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Technology has been driving education since the invention of the printing press in the 15th century. Once books could be printed on a mass scale, it created an infrastructure for higher learning open to the public. The industrial revolution contributed to education with the rise of electrical machines that sped up communication and documented events. Now the digital revolution opens the door to a wider range of educational possibilities for both educators and students.
One of the most essential ways an online school can connect with a student is through reading app development. Book retailer Barnes & Noble was able to take 27% market share of the eBook market by developing its own e-reader device called Nook to compete with Amazon’s Kindle and other rivals. Although the rise of smartphones with easy-to-read screens has taken a bite out of the e-reader market, consumers still have a need for apps that allow for the easy buying and reading of eBooks.
Not only can people learn through eBooks, several other technological developments have modernized education. The pandemic forced many universities to speed up adoption of online classes, which can potentially save millions of dollars for colleges. Multimedia is becoming an essential part of the established education system, as webinars and other live-streaming events make learning from home more convenient. Handicapped students have benefited enormously from alternative ways to deliver content, such as audio streams for blind people and video streams with transcriptions for the hearing-impaired.
Ways Technology Helps Education
– Digital Simulations And Models: The concept of “digital twins” allows various industries to test out new prototypes. Simulating a physical environment on a virtual portal allows students to learn from A/B testing remotely at their own convenience. Virtual experiences that simulate the physical world through a headset can give students hands-on education in a more cost-effective manner.
– Expands learning capacity: Students can learn a higher volume of information in a shorter time with computing devices compared to without them. A search engine that indexes the internet or a database can provide instant information at a student’s fingertips. Fast fact-finding on a smart device from any location eliminates the time and money involved with transportation that cuts into learning time. There’s also less pressure to cram learning into a rigid time frame now that students can set their own schedules thanks to the cloud.
– Opportunities for project-based learning: Cloud technology has made it possible for educators and students to interact with each other and collaborate from remote locations. Project Based Learning (PBL) is a learning method for students to gain knowledge from a project over an extended time frame. It involves creating a model that can be demonstrated or used for real-world applications.
– Improved Communication: The speed and quality of digital communication continuously improves, particularly with the advent of 5G networking technology. Various digital communication channels now exist to facilitate both live and on-demand engagement. Interactive video conferencing has played a huge role in the transformation toward online classrooms. Learning from a YouTube video allows the student to listen and watch a presentation again if they misunderstood the message or demonstration.
– Advanced Research: The ability to store vast amounts of data in databases and cloud resources has made research more seamless and flexible. Search tools are very important for giving students instant access to knowledge-building content from comprehensive information sources. Knowledge that used to take months of library research can now be found in a matter of seconds. Several online educational platforms have emerged in recent years to help both schools and students improve education. These applications include Google Classroom, Docebo, WizIQ, Adobe Captivate and Blackboard Learn. A learning management system (LMS) allows educators to create their own online course through platforms such as Udemy, Coursera and Skillshare.
– Effective Assessments: – Teachers using online resources have high visibility of a student’s progress. Attendance and participation can be time-stamped digitally to review how much effort the student puts into learning. Tests can be conducted, graded and reported to the students through digital methods, which improves the accuracy of grading and gives educators much data to work with in evaluating student progress. Instructors used to spend days grading tests after they were turned in but now real-time computing produces same-day results.
– Learning At One’s Own Pace: – Students dialed into the cloud using remote devices can access online curriculum resources any time of day. This flexibility outside of campus hours allows students to learn at their own pace while holding down a job or raising kids. Giving students more control of their schedule allows them to earn and learn at the same time, easing the pressure and anxiety that develops from facing student loan debt. Usually the more simplistic a learning platform is for students, the faster they can get to studying the curriculum instead of the tech manual.
– Online Groups Collaboration: – Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) allow schools to provide a secure online collaborative environment. Students can work on projects together with guidance from educators as needed through email, messaging, chat and other digital communication channels. Adopting an online content management system (CMS) is the key to bringing teachers and students together for group projects.
Conclusion
Technological advancements available to learning institutions are redefining the education process. The pandemic triggered a wave of wider dependence on the concept of online learning from home. In that sense the internet has protected many schools from closing while allowing universities to cut costs and deal with tighter budgets. The writing on the wall is that education is becoming much more digital, agile, flexible and more convenient for students.
The quality of online communication has tremendously improved in recent years due to faster processing power, higher internet speeds and broader digital storage capacity. Students can learn on their own personal devices, making the online classroom experience more comfortable. Ultimately, modern user-friendly technology can accelerate learning curves and cut high education costs.
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