What is educational technology? You might ask. Educators use education technology or edtech to enhance the engagement, inclusion, and individualization of students by integrating information and communication technologies at the classroom level.
Today’s classrooms no longer use the bulky desktop computers of the past but instead use tablets, interactive online courses, and even robots that are capable of recording lectures for absent students.
The use of edtech tools in classrooms is changing kids’ learning in many ways. By creating fun learning activities, such as gamified classroom activities and edtech robots, students can become more engaged. Additionally, edtech IoT devices that enable students to access digital classrooms wherever they are, whether at home or on the bus, are gaining increasing praise for their capabilities. In addition to grading tests and ensuring students are accountable for their work, teachers also use machine learning and blockchain technology.
Scalable and individualized learning is a key element of edtech’s success. Learning styles differ, interactions with peers and teachers differ, and enthusiasm about different subjects varies from person to person. The use of technology in education can foster a sense of belonging between teachers and students, boosting their learning potential and fostering learning experiences tailored to their age and ability.
It appears that the use of technology in education will play an increasingly important role in education in the future. In a 2018 study, 86 percent of eighth-grade teachers viewed technology as an important tool for teaching eighth-graders. Seventy-five percent of the teachers in the study reported that using technology had improved their students’ academic performance. Edtech can increase communication, collaboration, and educational quality, so many argue, so it’s important to understand what it can do.
Students and teachers: How can Edtech assist them?
What students can gain from Edtech?
Students of all ages are learning more through educational technology, and collaboration and inclusivity are also being promoted in the classroom. The following five ways edtech directly impacts student learning can be found here.
A greater level of collaboration
Cloud-enabled tools and tablets enable educators and students to collaborate more effectively. Tablets enable children to solve problems collaboratively through online lessons and learning games. Students can interact virtually with one another and upload their homework through cloud-based apps.
Learn anywhere, anytime
A digital classroom is now more accessible to students thanks to the Internet of Things. Students can complete their assignments anytime and from anywhere through cloud access and Wi-Fi. This eliminates the need to be confined to a desk. The use of different apps also assists students and teachers in staying in touch in case of emergencies or questions.
“The Flipped Classroom”
Education and classrooms are being transformed by edtech tools. As part of traditional learning methods, students typically listen to lectures or read in class, then do assignments and homework at home. With the advent of learning apps, students can view video lectures from the comfort of their own homes and collaborate on class projects collaboratively in groups. By using this type of learning style, we can foster self-learning, creativity, and collaboration.
Education with a personal touch
Students can create personalized learning plans with the help of technology in education. Students’ strengths, skills, and interests are taken into account in this approach.
Students can learn at their own pace using video content tools, which makes them useful for students who cannot actively participate in lectures because they cannot pause or rewind the video. By using analytics, teachers can identify students who need additional assistance with certain lessons and provide them with additional support. A new generation of apps measures overall aptitude consistently, replacing assessments of academic achievement. An education plan can be adapted to each student’s strengths and weaknesses, based on the results of a constant measurement system that allows teachers to detect declining trends and reverse them, based on the results of a continuous measurement system that displays learning trends.
Lessons that Capture Attention
Is it still difficult for you to forget the days when you sat in class and half-listened to the teacher and half-daydreamed? Creating engaging and educational apps plans has become increasingly difficult due to the seemingly endless array of technology and external influences competing for a student’s attention. According to proponents of edtech reviews, technology holds the key to solving the problem. Using video and podcasts as homework assignments, interacting with other classrooms around the world, and even gamifying problem-solving are some of the ways in which students are using tech to boost classroom participation.
What teachers can benefit from Edtech?
It’s not just students who benefit from edtech. Teachers see educational technology as a way to save time in the classroom while developing efficient learning practices. Educators can get back to teaching with edtech in these four ways.
Using automated grading
Grading is becoming easier thanks to artificially intelligent edtech tools. These apps use machine learning to analyze and evaluate answers based on the specifications of the assignment. In addition, teachers can spend less time grading assignments with the help of these tools, especially if they use true/false assessments or fill-in-the-blank questions. Having more time to work with gifted and struggling students allows teachers to spend more time on each one.
Tools for managing classrooms
Large groups of kids are notoriously difficult to engage. The use of educational technology has the potential to improve communication between teachers and students, as well as students’ behavior. Additionally, schools are providing tools for students to monitor classroom noise, as well as apps for parents and students to remind them of assignments. A less-chaotic, the more collaborative classroom atmosphere is brought about by management tools.
Creating paperless classrooms
Edtech has eliminated the inconvenience of printing budgets and wasting paper. In digital classrooms, assignments can be graded more simpler, homework files can be preserved more easily, and overall greener policies are promoted.
Guesswork is eliminated
Educational technology needs data platforms, currently myriad tools, and apps that can constantly assess the skills of students and needs, and it will relay the data of the teacher. It can take a teacher months to detect harmful studying trends, but with some tools that use real-time data, teachers can determine a student’s strengths, weaknesses, or even signs of learning disabilities, allowing them to devise a strategy to assist them.
Types of Educational Technology
Technology in education can be classified into three types: synchronous, asynchronous, linear, and collaborative. Getting a better understanding of types of educational technology requires a detailed discussion.
1. Synchronous and Asynchronous
As far as educational technology is concerned, there are two types: synchronous and asynchronous. In the modern world, students can learn both inside and outside the classroom thanks to new inventions being made every day. With the use of various internet resources, students can learn self-based, synchronously, and asynchronously. Using Online Learning Programs and Virtual Classrooms, students can now learn online.
The concept of synchronous learning refers to discussions regarding certain topics that take place simultaneously. In online collaborations, people can speak face-to-face, chat in chat rooms, share video feeds, have live teaching sessions, communicate over Skype, etc. Students’ thinking is expanded as they listen to other students’ opinions as they work in groups. As a result, their knowledge will be further boosted as they learn and gather more information.
Asynchronous communication refers to communication that can’t occur in real time. There are many ways to facilitate asynchronous hypertext documents, learning, and audio/video courses, including blogs, emails, online textbooks, and wikis. Through this type of educational technology, students can study at their own pace. Those who don’t understand the lesson at first can read it again. When taking an online course, students are allowed to work, do internships, or even participate in sports while they complete their program, or if they fail, they can repeat the course without embarrassment.
2. Linear Learning
A second-place finish for Liner Learning is achieved in terms of educational technology types. The CBT (Computer-Based Training) method is used for linear learning to send information to your computer, tablet, or smartphone. As with reading an online book or manual, the reading experience is similar. A static process is commonly taught using this method, such as using a software program or solving a mathematical equation. A web browser is used to access the training.
There are no textbooks, classrooms, or manuals in CBT. CBT can include videos and animations to assist students in understanding topics more clearly. Computer-based training also allows users to record assessment results (multiple choice, drag-and-drop, etc.) and receive feedback/results via online software simultaneously with feedback. A certificate can also be obtained online as a result.
Although CBTs require significant resources to develop, there are some challenges. CBT can sometimes be difficult to use. Moreover, students and teachers do not interact, resulting in a lack of knowledge exchange.
3. Collaborative Learning
The term collaborative means “to work together with another person or group to accomplish something”; therefore, Collaborative Learning involves learning in groups by collaborating. In groups of two or more, people work together to solve problems, learn new concepts, or complete tasks. It is possible to gather data, and listen to other people’s thoughts rather than learning from the resources that are provided. The teachers (who have the primary knowledge and skills) serve as the primary source of information for the students.
Conclusion
Learning is enhanced through the use of educational technology, which allows teachers and students to engage in hybrid, remote, and even in-person learning sessions. With technology continuing to play a role in our classrooms, this industry will surely continue to evolve. Go deeper into our site to learn more about Educational app development to start integrating EdTech into your studies for the upcoming 2023-2024 year.
