Technology has made it easier for students to implement their theoretical knowledge in various real-world scenarios. It is also helping teachers to incorporate more innovative and effective means into their teaching methods. In today’s world of neck-to-neck competition, it is not only commendable but essential to go beyond textbook learning by being open to other means of learning as well. Conventional schools still have a long way to go as far as implementing new effective technologies is concerned. This is partly due to the limited budget constraints in case of a conventional school.
Here are some basic ways by which technology has made learning easier:
Global connections
Talking to a native speaker can help you realize as to how many dialects are there of a specific language. There are several websites where students can attend language lessons through videoconferencing with a native speaker who resides in a specific country. This exposure to native speakers through social interactions gives a new dimension to your learning experience. Such social interactions are productive and give a brief overview of the perspective of another culture. So, no need to travel miles to gain authentic information regarding a culture. Language exchange sessions can be set up very easily through various websites that are solely devoted to language exchange.
Virtual manipulative sites
Learning certain major mathematical concepts can be easier and fun-oriented, thanks to technology. Basic concepts such as fractions, percentages and decimals can now be learned with the help of “virtual manipulative” sites. In conventional classrooms, you might be compelled to draw graphs or bars. Proper “virtual manipulative” sites like can help you actually play and experiment with equations to gain a deeper insight of the world of math. The tools for such websites are built by The National Library of Virtual Manipulative. This Library is under a team at Utah State University is in charge of its database since 1999.
Students can play with the various concepts of numbers and might create shortcuts for solving the same problem. So, experimentation is very important in order to learn the many tools and concepts of math.
Challenging assessments
There are various sites such as Geniverse, which emphasizes on testing the students on the basis of performance assessments rather than only on theoretical knowledge. So, these websites generally do not ask direct and anticipated questions such as what is the definition of a particular term. It is not easy to answer correctly at the first go in case of performance-oriented assessments. Students might need to experiment with several trial-and-error methods before coming to a final conclusive answer.
Many advanced programs are coming up these days that help the teachers understand the various stages that a child goes through while answering his assessment, like the average time taken to solve each question, probability of correct answers for each student etc. When the teacher gives out an assignment, she can watch how far along students are, how much time each spends on each question, and whether their answers are correct. It is easier for a teacher to analyze the weak points of each student. This helps the teachers to perform their duty that is to foster the child’s strengths and drive away his or her weaknesses.
Vendors for eBooks
Everything digital spreads like wild fire and same goes for eBooks that is electronic books. While there is a narrow chance that you might get certain eBooks for free online, but in most cases you need to make a small payment to the vendors such as Course Smart to own an eBook.
Most students favor eBooks since these are portable, cheaper and might even contribute to making your learning system more systematic.
These digital textbook mostly contain fascinating simulations or visualizations. Benefits of using eBooks are many till now, however, it still has a lot of potential that has not yet been founded.
Multimedia usage
With a little touch of technology, learning process becomes fun and gains acceleration. For instance, most of you must have had laboratory works. Most students must have found laboratory works to be more interesting than actual classroom lectures. This is because labs include the practical use of facts with the help of a little technology. Students grasp way better from such little activities than hardcore lectures.
Technology uses several mediums to garner the attention of students. Most of the learning is project-based and instills the sense of teamwork in students. It motivates and encourages them to be more creative, rather than going with the pre-set flow. It gives a sense of the real-world to the students.
Since multimedia puts all of your senses into work, it is a much more impactful means of learning. The information is retained for a much longer time in this case. Plain theory does not boggle your mind, and as a result, does not test the true mettle of the student.
Studying through gaming
Several game-like simulations enable students to learn in a fun manner. It might include scenarios where students are put into the roles of a journalist, scientist, engineer or any other profession of their choice. Then they are asked real-world problems. These way students get to learn various significant concepts in an effortless manner that is much favorable for the students.
In certain games, students might need to be negotiators to use their brain and come up with their opinion on some issue to decide the fate of a real medical controversy. They might even need to be graphical expert to design a website with certain mentioned requisites!
Such gaming experiences are no less than a drilling training. They successfully bring out the creativity of the students. Real-world skills, high professional values and thinking out-of –the-box are some of the major requisites to be an expert in such games. These games shape up the student’s mind and make them smarter to deal with real-life scenarios.
To be very frank, nothing is extremely bad or good. It all depends on how you use a particular tool. So, explore more and make your learning experience into a gaming one!
