5 Ways Education Technology Can Make Learning More Fun
TechsPlace | Without a doubt, learning has always been dull and attention-seeking, especially if you’re a student sitting in a classroom staring at the empty walls with your mind taking your somewhere else. There used to be a time when education and learning was a priority for everybody when parents would send their children to educate themselves, to learn from everything they could see. Still, sadly those times well pass now and these days’ education and learning are only as relevant as the grades are concerned.
This grade-based trend is taking out the learning from the core concept of education, contrary to good old days when education was learning-driven. Now it’s grade-driven, and this horrible trend is killing students’ interest in education.
If this goes on any longer, then there won’t be any creativity left in young minds, and this could potentially destroy the purpose of what education and learning were meant to be. However, not all hopes are lost; this can also be changed. If we can’t make the grades irreverent, then we can make the education-for-grades a bit more engaging for students so they might learn more efficiently.
One of the ways to achieve this goal is to introduce Education Technology. Now we might jump to a conclusion that how is that even possible? Or aren’t technology and gadgets the ultimate source of why students don’t study these days? But these concerns are only lame and obsolete.
This is the 21st century, the century of innovation and technology. If we look around each other, then we’ll see everything trapped within the claws of modern tech, whether it’s banking structure of communications, the transportation industry, or even the sensitive departments such as the military – they are all using and adjusting modern tech to their needs.
So, why can’t the same thing be done for the Education department? Why do we always have to assume the negativity about a new idea? We all know that the Education department is not all immune to technology, fortunately, there is some tech in our learning process, but the point is it is not enough. We can, and we should do more, and with this pandemic bringing the world to a still while shutting the schools and other educational institutions, the need for technology in education is felt more than ever before.
This will not only enhance the education standards but will surely make it more fun to learn. Here are some of the ways tech can be used to make the learning process more fun.
- Learn at your will:
Freedom is something that every person craves for, it is our fundamental right and no one should be allowed to take it away from us. The same concept can be applied here in our case too.
A student must be allowed to learn whenever he or she wants and wherever he or she wants. There should not be any restrictions or barriers when it comes to learning. If we ought to encourage creativity then we must let the creative mind pick up whenever he wants and technology can help us with that. Video lessons, tutorials, or digital notes can be provided to students on their devices so they can access them at their convince.
- Collaboration made easy
Technology can enhance participation which would lead to collaboration. It is very firmly believed that what a team can achieve a person can’t. Collaboration and working with each other is the fundamental nature of being a human. As Aristotle said, “Man is by nature a social animal” meaning we are bound to interact with each other, so what if we could exploit our nature into our education system through technology.
In these testing times during the outbreak of coronavirus staying home is advised, but many websites and apps allow every form of collaboration, and students can exploit them. Websites like Zoom, Slack, or Skype are the easiest ways to collaborate with a number of people.
- Accessibility
One thing that everybody will get behind when it comes to the advantages of technology is that it has made everything accessible. From shopping online to reading online and exploring the history and learning about something that would have happened in the 18th century through a few clicks. Technology has made everything accessible at the distance of a few clicks on your mobile, tab, or laptop.
Innovative applied interaction design research shows how data visualization, musical scoring, interactive maps of the time, and documentary-inspired visualizations can bring the book pages of history to life, which makes the learning experience incredibly engaging and fascinating. One prime example of it is History Adventures, a non-profit organization that has created an interactive book application that makes learning history fun and engaging with the help of 3D experiences.
- More Engagement
Just to let you know how engaging EdTech can be, think of your child being hooked up to his mobile device. Now the same child will be using similar tech only this time for the sole purpose of learning and educating himself.
- New Skills
While exploring and using new tech every day, students would eventually learn new skills. Everyone will have a basic knowledge of how computers or mobile phones work, how the internet works. Moreover, everyone will know how we can spend our time productively.
In short, technology is what we make out of it, and it is without the best tool for us to make education and learning fun.
Associate Professor of Digital Media Design at Northwestern University in Qatar and Founder of History Adventures. Founder of the four-time Webby Award-winning game media studio, GameZombie TV; Founder of Dubai Wave, and co-founder of the Media Arts & Game Dev studio at UW.
