How digital technologies changed the way we learn
As we have learned how to transform the way we live by working with digital technologies, we have also changed the way we actually learn. We adapt to challenging situations. A very good example is the current COVID situation.
Overall, we seem less able to read a physical book but are fine with a PDF or a blog and a few still know how to use an abacus to learn how to do arithmetic but are great at using a calculator on their mobile. We don’t use paper to write anymore but would rather open a Word document and answer test questions on a platform dedicated to it. The easier, the better. As a result of these and other factors, our attention span has dropped to 8 seconds. However…with the exceptional situation that we have now, this attention span might be more critical than before.
One area that has seen significant development and adapted to our new ways is education — so let’s take a look at the wonders of technology for learning.
As we all know, learning online these days might be one of the best ways to getting a better version of ourselves in all this lockdown situation. Learning has so much to offer and helping the transmission of knowledge is great reason for anyone to go digital — there is no absolutely no age to stop learning and we do it every day unconsciously.
I currently work as an e-learning coordinator at Syngenta , a global agrichemical company made of different brands. I work in Seedcare, where seeds are treated against climatic changes, fungi and insects before being made available to be planted into the soil by farmers across the globe. I also have quite a strong interest in learning generally but with a particular focus on cognitive sciences and adjacent technologies in Training for the best learning experience.
Digital technologies for learning — what is e-learning?
The term was used for the first time 20 years ago, when e-learning was done with…e-mails! But the concept never stopped evolving. Now companies and schools use it and in most cases e-learning is the resource on top of mind when it comes to training. This is even more the case now, as students of all ages had to adapt to continue their school programs.
The concept of e-learning is also linked to the notion of webinars where participants from anywhere can see and hear the presenter, ask questions and act as if they were in the room with them. Webikeo, a French company that provides webinar solutions is a very good example — clear and instructive.
However, podcasts can be a trendy way to learn too! Insights from entrepreneurs, feedbacks from experts of the latest tech products or discussions of political changes are some of the many topics we can learn with the podcasts. I regularly listen to some on Spotify. Here is an audio on how e-sports can be seen as an immersive fan experience, courtesy of the CES 2020 that happened in Las Vegas on January 7th:
In addition, the use of videos has had an important role in learning. From all of these tools came several concepts such as micro-learning, blended learning, etc. The digital learning world imposed itself on the real world.
The Purpose of digital learning: beyond expectations
Let’s come back to the video concept. In this article from CNBC.com, medical students use videos to learn how to do surgical procedures. When you first learn that, how does it make you feel? You might think that it would be okay to learn how to knot his tie or change a bulb using an online video, but learning how to do surgery?
Even before the Covid-19 situation, e-learning has taken such an overwhelming importance that people use it as a first resource. With almost no cost, the possibility to touch everyone around the world at any time is a game-changer. Streamed live or recorded, students in medicine are not the only ones.
How do we distinguish different learning tools? By their efficacy!
If there is one thing that I have learnt in my work, it is that e-learning is not the solution to everything. One of the questions I keep returning to is, ‘Is it enough if we show tutorial videos to all the Seedcare newcomers?’ another question I keep having is, ‘Will we always have fully digital trainings with videos from now on?’
The reality is that video for online training is not always the right solution and it is always good practice to assess other technologies. For instance, if there’s a need to be practical and simulate a particular situation, virtual reality can be a good option. No, I am not talking about cows simulating the perfect meadow to have the perfect environment to create the perfect milk thanks to virtual reality! I am talking about creating an environment so that people can learn in a specific context. Very often used for compliance purposes, the learner can easily see and repeat the right gestures while developing the right mindset in a real-life situation. But virtual reality is bigger than just that and its potential is immense.
How far can it go?
Let me describe it for you. Close your eyes. You are a science student who really needs to deep dive into his anatomy course. You struggle to retain the information because you cannot visualise the details, you cannot see the tendons around a specific part of the body. You need a tool to help you.
One such tool that can give you such a learning experience comes from Z Space, a start-up producing virtual and augmented reality content for training. The scenario I was describing was only an example but a real one which you can see in action here.
Designed as a teaching aid for a variety of audiences from schools through to businesses, the company enables the user to have an in-depth view on any product or element of your choice: whether it is anatomy, engineering, architecture, nothing is a mystery anymore. Z Space is currently building the classroom of the future. The experience is completely different.
From e-mail and learning management systems to virtual and augmented realities, digital technologies have a lot to offer to education. Obviously, now more than ever, e-learning has taken much more importance. However, such as in my company, many hands-on modules can not be completely done digitally, as we tend to remember better by doing. But learning technologies are still improving: Microsoft Teams recently emerged, at the right time with the confinement, universities digitalize their courses by Zoom or with Learning Management Systems (LMS) and interactive sessions are created.
Like the Virtual Reality headset, other technologies will soon appear and further disrupt the market.
Have you used any new and useful tech in a learning context? What was great — and what wasn’t? Also, did you use the lockdown as an opportunity to learn something new? Let us know in the comments and we can share our experience — turning Medium into an e-learning tool!
About this article
This article has been written by a student on the Grenoble Ecole de Management’s Advanced Masters in Digital Business Strategy. As part of a content creation assignment, students are given the task of writing articles based on their digital interests and disseminate the articles online. Articles are marked but we make minimal changes to the content. Thanks for reading! James Barisic, Programme Director, MS DBS.
