How Technological Tools are Transforming Twenty First Century Education

February 12, 2023
Anusiem Ikenna
Education,
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Technological tools are really transforming education. It is no longer business as usual, every sector is feeling the impact of technology and the sector of education is not left out.

This article goes in detail to highlight some of the technological tools that are transforming today’s education. We are going to end the article by predicting what education will look like in the future, resulting from the surging wave of technology in this twenty-first century.

Education Before the Advent of Technology and Technological tools

Before we talk about the awesome technological tools that are transforming education, let’s take a peep into what formal education looked like in the past

I won’t trace it very back to the Stone Age, when hunters gather school children and teach them the track of deer and the hoofs of a horse.

Prior to the introduction of these technological tools, formal Education was a tedious cycle. It was the instructor who was reading relics from old history books to pupils who were uninterested in the entire affair.

There are items such as the chalk board, chalk, and many more equipments that have made the notion of education more of a nightmare than an exciting one.

There were several constraints to knowledge acquisition and transfer. Classrooms must function physically, with tutors standing in front of pupils to instruct. If something prevents the tutor from arriving, that's the end of the school day.

Technological Tools that are Transforming Education

YouTube

YouTube is full of innovative films that may assist your visual learners in understanding things such as arithmetic, coding, and science. Account management is simple and may be linked to your Google account. Teachers now use this online tool to make their own customized training films for their schools or to assemble clips into subject-matter playlists. Youtube daily proves its importance in the twenty-first century education.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is another technological tool that is transforming education from what we used to know to a wonder to behold.

Virtual reality aids in the enhancement of student learning and engagement. VR education has revolutionized the way educational information is presented; it is based on the idea of creating a virtual environment — real or imagined — and allowing students to not only observe but also interact with it. Immersion in what you're studying encourages you to completely comprehend it. Processing the information will require less cognitive work.

Smart Boards

The variety of "smartboards" being used in schools go one step beyond interactive projectors.

Some smartboards function exactly like a whiteboard, enabling users to annotate on using physical or digital markers. Then, smartboards advance from their plain whiteboard forebears by recording what is written or transforming a digital marker line into an actual visual component.

Other variants, such as the Promethean board, are essentially huge touch-enabled digital computer screens. These screens are only limited by your creativity. Students can modify photographs, direct an online adventure, or control an Arctic Circle camera.

Even better, they can be mirrored over the internet, allowing students to participate from anywhere with an internet connection.

Laptops and Mobile Devices

There is no need of doubting the impact that mobile gadgets and laptops have made in today’s education. It might not be wrong to say that the technological tools in this category have contributed much in educational transformation.

Mobile gadgets have acquired usefulness and significance in the classroom in recent years. These gadgets are especially essential in classes where professors have experimented with "flipped classrooms," a teaching method in which students watch recordings of lectures outside of class and complete homework in class.

Digital Books

Digital books have also contributed in transforming education. As some schools reduce their reliance on costly physical textbooks, digital textbooks are becoming increasingly important. Some schools go beyond just using a new format for educational texts.

California began replacing some high school textbooks with "open-source" digital texts in 2009. According to Boundless, students at half of the institutions in the United States have utilized their free digital textbooks.

At first, digital textbooks were essentially old textbooks in digital form. Nowadays, digital equivalents resemble online databases or applications more than their paper counterparts.

E-learning Platforms

In networked learning environments, digital education platforms represent a new kind of teacher's helper. These programs' features include the ability for students to submit their work online, automatic grading of some tasks, and early warning alerts to teachers if a particular student appears to be having difficulty.

By projecting the student's screen on their own device, teachers in networked classrooms may view a student's work as it is being completed.

Even while this development isn't as visibly visible as an ELMO control center or a smart table, it is swiftly becoming into the digital framework for education of the future.

Numerous top authorities in the area are debating the viability and proper application of networked learning environments.

Kahoot

Kahoot! is a useful program that allows students to design in-class surveys and quizzes. This is useful for gathering data for graphing tasks, research essays, and comments from peers. Kahoot! is compatible with a variety of devices and offers a game-like atmosphere that will keep kids engaged.

Classcraft

Classcraft employs the same game ideas in order to involve students in the educational process and create a more harmonious learning atmosphere. The platform enables students to collaborate while they improve their academic and social abilities. Classcraft is both free and has a commercial edition that provides teachers with a slew of additional capabilities.

Designers understand that children learn best via play, which is why they have created educational games and activities that engage the young brain and transfer knowledge. Teachers may assist their pupils develop a passion of studying by engaging them and immersing them in the subject in an enjoyable way.

Conclusion

Technological tools are transforming education. The future of technology in education is going to be more wowing. The present is already thrilling, so the future is left for imagination. These technological tools I listed above are awesome, and if you think there are other tools that should make the list, you can mention them in the comment section below.

Reference

technologyforlearners.com - Technology for learners

How Technological Tools are Transforming Twenty First Century Education