is a curated selection of articles on making effective use of education technology to drive improved school practices, part of EL Topic Select series.
Students often thrive when participating in oral discussions and real-time responses. Digital tools that facilitate different response methods enable each student to contribute his or her unique thought process.
eLearning
Many of us are familiar with eLearning tools like virtual classrooms that enable team members to attend class lectures remotely; however, it's important to remember that eLearning encompasses an array of tools and use cases.
Educators can utilize various tools to foster student learning and engagement by providing engaging content such as multimedia/simulations/gamification and quizzes that hold learners' interest while helping retain knowledge.
Teachers can leverage educational technologies to streamline administrative tasks like attendance tracking and grading, freeing them up time to focus on teaching and supporting their students. Furthermore, educators can utilize student progress monitoring technology to understand which topics are engaging or challenging for their students, then pair academic superstars as mentors for struggling classmates. AI-powered educational technology also supports deeper learning experiences as well as intelligent tutoring services.
Virtual Classrooms
Virtual classrooms are online learning environments that mimic an in-person class with instructor and students, providing easy access to students regardless of location or schedule.
Virtual classrooms typically feature real-time audio and video streaming, public and private chat functions, file sharing capabilities, digital whiteboarding to facilitate collaborative lessons, participation controls such as the "raised hands" icon and written lesson materials that can be downloaded or printed out for offline reading.
Virtual classrooms can be used to teach a range of subjects and grade levels. Their flexibility in higher education enables virtual classrooms to reach non-traditional students who struggle with traditional in-person classes; virtual classes also foster teamwork skills essential for future workforce success and lifelong learning; in addition, students may review pre-recorded videos from their courses as well as take quizzes again whenever desired to expand their understanding of course materials.
Collaborative Learning
Collaboration is one of the most effective learning strategies, enabling students to engage in meaningful dialogue, build mutual understanding and deep critical reflections, promote active engagement and increase retention and achievement (Barkley, Major & Cross 2014).
Collaboration in the classroom takes many forms. Common examples include group assignments and projects, online discussions or meetings, shared documents and shared documents. The best collaborative learning experiences involve real-world tasks with projects focusing on communication, negotiation and allowing students to express and defend their opinions.
Collaborative learning benefits students of various ages, beliefs and educational levels by offering multiple perspectives in solving a problem or answering a query. However, successful collaboration requires excellent listening skills and patience - particularly within small groups of 3-5 pupils where each is responsible for an outcome together.
Personalized Learning
Personalized learning takes advantage of the wide array of educational technology tools currently available to create a unique classroom experience for each learner. Based on the principle that learners are most engaged when training material resonates with their existing knowledge, experiences, and abilities.
For example, if a child were asked to describe the components of an electronics component without any context from prior knowledge or personal experience, they likely wouldn't understand its concept as quickly and would quickly check out. But if shown how that component fits into its larger context and context for understanding would increase significantly.
An approach like this allows educators to understand each student's knowledge and ability more fully, which allows them to tailor their teaching accordingly. Furthermore, this type of classroom practice encourages students to pursue their own interests while creating a more collaborative atmosphere - essential components in developing communication skills and self-advocacy that result in improved classroom performance.
