If you have read Arabian Nights, then you are definitely familiar with the character of Genie, and how he was capable of bringing drastic transformation for people who owned the magic lamp. Cut to reality, having technology is, in fact, a worthy alternative of having a Genie at your disposal.
Technology is the driving force of the world, and it has rapidly transformed every sphere known to mankind, most significantly the sphere of education.
Let’s delve into the technological innovations that boosted accountability in education.
1. Enhanced accessibility of different learning methods
The fact that technology has indelibly influenced education is evident from the way it has become easily accessible to common people. What was merely a possibility a few decades ago is now a reality. It’s now extremely simple for anyone to acquire a formal education, thanks to a flurry of online courses that are available across different platforms.
Also, there are establishments that thrive by providing all their courses online (Think Coursera or Hubspot). This automatically makes things a lot easier for anyone to avail a suitable educational course online.
2. Introducing newer content as learning materials
With the help of technology, learners from different parts of the world can procure new content as their study materials with a few simple clicks. For instance, they can find the e-bookversions of different websites, any time. Even though some of the free digital alternatives don’t come with the complete versions, they still make it easy for students to access newer and relevant content online.
EBooks continue to revolutionize the way students avail and consume the content as part of the education process.
3. The mobile-first learning method
Mobile learning technology and applicationsallow the learners to go through the learning materials straight from their Smartphone. The emergence of mobile learning can be attributed to the changes that came with internet accessibility. In the not-so-distant past, reputed tech organizations like Google and other organizations had emphasized on the growing significance of the mobile technology. These organizations firmly believe that people are more inclined towards using mobile devices to access the internet. In fact, there’s been a great deal of emphasis on creating content that is thoroughly optimized and suitable for consumption through the mobile screens.
Such transformations are having a profound impact on the process of education in multiple ways. Today, thedevelopers and content creators too have become sensitive to the importance of mobile technology, and are developing mobile-driven learning apps and contents, respectively.
4. Assessments made easy
Technology has made it possible for institutions to carry outan online assessment of the students. Computer software enablesthe teachers to acquire real-time details of assessmentfrom their students. “With the help of such technologies, each time the teacher assigns a task, he or she can monitor how far the students have progressed, how much time they devote on each question, and whether they are improving or not”, Says Miranda Olsen, a middle-school teacher and academic expert for Essaygator.com.
Aside from the obvious element of flexibility, e-assessments, as they are now usually recognized, have earnedthe reputation of being extremely impartial and impactful.
With this data, the teachers can evaluate whether the students are having a tough time with a specific concept, and can offer their insights to help the students’ to perform better.In fact, students can also use e-assessments to check their performance.
5. The ease of conducting research
With the widespread implementation of the cloud-based technology to store information, performing research for any assignment has now become extremely convenient and efficient. Unlike the time when technology wasn’t so prevalent, research doesn’t involve flipping through pages after pages of different books. This process has been made simple by the internet and various search engines.
There is more time to grasp the new insights and ideas because research processes have become time-efficient. This is one of the most obvious advantages of technology in a student’s life. When all else fails, there’s Google.
6. The invasion of virtual reality
You must have seen those futuristic cartoons where video screen conversations used to take place. Well, thanks to technology, this has become a reality now. Today we have FaceTime, Google Duo, and other popular video tools for real-time interactions.
In fact, Google has already created VR devices, which will make field trips to the Sahara and other significant geographical location a “reality” for students who can’t leave their classrooms in the cities. These devices will also allow the students to gain a better knowledge on the subject matter that lectures, illustrations, and whiteboards cannot convey.
7. Learning for life
You may have heard the adage, “never stop learning”. Today, technology actually makes it possible. People will no longer forget everything about their college/university curriculum the moment they passed out. In the present knowledge-driven landscape, it’s important for individuals to acquire new skills. Needless to say, learning is now an integral part of life.
Often, emerging life issues compel individuals to acquire new skills. The good news is that with the emergence of advanced technology-based educational courses also known as MOOCs, individuals can gain adequate knowledge about almost anything, at any time. So, technology has truly made learning into something that can be pursued throughout one’s life.
8. Storytelling through multimedia
Allowing the students to learn through multimedia projects is not only an innovative form of project-based learning that promotes teamwork, but it’s also a great way to encourage the students who are enthusiastic about creating and showing the same to the world.
Visuals and graphics are more impactful as compared to written or verbal logic that causes people to come to a decision. Whether it’s about going on vacations, or voting, these decisions are now influenced by multimedia that engages all of the senses and brings out the appropriate reactions.
9. Catering to the special needs in education
For a long time, special needs have been a crucial issue in education. It’s not uncommon for the traditional classroom setup to be against the interests of students with special needs. Either way, the highly complicated and often uncompromising procedures that students and teachers have to carry out in the traditional classroom environment are not sufficient to meet the individual needs.
However, the highly interactive, flexible and easily accessible nature of digital learning offers a wonderful opportunity for individuals to learn in ways that address their personal requirements, abilities or even challenges. Moreover, teachers can now adopt various technology apps to assist the students with specific needs to learn better.
In conclusion,
With all the groundbreaking innovations that have been implemented in the educational sector, the process of teaching and learning will be more inclusive in the days to come, thereby elevating the accountability.
