Coronavirus has made a massive impact. There’s a lot of debate around the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global economy, and the education sector isn’t far behind. The pandemic has thrown education all over the world in a loop.
The majority of governors in the United States have ordered that statewide school closures should continue for the rest of the academic year to help reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Education institutes across the globe- from IIMs to Harvard are closed. We are witnessing a short-term disruption.
During such testing times, technology has come to the rescue. Teaching has moved online and on an unprecedented scale.
Technology has become an essential part of the learning process for students and professionals. From immersive digital classrooms to online learning, technology is completely reshaping how students are being taught.
Glenda Morgan, a senior research director at Gartner said, “Institutions looking to thrive in the expanding education ecosystem must leverage technology early on that enables them to become more innovative,”
So, let’s look at the ways in which technology is supporting the vision of education and enhancing ways of learning.
Mobile Learning( mLearning)
Mobile learning is a blessing especially in such unprecedented times. mLearning is a form of distance learning which enables learners to make use of educational technology on their mobile devices the way they want.
In many ways, mLearning is better than traditional methods of learning. While there are many notable aspects of mobile learning, one aspect that tops it all is the added convenience for mLearners. mLearning facilitates instant sharing and transfer of educational content and resources which enables instant feedback.
From a learning perspective, various studies show that mLearning is far more successful than traditional approaches to learning. It is largely due to issues such as comfort, peace of mind and input that it provides to learners.
In fact, the mLearning methodology is known to increase examination scores by about 50%- 70% while reducing dropouts in technical fields by 22%.
Another feather in the cap is the use of gadgets for educational purposes. Learning via digital devices provides more space for learners to explore and ask questions. And this approach is much cheaper than traditional classrooms learning setups.
Personalised Learning
The idea behind personalized learning is the use of digital devices, software and learning platforms that provide an incredible variety of options for tailoring education to an individual’s academic strengths and limitations, interests, motivations and personal preferences.
With the use of mobile apps and Learning management systems, it has become rather easy to distribute assignments, manage schedules and track a student’s progress.
Educational applications have become more ‘adaptive’, relying on technology and algorithms to assess not just what a student knows, but also their learning prowess.
Blended Learning
Blended learning programs entail both face-to-face and online learning opportunities. The technique of combining online learning with school-based instruction is often utilised to accommodate the different learning styles of the students and allow them to function in ways that are not possible with full-time traditional classrooms.
Online learning has the potential to increase quality of education by speeding up learning levels, taking advantage of learning time outside school hours, reducing the cost of educational resources, and enabling better use of teacher time.
The use of educational apps in learning can particularly be useful in rural areas, where blended or online learning can help teachers and students overcome distance, and impart quality education. To create robust educational solutions that redefine mLearning, hire an iOS developer that will help you to create an educational app for your children.
Leveraging the power of Big Data and Analytics
Many universities are leveraging big data to find areas of study where students are struggling and intervene before it’s too late. For instance, Dartmouth College developed a smart app to predict GPA based on learning, sleeping, exercising, and face-to-face interactions. This 10-week experiment ran in the background and the students didn’t need to put any manual feedback.
College by Subscription
With the growing popularity of mLearning opportunities, the college by subscription model is coming into the picture. It has the potential to transform how students pay for higher education.
Instead of enrolling, for example, students could subscribe to college, take whatever courses they want, with long-term access to guidance and career assistance, at a monthly charge.
One of the places mulling a subscription model is the Georgia Institute of Technology. The subscription model will provide access to a global network of mentors and counselors to students and help them improve their professional situation or acquire a new skill.
Technology is on the move forever. If we keep an eye out and begin to incorporate smart technology into education, it will become easy to meet and surpass the expectations of students and render a new way of learning that is interactive and immersive.