How Does Technology Impact Student Learning?
Though life in the wild may be fun, technological advancements have helped us live a comfortable, safer, and more resourceful life. Nowadays, it's impossible to think of a life without a level of technology dependency.
Nevertheless, technology in classes and online learning was seen as faulty or as a distraction until recently. Covid-19 showed the importance of technology in ensuring a safe and effective remote learning process. Multiple studies have also shown that technology and online learning benefit the learning process by making it more engaging and fun for students. Though there are still concerns, parents and educators are more open to making revolutionary changes in education.
This article explores the benefits of technology in student learning, how technology impacts learning, and what that means for the future of education.
How Is Technology Used in Education?
Technology is an essential and inseparable part of our daily lives and lately in education too. Technology can make the learning process more accessible, fun, collaborative, and engaging for students of all ages. Though traditionally technology may have been used as a tool for a PowerPoint presentation, nowadays, technology affects all steps of the learning process, like instant assessment, project sharing, group work, etc.
The use of virtual classes during quarantine showed us that their features allow students to navigate more freely and independently during assignments and projects. A virtual class may include:
Video conferences and recording,
Instant messages,
Participation options,
Chats between students, and
Digital whiteboards.
Though virtual classes are remaining as an option, the return to campus has seen an implementation of the virtual class features, but with a twist. Many professors are incorporating features of the virtual class and encouraging students to explore different sources to gain a clearer perspective on the subject matter.
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How Does Technology Impact Student Learning?
Change is always frightening, even when the change is crucial and beneficial. So much so that when technology was first introduced in classes, it was seen as a wrong decision and evil.
Naturally, parents viewed the usage of technology for student learning similar to the infamous negative impact of social media on students.
However, time and again, technology has shown to have a positive impact on student learning, as it prepares students not only for higher education but for the workforce as well.
Technology in education helps students prepare for the workforce through:
Teamwork - working on group projects helps students develop the communication and collaboration skills necessary.
Advanced courses - nowadays, students are encouraged to take advanced courses in their field of study that prepare them for the dynamic workforce, strengthen their resumes, and open more doors for job opportunities.
Adapting - technology advances by the minute, so possessing exceptional technology skills helps students adapt to the new software and technological changes.
Critical thinking - due to the seemingly infinite sources and information, students use technology to find creative solutions to problems.
Just like traditional student learning in class, technology has a lot of benefits, some of which are mentioned below. An often missed benefit of technology in student learning is that it helps students improve themselves and become a healthier version of themselves both physically and mentally. Technological tools and gadgets help students spend less of their precious time on menial tasks like commuting to campus and searching for information on old books in the library.
More availability of resources
The Internet is full of countless sources for almost all topics imaginable, which helps students find reliable, up-to-date information for their classes and interests.
Another opportunity is browsing MOOC (massive open online courses) and Coursera for courses on topics that relate to your field of study or even on obscure topics and hobbies.
Professors are also taking advantage of digital books, infographics, and other multimedia components to make the learning process more fun, thought-provoking, curiosity-inducing, and up-to-date with the latest material on the subject matter.
Personalized learning
Every person is unique in their personality and preferences, which applies to learning too. Introverted students will prefer to work with fewer peers and not engage in overstimulating activities, contrary to extroverted students. Students can also prefer different learning styles such as visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic, which is something technology aids in student learning.
Students can make choices that suit them best, learn at their own pace, and be more independent. Another big factor is that technology gives students the opportunity to learn anywhere at any time, which helps working students maintain a healthy life balance.
Increased collaboration
Technology also increases collaboration between students and the professor, as it allows them to share assignments and projects, hold virtual meetings, and increase group work effectiveness. The best tools that support all those objectives and more are Zoom, Google Classroom, and Skype.
Better communication
Technology, in general, has filled the gaps in communication, be they in a longer or shorter distance. The same is applicable to online learning. Technology helps students form communities and communicate their opinions on projects and assignments, which in turn develops the students' communication skills, which have a lasting effect on their professional lives as well.
Increased student engagement
Online learning offers a warm and safe space for the more shy students to share their knowledge and opinions. But also new technology has more features for presenting ideas, working in groups, and a more fun learning experience in general. However, the main responsibility falls on professors and the faculty to promote a curriculum that challenges students to engage in class, think critically, and make judgments on the class material in line with the technology available.
Using technology in student learning also increases collaboration: professors present more engaging content that encourages students to learn things by doing and not just having to memorize or remember an amount of information. Professors also open discussions and ask questions that help students develop critical thinking skills.
Tackling complex topics
Due to the myriad of sources and information available online, students can find simple explanations and tutorials for even the most complex topics. Technology can help teachers make comprehensible presentations and teach complex topics with animation and virtual examples.
Will Technology Replace Traditional Learning?
Though this is a complex question to answer, fundamentally, technology can't replace traditional learning entirely. Technology can't replace teachers and professors and can't recreate the campus atmosphere. However, technology plays a huge role in evolving traditional learning to become more effective, collaborative, and accessible. Technology can also:
make the subject matter more interactive, fun, and easier to remember,
allow professors to test students more frequently and realize what they should improve upon,
allow students to watch lectures after class and thus be able to multitask other responsibilities.
While we don't know what the future will look like, we know that by combining the benefits of traditional and online learning, we can reach higher levels of effective learning for all students.
Conclusion
Education is crucial to the success and survival of a society, and the way we approach the learning process determines the future. Technological advancements aren't stopping. So, it's time that we all see technology in student learning as a tool to help the learning process and simplify the students' lives. That's why we must utilize technological advancements to increase the quality of education and prepare students for the workforce.