The only thing constant about anything is change. This is why year in year out, people discover new ways to do things, almost every aspect of human living. Before we had the postal, mail, telegraph and fax machine helped us in transferring information from one person to another. Now, all these modes of information transfer have become relics of history as the email and the internet have become more dominant. This is just one example out of hundreds of millions of ways new technologies have transformed the way we see things. Education is a very important part of human civilization and the wave of digital transformations did not miss it. In fact, it can be said that education is one of the sectors most impacted by the wave of digital transformations in the past few decades. Currently, all you have to do to learn about anything is to google it.
Formal learning has basically become digital. We have upgraded from the traditional classroom to virtual classrooms over the internet. Also, you can even get an online course help to aid your understanding of the subject matter taught in class.
And it doesn’t just end there! Technological firms are making more and more exciting upgrades to the existing technologies that make learning easier.
In some parts of the world, Augmented or Virtual Reality has been adapted into the educational system to help the learning experience of students. Students can now actually explore or experience things like history and travel without necessarily leaving their classroom.
Platforms like Google Expeditions are looking towards making the AR experience in the classroom more attainable. Already, Google expeditions offer up to a thousand different expeditions, which include tips to the Everest and the Louvre. AR maybe too expensive for the average school or average student. However, VR is more accessible and requires only a mobile phone.
This is a great thing about technology today. Technological adaptations have made it easy for kids who find it difficult to learn the conventional way, to learn in ways more suitable for them. For instance, apps like Dragon Speak can help dyslexics write their papers by just saying it. Thus, not limiting the quality of their answers by their ability to write. Audiobooks have also made learning easy for kids suffering from dyslexia.
Internet of Things has not fully succeeded in making smart cities, However, it has great potential to create smarter and more connected schools. Schools can save energy by using sensors to track traffic on campus and determine where security features like lighting would benefit students. Also, parents can easily know what their children are doing in school using real-time communication tools. These tools would alert parents when their kids are absent from class or when they get an assignment. With IoT, the possibilities seem endless.
AI has also been adapted to the education circuit. AI is being used to create learning management systems that would help generate answers to students while providing a step-by-step guide. This approach to learning has helped the efficiency of students because they can learn anywhere and anytime.
AI is also used to make the learning atmosphere conducive for students. For instance, schools like Deakin University use AI to help freshmen create a very pleasant experience. More universities are beginning to adopt this tech to make students feel relaxed. Thus, reducing freshman stress and increasing retention rate.
Management of school data is much less cumbersome now that everything is digitalized. With the use of Big Data, there are increased opportunities for better data management and analysis in schools.
The level of the incorporation of technology into education is amazing. However, the future looks even better!!
