The education industry has undergone a significant transformation in the past two decades. Most learners today use internet-enabled mobile devices and laptops to complete academic tasks like taking notes, attending classes, and tracking assignments.
India is ranked as the second largest online market in 2023, according to research. It has an internet penetration rate of 47% with 900 millions active internet users. According to reports, the internet penetration rate will reach over 55% in 2025.
The sudden rise in internet usage has led to the digitisation of industries, including education.
We will now look at future technology usage in education. Let’s first understand how technology is currently used in education.
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Digital Technology and Education: Current Use
The technology has changed education in a profound way. The internet has provided a vast amount of information via online books, podcasts and images. In the past, technology was used only to complete assignments.
Today, the iPad is used in a variety of ways, including for learning, communicating, and collaborating.
The technology has opened up many opportunities for communication, collaboration and sharing. Students in a rural classroom in India could learn from an article written by a US-based agency. They can talk via email or even videoconference.
Moreover, technology has altered the roles of both teachers and students. Teachers were traditionally the primary source of information for their students. With the advent of the internet, everyone can access information, transforming the role played by teachers into a ‘guide at the side’.
How can you use digital technology in education?
We use technology in our everyday lives. Incorporating them into education is a logical step. But technology in education should not be limited to virtual classrooms or PowerPoint presentations.
Innovative ways to use technology for education
Flip the classroom to teach students soft skills.
Flipping classrooms or letting the students be teachers is one of best ways to improve key soft skills such as research, communication and storytelling.
Teachers can give students a subject to explain and present using technology. They can use a PowerPoint presentation, podcast or video to present the topic. Students will learn to evaluate different online sources. They will also understand how to locate information on the Internet, verify material found there, and improve their research skills.
This approach to learning will help students learn how to engage their peers, answer questions about a subject, and manage a class.
Use online tools to improve collaboration
Students can edit and share each other’s works using many online tools, such as Google Docs. These apps help students develop their collaboration skills, which will be in high demand in the future. This is due to the rise of remote working, a future trend.
Students who have excellent collaboration skills can navigate remote working scenarios with ease.
Use BYOD to test your understanding of concepts
BYOD, or Bring Your Own device, is the practice of allowing employees to bring their own devices, such as smartphones or computers, to work. BYOD can be used in education to help teachers give immediate feedback to their students. Teachers can use their smartphones or laptops to encourage students to take a poll or quiz in class.
It will allow them to give immediate feedback and check if students understand the concepts discussed in class.
Use extended reality technology for immersive learning
Teachers can use technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality, and extended reality (XR), to enhance the learning process. This will increase students’ abilities to visualize concepts. These technologies can be used to create an immersive learning environment.
Students can visit the Artic Circle virtually to learn more about Polar bears, their habitat and other topics.
Gamification
Gamification allows students to learn by playing games or using more interactive materials. Students can quickly learn and retain complex and new information by using game-based elements. This increases student engagement, helps them connect with the real-world, and gives instant feedback.
Teachers can teach typing faster by using games. This can be fun and exciting, and it’s a great way to engage students. Teachers can also divide them into groups to develop collaboration skills.
What are the benefits of digital technology in education?
- Access to educational resources is increased – Students have access to a wide range of resources and information that was not available in traditional classrooms.
- Digital technology has increased student engagement. Gamification has, for example, made education more interactive and fun. It also makes it easier to remember and understand difficult subjects.
- Digital tools such as adaptive learning software can help students learn at their own pace.
Technology can be a powerful tool to support and transform education. It can do so in a variety of ways. From making it easier for educators to curate educational materials to providing new ways to learn for students. The internet’s global reach and the ease of access to smart devices that connect to it have ushered in a new era of education.
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