Technology has changed pretty much every single aspect of our lives, from self-driving cars to self-ordering fridges, so it’s only natural that this technological revolution would affect the way in which we gather and retain information. We look below at just some of the ways that technology is changing the way that we learn.
Goodbye Chalkboards
Gone are the days where teachers would teach by drawing up lessons on a chalkboard with a half-broken piece of chalk; students are now mostly taught using smart boards. With these new smart boards, teachers are able to create fully interactive lectures and assignments that can be changed as often as needs be.
Alongside this is the rise in the use of tablets in schools. It’s not uncommon now to find tablets in many classrooms allowing the students to follow lesson plans and take notes, or even take their tests online. This increased use of interactive learning helps keep students more engaged within the classroom.
Online Research
The way students now conduct their research has dramatically changed in recent years. Any assignments that needed to be completed or extra research that needed to be performed was mostly done through libraries. Now, while students may still be in the library, it will be most typically using the quiet atmosphere to research what they need online.
It takes seconds to have hundreds of thousands of results from all over the world returned to you, and this change allows students to not only find research much quicker but also to find more research and connections than they may have previously been able to.
Interactive Textbooks
Many students now have their core course material online with interactive textbooks. This allows students to access the information that they need at any time, and they can carry around an unlimited number of textbooks without experiencing any back pain!
Much like the above point of online research, students now have access to a much larger amount of information literally at their fingertips, meaning that research can be conducted on a much larger scale than in previous years.
Applications
Applications, or ‘apps’ as the student lingo goes, are released almost daily for all manner of things. Among these are handy new learning apps such as Babylon, an online translator allowing students to learn over 75 different languages, and BenchPrep, which is an interactive course library that allows students to access hundreds of exam papers and study lessons.
These apps allow students to take their education further than they have previously been able to; they can learn wherever they are and at any time. These apps only serve to add an extra level of assistance to students, helping them to achieve the results that they deserve.
Cloud Based Software
Software like Dropbox allows students to keep every single one of their notes, essays, exam papers, and any other course material stored all digitally online. Similar to the usefulness of interactive textbooks, students no longer need to carry around hundreds of heavy pieces of paper for their research; they can access it instantly from any computer or mobile device. Also much the same as interactive textbooks, this allows students to easily access any past research or notes, allowing for a much quicker and smoother learning process.
If you’re looking for help with any part of your learning, then don’t hesitate to get in contact with us.