The fourth industrial revolution is just around the corner. With it, technology has started to shape almost every aspect of our lives. According to the World Economic Forum, approximately 65% of children joining primary education today will come across professions which do not exist. The research suggests that by the end of 2020, there will be 1.5 million new digital jobs worldwide. There’s a widespread need for modern education systems to adapt to the current technologies. They will help in preparing the young talent to compete with the more challenging environments of tomorrow. With the changing world dynamics, the academic mindset now requires a shift of perception. It needs to learn how to adapt to more modern ways of learning rather than sticking to traditional ways.
We are living in a post technological era where education and technology are developing a mutual bond. A recent Gallup study shows that 81% of teachers and instructors agree with the classroom’s digitalization. In fact, more than 57% of them favor leveraging digital learning tools to create a more personalized learning environment for students. This indicates a major number of teachers believe gadgets & devices are effective for promoting better engagement and more in depth learning. Today, more than 99% of students have a smartphone and using digital technology for learning has become a widely recognized concept.
Wondering how technology is breaking new grounds? Here is a closer look at technology’s role in modern-day education settings. Here’s how it is all set to shape the future of education.
Role of LMS (Learning Management System) in Modern Education
In the current scheme of things, LMS has gained increased popularity in the education sector. LMS or Learning Management System is a software application for reporting, tracking, and sharing learning courses and sessions. LMS first became common in educational institutes with digitalization coming in effect. During the covid 19 outbreak, the need for distant learning re-instigated LMS in the digital landscape.
Teaching through LMS offers a very sophisticated way of individualized learning. The first-ever LMS was FirstClass by SoftArc. The teaching programs across Europe applied this software to enhance their learning systems. However, the fully-featured and stabilized LMS was EKKO developed by Norway’s NKI Distance Education Network in 1991. With the passage of time, it has evolved.
LMS has the capability to create the best virtual classroom experience for both teachers and students. In a few years, LMS will evolve into better technology by introducing more robust AI-based programs. Expectations are that LMS will be widely adapted, capable of making independent decisions.
Projectors and Visual Connectivity
Visual representations have a stronger appeal to minds than words. According to Dr Lynell Burmark, a visual literacy expert, “Images go directly into long-term memory where they are indelibly etched.” Therefore, projectors and graphical images enhance the learning experience, interaction, and motivation of students.
In the modern world, projection technologies have also been evolving. STEM has been working on post-COVID-19 immersion technologies. The STEM immersion studio creates a seamless virtual experience for students using Igloo virtual reality (VR) programs. The studio has three-sixty-degree projection units harmonized to produce unified projections around students. Inside the studio, the students can develop diversified content and convert it into 4D data. With this new immersion technology, students will be able to explore everything in an immersive setting.
Digital Footprints
The digital media and the educational world have developed a mutual connection over the past few years. The penetration of digital media in the academic world opens new gates for learning. With social media becoming a popular tool of the trade, students are interconnected around the clock. In short, class teachers are able to create compound groups allowing students to brew up the perfect learning environments. Besides social media, there are now learning management systems which are becoming quite the tool of the trade for students.
Such online platforms enable students to share different perspectives of solving problems and taking a combined approach towards formulating solutions for complex problems. As digital means are evolving, there will be more digitized sources for students to assist them in creative learning.
How ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Is Shaping modern Education
ICT tools can manage various elements of the education system. Schools and other educational institutes use Information and Communication Technology to create, store, broadcast, and communicate heaps of relevant information among students and other governing bodies. It is leveraging more than just information sharing because with ICT, teachers are now capable of educating students through modern means. Instead of using the usual black board or white board, teachers can now instruct students using digital boards. It further allows students to use their own digital devices to interact with learning sessions in real-time. With AR/VR technologies, teachers are also capable of creating immersive learning experiences for students. Now may a student be at home or a remote location, he can feel as much a part of the classroom as the one attending.
When educators are familiar with using ICT tools, such teaching methods promote creative thinking. In a way, teachers develop a channel where students can better express their understanding.
Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology (AT) refers to systems or pieces of equipment that can enhance an individual’s learning and functional abilities. Thus, the combination of assistive technology with modern day education can incredibly benefit students who have impaired listening or other such disabilities. With such technologies, teachers become capable of creating better classrooms with more convenient learning environments.
One of the best benefits of assistive technology is that it helps disabled students, especially the ones who are dyslexic. There are multiple students who are incapable of properly reading or writing. In fact, many have impaired listening and are unable to listen clearly in classrooms. For such students, assistive technologies can help in establishing a better form of communication. Students who are dyslexic or visually impaired can fulfill their voids by leveraging the power of AT. It can offer them a better learning experience.
Adaptive tools help students with special needs to grow in terms of participation, independence, and achievements. They do not aim to provide them with an unfair advantage but rather give them access to independent learning. In short, such devices help boost the physical and mental strength of disable students so they can perform better.
future of modern education
It is without a doubt, technology is playing a massive role in transforming the way we lead our lives. Today, technologies have advanced and it has become a deep-rooted part of our lives. We are more than dependent on technology as we weren’t ever. With so much advancements taking place, we often find ourselves at the brink of wondering what enigmas the future holds. Will smart learning machines equipped with AI and ML based algorithms become a more constant part of our lives? If so, how’s it going to change our perceptions? Will we become more dependent on the machines or vice versa? For now, it is automating processes effectively and making them more systematized.