5 Recent Advances in Educational
Technology
Imagine
going to school without getting out of bed. According to an article at washingtonpost.com, its
actually not that uncommon - "70,000 school-age children wake up each
morning for class and walk as far as the nearest Web-enabled gadget…"
which is sometimes sitting at the side of their bed in the form of a laptop or tablet.
It’s amazing to think about how 20 years ago, personal computers were only just
beginning and now, it’s within arm’s reach of the majority of the youth in
America. Educational technology seems to be progressing at warp speed, with new
advances emerging every single day.
Classroom Management Software
Course management
systems (CMS) are designed to provide a platform for teachers to reach
thousands of students all at one time in one course. They allow for quizzes to
be given through its platform along with the ability to create interactive
forums with information provided from a myriad of different resources. They can
be used to save time for both students and educators while accomplishing the
feel of a one-on-one learning environment. Learning how to reach masses all at
once is educational innovation at its best.
Learning Management Systems
Teachers and
professors alike are always looking for ways to engage students and expand
learning opportunities. Especially in higher education, where the need to offer
classes outside of the classroom as well as offset campus overcrowding is more
concerning, Learning Management Systems (LMS) have really improved upon
opportunities to reach more students. These tools allow for more collaborative
class settings on or off-line. For
example, if you have an overly large group of students where it is difficult to
have personal one on one time with each, LMS makes it possible to create lesson
plans via video or wiki as well as track content through blogs and other easily
accessible tools. This allows for more of an exclusive interaction. With LMS
the internet keeps you connected in or outside the classroom. For more on LMS,
click here.
Classroom Audio Systems
Studies have
shown that one of the main issues students have with learning in a classroom is
that they often cannot hear the instruction as well as is needed. Classroom
audio systems provide the ability for teachers to project their voices loud and
clear to all who are intended to hear. Teachers use this innovation to reach
students at a level that they otherwise would not be able to do. This fairly
recent development in the classroom has led to an unprecedented rise in test
scores for all who experienced the effects before and after.
Field Trip App
New
applications for computers, smart phones and iPads are surfacing every day.
There are learning apps for just about every subject there is. The field trip
app, for instance, helps to educate students on their surrounding areas. It
provides historical significance, useful fun facts, and other educational
information for practically any field trip destination.
Using Cloud Computing for Educational
Technology
Another
relatively new advancement in the field of education technology is the use of
cloud computing to store documents. Google Docs, for instance, recently
transitioned to Google Drive – a place to store Word, Excel and PowerPoint
documents for retrieval anywhere that has access to an internet connection. No
longer is forgetting a homework assignment even possible with this relatively
new cloud computing technology.
Adaptive
learning is not necessarily a new concept; however, the realization of this
concept is in fact relatively new. Innovative teachers use this technology to
help them cater to personalized learning for students in need of more help than
average. This means the development of tests and skill instruction is created
specifically to cater to each individual’s exact learning needs. It is
available for all ages, in all levels of learning and appears to be a
fast-growing capability for innovative educators seeking technology to increase
the effects of their teaching.
Author Bio
David
Malmborg works with Dell. When he isn’t working he enjoys hiking, spending time
with family and researching new technology. He is currently learning more about
cloud computing and recommends visiting the dell.com for more information.
