How Technology Has Changed The Classroom
What are the things that come into your mind whenever you think of a classroom? If you are someone who grew up in the nineties and early millennial change, then the dull blackboard and heavy backpacks are your grim memories. The classroom has changed and the blackboard has been pushed into the less-frequented corner of the room. Technology has invaded the place making education a fun thing and of course, easier for the students.
Education institutes should admit it that the students of today’s world are a tech savvy one and to make them be interested in the subjects, they must adapt to using technology as a means of learning. There are a lot of ways how technology has made education easier and better. Now it is possible for students to be more actively associated with teachers. Let us look at some of the ways that technology has changed the concept of traditional classroom.
- Rise of interactive textbooks
Textbooks are no longer a collection of boring plain text pages. It has evolved into something which is fun and interactive. They are web or application based and visually appealing. The use of iPads and tablets in the classroom is becoming more prominent. Some of the biggest publishing houses like Pearson and Random House are venturing into this field and creating interactive books that will revolutionise the way of teaching. These books provide students with interactive videos on different subjects and slides that will help in a step-by-step learning.
- The ‘flipped’ classroom
Gone are the days when students were expected to note down everything the teacher wrote in the blackboard and rote at home. Flipped classrooms as the name suggests have changed what traditionally classrooms were meant for; from being a place for teaching to a place for doing homework. It has also reversed the role of teachers into being more of a guide. One of the pioneers in this field, Salman Khan, has already shown how this is going to be a very effective method.
In this concept, students learn their subjects at home through online education or more precisely online classrooms. The students come to education institutes to clear their doubts and learn more about the subject instead of devoting their time here learning about the basics. This has also has helped the teachers to lessen their burden, so they can spend equal time with all students and make learning more efficient. This has been possible only due to the embracement of technology in learning.
- Assistive Teaching
Teachers have also benefited a lot from technologies. With the help of visual technologies like 3D projections, 3D holographic projections and virtual reality, teachers can make learning easier for the students. It has already been demonstrated how 3D holographic projections help medical students to understand the anatomy of human bodies better.
There are various technologies which also help teachers to perform better assessment of a student’s strength and weaknesses. This will be easier for them to understand which students need more time in what subjects and teach them accordingly.
- Gaming as a form of learning
This may come as a surprise to a lot, but yes, gaming has also become a platform for interactive learning. No you have got an excuse for your parents whenever you are caught playing games. Jokes apart! To get students interested, games have also been developed that will provide a fun way of learning.
Though, its use is still being questioned as it may lead to less concentration on the real learning purpose. I hope in the future it will be developed in such a way that it will provide the right type of interaction and include the greater purpose of learning.
Technology is surely going to change the outlook of a classroom and learning is going to be a more effective process in the future.
Author Bio
Hasib is a professional writer working with one of the top job sites in India and often writes on education and career. He is an avid reader and lives for two things – football and food. If he is not involved in any of those, you can find him contemplating existential issues. Follow him @ twitter, Google+, LinkedIn