It’s not that educational institutions were not adopting technology before Covid-19. Some had already implemented it, and others were willing to try. However, the rate at which these institutions enforced education technology was prolonged, and the pandemic came.
Covid-19 completely revolutionized the education sector, like other industries. Schools and colleges had to shut down due to lockdown restrictions to avoid spreading the virus. According to UNESCO, at least 9 out of 10 students faced education interruption due to the pandemic.
During this time, technology came to the rescue and enabled a seamless learning experience for the students. With the help of technologies like education platforms, Artificial Intelligence, Learning Management Systems (LMS), institutions could deliver ongoing education to the students. Here are some of the ways technology is transforming the education sector.
Simplified Learning Process
The advent of technology has simplified the learning process. While teachers mostly used verbal examples or charts to demonstrate different concepts, they can now use videos and graphics to explain.
Visuals engage students and motivate them to learn more. In fact, it also helps them learn and remember quickly. A Changing Minds study found that students can retain 65% of what they learned through visuals after three days, compared to 10% of written and 10%-20% of spoken lectures. Simply put, technology enables the teachers to explain things more creatively and students to grab and understand the concepts clearly.
24/7 Access to Learning
Traditionally, students had access to school, learning resources, and teachers only during school hours. But technology is changing this. Now, teachers can create learning materials that students can access anytime and anywhere, making education flexible.
Suppose a student is having difficulty understanding a science concept. They can access the charts, videos, and even the classroom recording of that particular concept with the help of cloud technology. By accessing the resources, students can learn anything at their own speed without worrying about coping with others.
Apart from school/college tutors, students can also go online for additional help. Several platforms on the internet or the app stores can assist students 24/7. Students can also get help with their homework or assignments from top-rated tutors on platforms like Sweetstudy at a time of their choice without having to bother about tutor availability.
Personalized Learning Experience
Regardless of grasping speed and intelligence, every student traditionally had to follow the same learning curve. But today, technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) enable educational institutions to personalize learning.
Consider this example of two students, David and Rachel, to understand how technology helps personalize the learning experience. David is weak in Maths and strong in History, and the opposite is the case with Rachel. To offer a personalized learning experience for both, teachers can create different interactive and engaging activities to help each student improve their weak subjects.
Professors can also use AI technology to monitor each student’s performance throughout the learning curve. Suppose a student doesn’t know what subjects he needs help with. AI can watch his performance across all the topics to detect where he needs help.
AI-enabled chatbots can also act as personal assistants to students who need 24/7 help. They can serve as a library for information. Hence, if a student needs to find any specific information for a history assignment, he doesn’t have to go through the entire book. A simple interaction with the chatbot will get them the information they need.
How Education Organizations can Implement Technology
While technology can revamp the education sector, it is not a panacea. EdTech solutions are only as good as their implementation. Hence, you need to implement the technology in suitable areas to get optimal results.
Gamify Content
The best way to implement technology is to gamify the education content. Major EdTech companies like Byju, Cuemath, and others, believe that gamification is eLearning’s future. Institutions can use platforms like Kahoot to create customized games.
Teachers can use these games to engage students and track their knowledge.
Something as simple as a digital scavenger game can do the trick. Also, teachers can create role-based activities, leverage math games, conduct quizzes, etc., to gamify education with the help of technology.
Use Multimedia Learning Materials
Only text-based learning will indeed make a lecture dull. Hence, teachers should use multimedia content, including videos, graphics, audio, and more, to ensure two-way interaction and better engagement.
Create Customized Content
Customizing education content allows students to engage and complete each course at their own speed. Professors can also create milestones in each course. So, suppose a student completes a milestone earlier. In that case, he can engage in different digital activities to improve his knowledge and understanding instead of waiting for others to achieve the milestone. Teachers can use Canva, Adobe Spark, or Netex Learning to create customized content.
Conclusion
Education technology is changing the learning curve as we know it. It will continue to rise with advents in technology. New applications will come to make students’ and professors’ life easier.
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