As we know, technology is constantly evolving and improving. Technological advancements have a significant influence in our daily lives – from how we communicate to what we use for education.
New technologies are being integrated into classrooms across the country at lightning speed. Educators are experimenting with new software and apps to improve student learning and experience.
Many of these educational tech tools focus on enhancing students’ overall academic performance by helping them learn and retain information more effectively. This article will talk about five ways that technology has improved classroom teaching and learning!
Disclaimer: These tips should be used as resources to enhance your current practices or inspire new ideas. We do not endorse any specific product, service, curriculum, technique, or teacher/student relationship unless it is clearly identified as valid and effective.
Tips:
1. Use real-time feedback mechanisms
Teachers can now add online assignments, tests, and projects to give instant feedback to their students. Students get notified when they receive an assignment, test, or project and can quickly review and respond before moving onto the next item.
This helps reduce the time it takes for students to find out if they received a good grade or not, which also increases engagement and motivation. Some examples include using Google Classroom, Canvas, or Moodle to provide this feedback.
2.
Online courses
With the explosion of digital information, education has shifted to online platforms. Education can be categorized as either formal or informal learning, and there are many ways that you can learn through online courses.
Formal educational settings include studies at universities that offer degrees and certificates. These courses typically cost money to attend, but it is worth it since they require rigorous study processes and adequate resources.
Informal learning does not involve going to school, and it is much less structured. It can be anything from watching YouTube tutorials on how to do something to reading journal articles about lessons learned in life. Some people even find success by listening to TED Talks!
There are many reasons why technology has improved learning. First, students have access to almost any course or lesson anywhere, anytime. No longer do students need to go to a specific location and set time aside for studying.
Furthermore, technology makes it easy to compare different courses. You can read reviews and see what past users had to say about each one. Students also have access to free materials and tools needed to learn more effectively.
Overall, using technology to learn is very efficient way to get knowledge. There are plenty of sites where you can learn and explore various modes of education.
Virtual classes
One of the biggest changes that technology has made for education is via virtual learning. This is when students are no longer physically located together, but instead using online tools they learn about the same topic or lesson like you would in a normal setting.
This removes one of the major barriers to attending college – cost! Because tuition costs have increased so much over the past few years it has become increasingly difficult for many people to afford school.
However with the use of online courses there are no physical classrooms to pay for nor do teachers need to be paid as much. Some companies even offer their courses free of charge!
By offering these services through digital platforms this makes them accessible to anyone and anywhere. There is also less risk of student drop out since they can log into the site at any time and study.
Online tutoring
One of the most powerful ways that technology has improved education is by offering online tutoring. Tutors can be anywhere in the world, and you do not need to have them at your school or hire them! You can find many tutoring sites where you can pay per lesson or even use their services as a degree program.
Tutoring can range from helping students with math concepts to teaching them how to speak another language. It does not matter if you are just looking for some help ahead of a test or if you want more in depth lessons – there are options here for everyone.
Online tutoring is very popular because it does not require much time or money outside of the sessions. Students can easily log into a site and learn while they sleep or work. This is especially helpful for people who may not feel comfortable going to a traditional brick and mortar tutor’s place or asking someone to come to you.
Overall, using an online tutor has great benefits for both teachers and students. Both parties gain knowledge and content away from home, and it is easy to connect with others through the website.
Study groups
One of the most important ways that technology has improved education is through study group collaborations. This can be done virtually or in person, and it does not have to be limited to students in the same school or department. A shared space online or via phone or video allows for different people with similar interests to connect and learn from each other.
This is especially helpful for more experienced individuals who are willing to share their knowledge and skills with others. They can even create educational courses using these resources as materials!
There are many types of collaboration tools that make this possible, such as Slack chats, Google Hangouts, YouTube videos, and classroom software programs like Lectora or Adobe Connect.
These apps let users communicate, upload documents, and easily run conversations and meetings. It becomes easy to use chat rooms where teachers can invite their colleagues, friends, or anyone else they want to help them teach a particular topic.
Students can also join in and out at any time, which helps keep things organized.
Distributed learning
One of the biggest changes that we have seen in education is distributed or online teaching. This has come about because technology makes it possible for anyone to create their own classroom experience.
You can use software, such as Google Classroom, Microsoft Office Online, Udemy, and YouTube to create your classroom environment.
By using these tools, you do not need to physically be at the school to teach students. You can connect with learners anywhere there is an internet connection and you are ready to go!
This also allows teachers to share their knowledge and resources easily without having to run around looking for someone else’s face to learn from.
Overall, this new approach to educating people is more efficient than before where most educators needed expensive equipment and special training to even begin teaching.
Blended learning
One of the biggest changes that we have seen in education is blended learning. This term refers to students who learn through a mix of traditional, online courses and other modes of teaching like lecture videos or interactive lessons.
Blended learning was popularized in the early 2000s when universities would offer students course materials both online and face-to-face. Since then, it has exploded in popularity as more and more schools adopt this approach.
Why? Because it works! Online courses are just as effective as classroom courses, if not more so, because you do not need a room full of people for them to be taught.
There are many websites where you can find free online courses from various sources such as YouTube, Khan Academy, and Course Universe. All of these sites feature high quality content that can’t be matched by most college professors.
Not only that, but due to their lower cost, online courses can be easily accessible to anyone. It is easy to pick up lesson material and study at your own pace without having to talk to other students and teachers.
This article will discuss some examples of how technology has improved student engagement in educational settings. You will also read about some reasons why educators should consider blending education methods.
Online courses for teachers
Recent developments in education focus more on providing accessible, high quality learning to as many people as possible. This is great because technology has allowed for anyone with access to an internet connection to learn something new or improve their knowledge on some topic.
Online courses are a very popular way to achieve this. These courses are delivered via a website and can be interactive or not depending on the content you choose.
There are several different types of online courses available these days. Some are free while others have a cost attached to them. What is important to note about most educational apps is that they are designed to enhance what students already know so they will direct you towards what you need to learn.
These programs also promote use of skills such as literacy, mathematics, reasoning, and communication.
Online books
One of the greatest things about online learning is that you can access it anywhere! You do not need to have an internet connection or software to read your materials. This makes online education very accessible as there are no limitations to where you can go to learn.
Online courses are also free unless you pay for additional features, which many offer through their accounts. Some even allow you to connect with friends so they watch more lessons and learn from each other.
There are several great resources available when it comes to reading material. Companies create educational products that are marketed towards specific audiences and industries.
These products often include interactive components like quizzes and exercises to test comprehension. They also may ask you to subscribe either to the app, the website, or both.
By adding this layer of depth to the experience, the product becomes much more than just a one time purchase.
