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Every industry that has embraced technology with open arms has changed for the better, and education is no exception. Thanks to advancements in tech, teachers are now shaping education in ways traditional text-based learning can’t deliver, resulting in students engaging in more practical learning methods. It was not too long ago that technology-based learning seemed a long way off, but now, it’s a reality in many classrooms worldwide.
Digital learning has become an integral component of the education system, and the following concepts are just some of the trends that are currently prevailing in the EdTech space:
Educational video games
The gamification of learning is nothing new, but previously dismissed as silly in the past, it is now a powerful tool in dispensing knowledge to students. Educators are now leveraging video games to instill concepts into students. As our writer Jeffrey M. Molina mentioned, there are video games out there that can help kids analyze things like math, tech, and art.
Many instructional video games are available on the market that can entertain and educate students. The best thing about it is that games remove the pressure and anxiety of clinching a high grade. The students won’t feel as though they’re pressured to internalize topics and courses, as game-based learning takes an exploratory approach instead of focusing on memorization.
AI-powered voice assistants
Voice assistants are not solely for personal use — educators have also utilized them in the classroom. Voice assistants like Apple’s Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Microsoft Cortana allow students to engage with learning material without the teacher’s intervention.
Students can continue using these devices at home to access conversational interactions with teaching material and receive educational assistance. Meanwhile, students are being handed out voice assistants in colleges and universities instead of traditionally printed handbooks or non-intuitive websites to assist them with campus-related informational needs. This results in reduced resources poured into internal support and decreased the cost of wasteful college handbook printing that usually gets out-of-date fast.
Distance learning tools
Due to the current pandemic challenges, many schools worldwide have migrated to online classrooms. HP describes how applications like Socrative can help educators monitor students’ progress through interactive assessments. After all, collecting student feedback is the only way to find out if they can fully understand what you teach, and the platform and others like it offer a simplified way of doing it. Whether you want immediate evaluations or periodic check-ins, these tools allow you to keep tabs on classroom work to assess how your students are doing and if some are falling through the gaps. With just a few clicks, most distance learning tools also let you create quizzes and polls for your classroom.
Wearable technology for students
Keith Krach states that wearable technology can help keep kids safe. These devices have features that allow users to track students’ locations at school and monitor the whereabouts of campus visitors. Moreover, these items can also be useful in carrying out paperless transactions in the cafeteria, bookstore, and much more, leading to decreased waste, theft, and possibly bullying.
3D printing
Unsurprisingly, 3D printing, or prototyping, is also a powerful tool in redefining education. It allows students to learn with a more tangible and physical experience. eLearning Industry details that 3D printers offer students a way to shape their idea of objects, bringing their ideas to life. 3D printers will also help students get their creative juices flowing and have more hands-on experiences than purely text-based learning. It won’t be a surprise if more technological advancements become core parts of educational experiences in the foreseeable future. Hopefully, these innovations will fulfill various academic needs and enhance students’ learning outcomes.
