gets to create something using the tech
Virtual reality:
The technology revolving around virtual reality is rapidly developing. This technology has a lot of potentials when it comes to aiding the learning process. One of its major uses in the classroom can be to take students on virtual field trips to places that are otherwise inaccessible.
Pros:
- It offers engaging, real-life experiences of things that are usually harmful or inaccessible
- It is appealing to the visual learners who like to see and experience instead of just reading about them
Cons:
- Students often lose spatial awareness in the real world while using this technology
- Students may experience motion sickness as their eyes sense movement while their body does not
Gamification:
Students usually learn better when they enjoy the process. Using gamification technology, a teacher can engage the students in a fun activity that helps them learn the concepts in a fun way.
Pros:
- It boosts student engagement
- It creates interest for the lesson
- It offers immediate feedback
Cons:
- Every lesson cannot be turned into a game
- It takes time and training to learn how to effectively use the game for learning
Cloud technology:
Cloud technology enables us to do a lot of things – starting from storing our data safely on a centralised system to helping us collaborate with each other remotely from our individual homes. Cloud technology is also enabling a new education model where students can simply watch a lecture before class and spend the class hours engaging in discussion, group work and other crucial activities.
Pros:
- The centralised system eliminates the need for carrying around study materials all the time
- It helps the students easily access information from any device connected to the internet
- It offers quick and easy access to the teacher through live chat options
Cons:
- Before adopting cloud technology for learning and teaching purposes, schools need to ensure that all the students have adequate access to the inter
- Even though almost every network on the cloud has its own security system in place, hacking is still a major concern
Artificial intelligence:
AI is now being used in automating the grading and feedback system and also in personalising learning opportunities for individual students.
Pros:
- Saves a lot of time for the teachers by doing the grading and giving feedback on their behalf
- It offers better insights into a student’s learning patterns
Cons:
- Teachers can learn about the students when they grade their works themselves
- There is a personal element of care when the teacher offers personalised feedback to the students. AI cannot replicate that
Mobile technology:
Instead of banning smartphones and other mobile devices from using in class, a number of schools are actually incorporating mobile technology into the learning process. There are plenty of educational apps that students can use to access learning materials and more.
Pros:
- The wide variety of apps offers students the opportunity to engage in their own preferred learning process
- Educational apps offer the opportunity to personalise learning to every student
Cons:
- Not every student possesses a mobile device, and neither can every household afford to get the kids smartphones
- In order to utilize this technology, schools need to make sure that every parent is on board and every learner has access to some sort of mobile device
Video conferencing:
With schools and colleges remaining shut due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most academic institutes have been offering learning facilities to students via video conference. Since 2020, video conferencing has gained massive popularity among the learners, as it seamlessly connects them to the teachers and instructors and also offers enough opportunity to collaborate with peers.
Pros:
- This remote access learning method offers absolute convenience to learners
- Students can connect with instructors as well as peers from anywhere in the world
- It offers a massive opportunity to collaborate with others
Cons:
- Not every student has access to the necessary resources to use video conferencing
- Students need to have a basic understanding of the technology to not only set up the conference but also to maintain the hardware required for the task
Conclusion
As you may already realize, these technologies have more advantages to offer. This explains why more and more schools are now interested in implementing these technologies in their learning system. With time, we may get to see even more advanced technology that aids learning in a far better way.
Author bio: Alley John is a high school teacher in Canberra, Australia. He is also a part of the team of experts at MyAssignmenthelp.com, where he offers essay and online term paper help to students on requests. He is also a massive football fan.
