Educational Technology refers to the inclusion of technological tools to facilitate better learning in educational institutions. Although the development of education and learning led to the advancement in technology, today, technology is helping to improve the educational standards and provide easy learning. The digital age and the development of interactive electronic devices such as computers, laptops, tablet computers and Smartphones have essentially revolutionized the world. Owing to this change, the implementation of technology in education is helping in raising the educational standards by providing easy learning and giving rise to several new trends. Listed below are some of the latest trends in education that are being implemented by several educational institutions across the globe.
Internet Connectivity in Classrooms
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Long gone are the days when computers were only limited to the computer labs in schools and colleges. While the students learn about various subjects from a teacher or professor, the use of internet to provide reference material in class has certainly raised the standard of education. Internet connectivity in classrooms has also provided means of better collaboration between students and interaction with the teacher. Emails, video chats, instant messaging are all being used to provide a more flexible learning even when the students are not present in the classroom.
Video Assisted Learning
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While nothing can replace the aesthetic value of a book, textbooks aren’t very efficient at providing a high level of learning. Today’s classrooms are not just about completing your homework or essay on time but are more concerned about how well a student understands a particular subject. One of the major trends in educational technology was the inclusion of video assisted classrooms across schools and colleges. Watching a self-explanatory video is much better than reading the text and trying to understand how a particular mechanism works. This has again raised the bar for education standards and learning.
Social Media in Education
This might sound a little strange, but social media too has found a place in today’s educational system. Social media platforms such as facebook and Google+ not only allow people to have a digital profile but also allow students to collaborate even outside the classrooms. Sharing assignments, discussing homework and staying up-to-date with the courses and study material etc. are being done extensively on social media platforms. Schools too understand the importance of digital footprint and have also started teaching the students about the online etiquettes and responsible use of Social Media.
Mobile Devices for Classwork and Homework
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It’s certainly not the 20th century when students were frowned upon for carrying mobile devices such as laptops and mobile phones in the classroom. Today, most classrooms have internet connectivity and interaction between students and teachers is mainly done via chat. According to surveys, it was found that a majority of schools have allowed the use of internet connected smartphones and tablets for better interaction between the teachers and students. This is certainly a major change in perspective and shows the deep impact of technology.
Use of Gaming in Education
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Although this trend is still in its developmental stage, but there are educational institutes that are teaching various subjects through interactive video games. More and more students are taking more interest in learning the more intricate and hard to understand concepts through mobile games. While the older reports showed a majority of male students, the recent surveys show that the gender gap is closing and more and more female students are also learning through the use of games.
Digital Libraries
Saving paper is one of the major environmental issues in the 21st century,not to mention the problems with maintaining a physical library. A solution to this problem is the use of e-books and digital libraries in schools. Starting with initiatives such as the Vodafone digital libraries in public places and schools, the e book technology has come up as one of the major technological trends in education. All you need to do is simply scan the QR code through your Smartphone devices and enjoy reading from a large collection of books and reference material, right from your Smartphone.
Living in the digital age, we are aware of the various changes that technology has brought into our lives. From interactive classroom sessions to learning through video games, the implementation of technology and electronics has certainly left a mark on our educational system, thus proving its impact in our lives.
