The pandemic has pushed educational institutions over the technology tipping point. While educators are returning to classroom teaching; online learning and EdTech will continue to play active roles in shaping students’ learner journeys from here on.
According to HolonIQ, the global EdTech market is estimated to grow to $404 billion by 2025. This is proof that the influx of technology in education will continue to rise. What’s more, today’s tech-savvy millennials who live in a connected world are all too familiar with the latest technology. Regular classroom learning is just not enough to suffice their quest for knowledge and information. They seek immediate answers and want the learning process to be immersive and interactive. This calls for a change in the way we teach.
Thanks to uninterrupted internet connectivity and smartphones, students have access to resources and course content around the clock. Adopting a state-of-the-art learning management system will allow them to learn at their own pace. With the right digital tools to back them up, teachers can provide effective learning experiences while retaining the human and social connections that are vital to the holistic learning journey.
The need for transformation in how we learn and teach
Before delving into how different innovations in technology will help improve student outcomes, let’s get our facts straight on why there is an imminent need to redefine the quality of education that is provided.
Traditionally, the role of technology in education was to offer quick and easy access to information. With search engines like Google, fact-finding became easy, making data available in just a few clicks. While there is a wealth of information that students have access to, two main issues are haunting the present educational system:
- Teaching methods are still stuck in the past where the primary focus continues to be providing facts. There is a difference between taking in information and learning. Gathering information is not the same as getting educated.
- Many people have a hard time processing information. Students are just bombarded with a sea of information on a daily basis having a hard time comprehending all that’s coming their way. It’s one of the reasons why they tend to become disengaged and bored in the first place.
5 Ways to leverage technology to enhance student outcomes
1. Promote practical learning through educational apps
Students can access a number of digital tools including educational apps that offer video lectures and practical lessons in languages, math, science, and other subjects, conduct quizzes, live classes, and more. Educational apps play a huge role in ensuring learning can continue for students beyond class hours. For instance, if a student wishes to learn a new language, they can hop onto the app—Duolingo and learn at their own pace through fun and interactive sessions.
There are thousands of apps to choose from and students can learn on the go by simply downloading them onto their smartphones. Most often, these apps offer free content.
2. Make educational resources interesting with gamification
Using educational resources that contain gamification elements such as a leaderboard, point scoring, and rules of play are effective mechanisms used by educators to liven up a class. Game-based learning adds an element of fun to the learning process. It motivates students to be competent and successful.
Each of these games has levels that students have to successfully complete before going on to the next. If they fail, they will have to start all over again till they master the concept and move on to higher difficulty levels. In a world where students constantly have to get to grips with large volumes of study material, gamification makes education fun and engaging, while achieving learning outcomes.
3. Leverage AR to drive immersive learning
Augmented Reality (AR) is already being used in the engineering, medical, entertainment, and retail fields, to name a few. AR is becoming increasingly popular in education to help students grasp complicated concepts. Children learn better if the topics are explained to them in a visual format. There is immense potential in AR. That said, only 10% of schools use AR in classrooms.
With the adoption of Augmented Reality, teachers can create immersive learning experiences on their own, teach new skills, introduce students to tough topics, and inspire their minds to explore new interests. Educational institutions that adopt AR have been successful in bringing lessons to life and enhancing the learning experience. It is estimated that by 2025, there would be nearly $4.3 billion users of AR worldwide.
4. Take the blended learning route
While technology helps to improve learning outcomes, it is no replacement for human interactions. This is why many educational institutions turn to the blended learning approach.
1. Virtual reality in education
Virtual Reality (VR) is a pathbreaking technology designed to improve student learning and engagement. VR can make knowledge transfer quick, simple, and effective. VR works by creating a virtual world (a simulation of the real world or an imaginary world) where users can not only see it but interact with it. With virtual reality, students can explore complex topics that are alien to them and see how things work together.
By 2026, the global market valuation of VR in education is projected to hit USD 13,098.2 million. VR in education works wonders for students to break free from mundane classroom lessons. It transforms the way learning content is delivered enabling students to interact in a computer-generated world of imagery and sounds.
2. Power the learning journey with data analytics
As the volume of data increases, you need to reinvent data supply chains to stay ahead of the curve. By combining AI technologies like machine learning with search and analytics, you can unlock the hidden value within your student data and deliver transformative learning outcomes. Above all, data analytics fosters a culture of decision making based on clear facts and specific strategies, rather than mere thinking or guesswork.
To Conclude
Education lays the foundation for students to develop the skills and knowledge that they will bank upon for the rest of their lives. As the world continues to evolve due to societal changes or advances in technology, the educational landscape needs to keep up in response to it. Technology can work hand in hand with educators and act as the catalyst of this change, equipping teachers with tools to transform regular classrooms into innovative learning spaces.
To get started on this journey, you need a solution like that of Classe365 with ground-breaking tools backing your educational offering. Classe365 offers top-notch features to streamline your institution’s administrative tasks, manage huge volumes of student data and help you curate innovative and personalized experiences that improve learning outcomes.