LEARNING IN THE DIGITAL AGE
In the current era, technology has changed the way people live their lives- it has become an integral part of everyone’s life. Living in a technological era, we should comprehend its impact on our monotonous life. Technology has brought about such a drastic change in everyone’s life that even the thought of life without technology seems to be dreadful since it has played a major role in revolutionizing almost every field in the present day.
Revolution in Education
When we take our vision to the Education field, we can say that technology has brought about a radical alteration in its functioning, and also changed the basic structure of education, making it more effective. Now we see more than 95% of schools and colleges using technology owing to it enhancing the education system.
As we know, academic life can be stressful, with one made to face several hindrances and challenges. In the olden days, students didn’t have resources to make their learning process easy or flexible. Although in this modern era, the impact of technology on education has been positive. It helps students to face their challenges easily and rectify them without any stress. It also enhances the learning process by making it more interactive and collaborative, thereby helping students to better engage with course material.
Rather than memorizing facts, they learn by doing. This could be as simple as taking an online and interactive quiz in class, participating in tech-enabled group discussions, or being involved in educational games, experimenting in a virtual lab, or taking a virtual field trip.
Teaching in the Digital Age
The advancement of technology has helped create endless possibilities for teachers- from using simulation tools to demonstrate how a hurricane develops, to using virtual reality to practice medical procedures. According to EDUCAUSE’s 2013 research study, 76% of the undergraduates said that technology has helped them achieve productive academic outcomes and prepare for future educational goals, while 61% of them said that it has helped them prepare for the placement.
The research also pointed out that technology has become an integral part of learning, especially in computer-based aspects. As technology further unites with education, not only would it help the students through preparing for and achieving their dreams, but also turn the classroom around, giving the students a new and interactive environment.
Embracing Interactive Distance Learning
Online learning, supported by technology, has provided students with flexible learning options- they can create their own schedules and learn online at their convenience, using podcasts and can even connect to virtual classrooms. Online sites like Emerald Insight have made student life better by speeding up the educational process. Students can access research journals at their disposal and no longer have to physically go to libraries. Distance learning websites by Harvard and the University of Oxford have helped create an entirely new educational platform.
Students can download apps like Evernote on their smartphones that act as a digital binder where one can save all their classwork and record lectures. Multiple notebooks can be grouped together into notebook stacks for extra organization. Utilizing Google calendar, students can effortlessly plan and record tasks to do and share their plans with others. They can add all test dates and due dates on Google Calendar in order to keep things in check.
Students can take an interest in various activities and educators can lead conversations using Skype. Skype is now an everyday tool in the classroom tech repertoire of educators working with students of all ages over the world. Numerous educators have now turned to an online forum and are using Skype as an application to draw students into a powerful and viable learning experience.
Learning during the Lockdown
COVID-19 has sent the world into crisis mode. However, amongst the hardships and difficulties, there is an opportunity to modernize- to address inequalities and to harness the power of technology for a greater good.
Putting a nation under lockdown includes closing down most of the schools and colleges, leaving behind only a skeleton crew for the children of laborers. Technology and the internet have made it possible to extend a wider range of educational experiences to children who are confined to their homes.
Social distancing with Remote Learning
Using video conferencing tools like Zoom and Google Meet, teachers, and students connect online. Teachers may use presentations to explain various concepts to the students. Much like a physical classroom, online classes are conducted according to a timetable, with a full schedule provided to the students ahead of time, in order to maintain a routine. Tasks are assigned to the students to keep a check on progress. Learning material is also shared with the students through various means such as WhatsApp broadcast groups.
Apart from the classes online, many companies have started online internships due to lockdown and are allowing students to learn. These platforms are collaborating with companies to offer internships with the help of technology through Zoom, Go to Learning, Stream Labs, and Canva. There are many advantages considering the fact that people can learn remotely and work at their convenience, which saves time and increases productivity.
Education is an essential aspect of human life. In fact, education is what sets us apart from the rest of the Animal Kingdom. Teaching the young is something we do to help them to understand the world, make better choices, and pass on knowledge to the next generation. While education is an instinctive drive, that doesn’t mean we can’t improve upon it. We indeed have for thousands of years. As technology has advanced, we have inevitably used those developments for the betterment of the future and will continue to do so. Technology has changed the face of education from various viewpoints. The Web has made learning reasonable and open to nearly everybody eager to learn. These innovations have allowed students to get world-class education to help them flourish in the 21st-century. Education is what leads us to make such advances. We must ensure that education is as advanced as ever to take us into a brighter future.
