Are you a teacher searching for innovative methods to energize your classroom? Maybe you’re considering new strategies to engage a particularly challenging group of students, or you’re simply curious about the latest technological trends in education.
Today’s students are digital natives, accustomed to interactive screens, cloud technology, and gaming — making the integration of these tools into education a natural step forward.
However, how can you ensure that screen time is effective and educational? And how do you track student progress while providing flexible guidance through your teaching and learning program?
This article delves into the technological advancements that are transforming educational experiences for both teachers and students. We’ll look at how technology is being implemented in classrooms from elementary school through to higher education.
Let’s dive in and explore these developments!
What is education technology?
Educational technology, or EdTech, in the 2020s involves the use of computer hardware and software to enhance the learning process while also enabling teachers to present content in innovative and engaging ways.
EdTech utilizes a variety of digital tools and software to improve the educational experience, including:
- Online and asynchronous learning models
- Digital textbooks
- The use of gamification techniques
- Assistive Music Technology (AMT)
- Cloud-based platforms like Google Docs
- Learning Management Systems with analytics powered by big tech
- Interactive whiteboards
Crucially, EdTech doesn’t confine students to their desks. Instead, a wide array of compatible, cost-effective portable devices and desktop computers are available that make learning more dynamic and interactive.
How has technology impacted the teaching and learning process?
Technology, particularly Educational Technology (EdTech), has been a staple in schools, colleges, and universities for many years, shaping and supporting various aspects of teaching and learning in numerous ways:
Accessibility
Using technology in education goes beyond merely interacting with a computer at a desk, especially since such a method may not be accessible to all students due to physical limitations.
Assistive technologies, including Braille displays, screen readers, and text-to-speech applications, enable students with visual impairments to engage with the same educational content as their peers. Additionally, technologies like voice recognition software and alternative input methods, such as eye-movement scanners, help students with physical disabilities participate more fully and learn more efficiently.
Moreover, the increased affordability and availability of video conferencing tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams allow students facing geographical or mental health challenges to access high-quality education remotely.
MOOCs
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), provided by prestigious institutions like Harvard and Stanford, offer digital learning platforms designed to assist learners who face physical or geographical barriers, enabling them to engage in education without needing to attend in-person classes.
MOOCs not only facilitate broad access to expertly curated educational content but also generate valuable data from each user. This data trail allows the platforms to monitor and assess each learner’s progress effectively.
Remarkably, as early as 2015, nearly half (49%) of students worldwide had participated in an online course during their educational journeys. A subsequent survey by Statista in 2016 found that 81% of college students reported that using digital learning technologies had positively impacted their grades.
Engagement
Technologies like Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), gamification, and multimedia presentations are transforming education by making learning more interactive and engaging. These tools help simplify complex concepts in a fun and accessible manner.
For instance, research conducted at Japan’s Saga University found that students using VR headsets exhibited more than five times the brain activity measured by EEG compared to their peers in traditional classroom settings. The study concluded that VR helps reduce boredom and distractions, thereby enhancing students’ focus on learning.
Personalization
Monitoring the progress of a large group of students can be daunting for a single teacher, and tailoring instruction to meet each student’s unique learning style is even more challenging.
However, adaptive learning technologies offer personalized learning experiences by accommodating the pace of individual learners. This technology enables teachers to fine-tune course content to meet the specific needs of each student.
Adaptive learning technology enhances the customization of educational approaches to address the diverse range of learning styles found within a single classroom.
Examples of adaptive learning methods include:
- Online quizzes that students can take at their own pace, with results automatically reported to teachers via a central database.
- Learning management systems like Blackboard or Moodle that provide a repository for educational materials, facilitate task assignments, integrate plagiarism checking (e.g., TurnItIn), and allow for in-platform grading. This system is ideal for seamless cross-campus integration.
Collaboration
Cloud platforms like Google Docs simplify student collaboration by enabling groups to work together on projects, conduct peer reviews, and share ideas in real time.
Accessible through a basic web browser, Google Docs provides free access to robust word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation tools that multiple users can access simultaneously. This functionality greatly enhances the experience of distance learning and collaborative projects.
Moreover, in Chromium-based browsers such as Chrome and Microsoft Edge, students can utilize the built-in Google Meet feature for real-time video conferencing as they work.
Video-assisted- and asynchronous learning
Asynchronous learning permits the learner and teacher to engage with course content from different locations at different times. And while this is typically suited to Higher Education, interactive video content helps students of all ages and levels gain greater control over their learning. Platforms such as Stornaway allow teachers to create interactive video content controlled by the learner without any coding or prior experience. And while there’s no true substitute for face-to-face delivery, video-assisted learning helps pupils and students with barriers to learning engage more fully in their education.
Potential problems with asynchronous learning
f course, classroom teaching is so satisfying for many of us because we’re in the room with our students, allowing us to monitor progress and development through social interaction. And — for many — delivering classes over Zoom or Teams offers a whole new world of challenge in terms of engagement. So, while asynchronous learning isn’t for every teacher or pupil, it’s essential for engaging hard-to-reach or at-risk pupils.
The digital divide
Of course, this all relies on learners having access to the appropriate equipment and internet access — and children of families on the wrong side of the digital divide are more likely to miss out on the benefits of EdTech. Indeed, Stone Group/Sec Ed identified that the digital divide is a principal barrier to the effective integration of EdTech in schools. And while Ofcom in the UK identified that 99% of school-age children are able to access the internet at home, just under half had a personal tablet or laptop. So, while embracing EdTech is a step forward in classroom learning, there are some issues to consider: All online resources should be compatible with a range of devices, like smartphones and tablet browsers Some schools may need to divert funding to loan appropriate tech to most-in-need learners Using creative approaches, such as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), helps free up essential school tech resources for students who need them most. Digital Textbooks The printed word goes out of date, giving hardcopy textbooks in-built obsolescence. Indeed, facts evolve as scientists and experts continue to research and discover, making old texts redundant. Digital libraries are innately updatable because these platforms often bake updates into their lending license, meaning that your digital library receives the latest version as soon as a new edition is released. And, of course, using Kindles, eReader apps, and electronic desktop content means students no longer need to cart heavy textbooks around the school in their bags.
Digital Textbooks
Physical textbooks quickly become outdated as new discoveries are made, whereas digital textbooks can be updated regularly as part of their licensing agreements, ensuring students always have the most current information.
Digital textbooks also alleviate the physical burden of carrying heavy books, as they can be accessed on devices like Kindles, eReader apps, and computers.
Accommodating Learning Difficulties with Digital Textbooks: Digital textbooks offer adjustable font sizes and display settings to aid students with visual processing disorders such as scotopic sensitivity.
Fonts designed for readability, such as OpenDyslexic, help mitigate the challenges faced by individuals with specific visual sensitivities, making reading more accessible to everyone.
Gamification in Education
Gamification in Education Integrating game-like elements into educational settings is a powerful method to motivate students to enhance key cognitive abilities such as creative problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork.
Moreover, educational gamification adds an element often missing in traditional classroom settings: fun
What is Educational Gamification?
Gamification in education involves using game design elements in learning contexts to make educational material more engaging. This includes competition, the excitement of winning, and the challenge of navigating new environments, similar to video games.
From simple quizzes and flashcards to setting goals, and embarking on virtual treasure hunts, gamifying educational content significantly increases student engagement across all age groups.
Key features of educational gamification include:
- Engaging, colorful graphics that appeal to younger students.
- Logic-based puzzles that enhance problem-solving skills and provide incremental rewards.
- Different levels of achievement that recognize and motivate student progress.
Creating Gamified Content
A fun approach to creating gamified content is through coding, which lets students learn to program and develop their own games and interactive experiences.
Children enjoy coding because they can immediately see the results of their work, whether it’s a game or another type of program, which they can then share with peers.
For instance, CodeMonkey offers structured coding games that teach kids essential programming skills using real coding languages like Python and CoffeeScript, all within a fun, exploratory environment.
Kahoot! is another platform that uses games to promote active learning with both pre-made and customizable content. It allows educators to track student progress through its analytical backend.
Assistive Music Technologies
Traditionally, music education has revolved around acoustic instruments like pianos, violins, and guitars, which can be exclusionary and expensive, requiring a high level of physical skill that not all students possess.
Moreover, traditional instruments can be loud and challenging for the listener.
Thankfully, advancements in music technology have revolutionized this field. Students can now express their musical creativity through:
- Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) like GarageBand, Logic, or Cubase, accessible on computers, tablets, and smartphones.
- Digital instruments and touchscreen synthesizers.
- Assistive music devices such as Makey Makey, SoundBeam, Theremini, and Skoog.
These technologies enable every student to engage with music, regardless of traditional instrumental skills, opening up new avenues for creative expression in music education.
Drake Music’s Assistive Music Technology Programs
Located in the UK, Drake Music is renowned for its leadership in providing accessible music education and fostering creative expression among disabled students who might otherwise be excluded from traditional music-making activities.
Drake Music dispatches skilled project facilitators to Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools across the UK. These facilitators work closely with the unique needs of each student group to create a musical performance that is later shared with the entire school.
Drake employs a variety of Assistive Music Technology (AMT) instruments designed to enable playing, composing, and performing, such as:
- Makey Makey: This inventive controller turns everyday items like bananas and PlayDough into musical instruments, computer controllers, or coding tools.
- SoundBeam: A touch-free device that converts physical movements into sounds, utilizing a sonic beam to allow users to interact with a virtual instrument in three dimensions.
- Theremini: A portable version of the classic Theremin (whose sound was made famous by the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations”), which allows users to manipulate sound through movement around an electrically charged aerial.
Drake Music has been at the forefront of these innovative instruments, earning a reputation as pioneers in expanding creative learning opportunities for all students.
Learning Management Systems
Despite teachers’ limited time, educational institutions often demand high output, and this is where technology, especially Learning Management Systems (LMS), becomes crucial in helping teachers manage their workload efficiently.
Systems like Blackboard and Moodle automate administrative tasks such as grading and marking, track student progress, and provide timely feedback. LMSs support the rapid development and implementation of educational programs and facilitate the creation of extensive course libraries that enhance content delivery. Additionally, these platforms enable real-time monitoring of student engagement.
While these systems cannot replace the essential role of teachers in classrooms, they significantly bolster self-directed study and facilitate student projects, making them indispensable tools in modern education.
Examples of LMSs Learning Management Systems
- Schoology: Resembling a social media platform, Schoology focuses on K-12 education, providing a familiar interface for students and teachers.
- ItsLearning: Known for its extensive content library, this LMS helps educators swiftly develop new course materials.
- Kadenze: Specializing in higher education, Kadenze offers a robust video platform suitable for lectures and scheduled conferencing.
Interactive Whiteboards
The classic chalkboard has evolved into the interactive whiteboard, modernizing the traditional teaching tool with features that include:
- The ability to display videos directly from the web, a computer, or a USB drive.
- Capabilities to mirror devices such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, or desktops, allowing teachers to control presentations, demonstrate applications, and share educational materials.
- Interaction with web content in real-time.
For instance, during a lecture on screenplay writing, a teacher might use an interactive whiteboard to navigate through a presentation, showcase screenplay examples, and display relevant video clips, all seamlessly integrated on one device.
Interactive whiteboards enrich the teaching process, enabling educators to utilize diverse media to captivate their students.
Technological Trends in Education
In an era where students are digital natives, technology and education naturally merge. Enhance your teaching with tools like interactive whiteboards, digital textbooks, and gamification platforms that make learning engaging, intuitive, and memorable.
Furthermore, leverage Learning Management Systems to better manage your workload and alleviate some of the common stresses associated with teaching.
Thank you for reading!
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