Through technology, students' engagement in the classroom can be maximized to the fullest, especially as constant updates to technology provide new avenues for learning and new experiences to broaden students’ horizons.
Schools utilize technology in a wide range of ways in the classroom, which solidifies its relevance in the dynamic educational environment. The importance of allowing students to partake in learning by interacting with technology as it takes over our daily lives cannot be overstated.
So, exactly how does technology impact student learning and engagement?
Technology creates an inclusive environment for all students.
One of the major difficulties of teaching an entire classroom of students is that you have to teach the same material to several people, all of which conduct learning in different ways. By providing a variety of ways to accommodate the needs of each student, technology in schools can address the disparities of the learning experience between students.
Various technology solutions are available for aiding students with various conditions in the classroom, including communication impairment, hearing impairment, learning difficulties, physical impairment, sensory processing, and vision issues. By doing so, every student is able to actively participate and take control of their learning and engagement with technology.
Technology applies life skills to a child’s learning process.
By integrating technology in school, students are able to partake in learning in a way that enhances a variety of important life skills, such as designing, implementing, evaluating, and monitoring various strategies when coupled with technological solutions in order to ensure that they are effective. Students can engage in literacy and numeracy skills in new ways.
Interacting with technology in the classroom on a regular basis gives students the opportunity to learn the logic behind a lot of IT standard operating procedures. Additionally, a lot of technology encourages students to work together to solve problems, learning together or remotely over an internet connection.
Technology attracts students because it has the potential to enhance their engagement. As a result, students are more likely to retain what they are learning if tasks are more interesting to them.
Technology can be used outside of the classroom to promote learning inside of it.
Technology impacts student learning both inside and outside the classroom, even when staff are the ones who use it, such as teachers, office staff, the principal, etc. Technology aids learning in various ways, such as:
- Process streamlining and technology simplifications in school administration.
Providing teachers with the ability to tailor specific areas of their curriculum such as numeracy and literacy.
- Providing teachers with a means to provide information and communicate with students outside of the classroom.
- Support development of teachers as well, by providing them with methods of learning more about their field of teaching.
- Providing all new avenues to transform the teaching process constantly as changes in technology make themselves more readily available.
Technology provides students with remote learning opportunities.
New ways of learning and engagement in the classroom are available to students and teachers through technology in schools. With so many unprecedented events happening nowadays (such as the COVID-19 pandemic forcing teachers and students to conduct their learning from their homes), online learning technology is becoming more and more important.
When students are unable to attend class for any reason, it is necessary to provide them with access to education and learning resources outside the classroom so that they do not miss out on important information. A school can use both hardware (such as laptops and tablets) and software (such as online video conferencing apps, an intranet portal, etc.).
What kinds of technology impact student learning?
Portable Computers (i.e. laptops, tablets, etc.)
Since technology such as computers first entered the classroom, they have provided students with a wealth of learning possibilities. Many people believe that computers can only be used in an IT context, but they are actually capable of assisting students in many different areas, such as literacy, numeracy, science, history, geography, etc.
Students can use technology tailored to their curriculum to personalise their learning experience and engagement outside of the classroom while teachers can limit the applications and websites students may access, ensuring that students are always using school technology appropriately.
Smart Boards
A smart board is a technology centered alternative to the whiteboard used in the classroom. Typically, smart boards are whiteboards that project a computer's interface onto their surface, allowing teachers to interact with the computer using the board and a stylus with the shape and build of a marker.
Using this technology, teachers can present material to students in an interactive and fascinating way and ensure student engagement. Teachers can use technology such as computer applications to engage their students instead of just writing on a whiteboard or drawing on one. Additionally, technology such as smart boards don't require any cleaning, which is an added benefit.
Assistive Peripheries
A student's learning capacity and engagement can be affected by a variety of conditions such as communication impediments, hearing impairments, learning disabilities, physical impairments, sensory processing issues, and vision issues, or a combination of these conditions.
Technology can be used to accommodate these conditions in many different ways, aiding a students’ learning. Among these pieces of technology are communication boards, frequency modulation systems, writing guides and pen grips, ergonomic supports for different parts of the body, fidget toys and wobble chairs, as well as braille and large print books. Students with disabilities will be able to access the same curriculum as everyone else without feeling left out.
Gamification Software
Video games are popular among students. Besides providing users with a sense of achievement as they use technology to tackle obstacles and increase their stats, video games also engage their creativity and proclivity towards escapism.
Many aspects of gaming, such as experience points, level progress, player customization, etc., are applied to educational contexts in the classroom via software. Students who use these kinds of software for their learning get the same engagement and sense of accomplishment, but in an educational setting.
Multimedia Creation Applications
Nowadays, it is easier than ever to create content in the classroom. Making use of that in the classroom is a great way to teach students and ensure their engagement. Not every student wants to learn a subject through essays and notes. Instead, there are software suites that allow students to create all kinds of media, including;
- Videos
- Podcasts
- Photo-collages
- Presentations
- Zines
Using technology to engage students’ creativity is a great way to ensure that they retain information on subjects they’re learning, as it allows them to use their lateral thinking to take in information in a way that best suits them.
Learning Management Systems
Learning Management Systems (LMS) aid in processing, archiving, tracking, reporting, and automating educational courses, training programs, and development programs. There was a reliance on LMS during the COVID-19 pandemic, as online learning became the norm for every classroom.
LMS offers many other benefits, such as allowing students to decide how they will approach their own learning. LMSs also provide students with access to online resources at any time.
Online Conferencing Applications/Social Media Platforms
Similar to Learning Management Systems, these sorts of software have gained a significant amount of traction during the COVID-19 outbreak. Students benefit from this technology as well, since they can connect with teachers when they have to miss school, as well as interact with other students from different schools and countries. Additionally, they encourage students to interact and be social, which is invaluable towards a students’ development.
What technology does Intellischool provide to impact student learning?
Intellischool provides educators and learners with a series of data analytics. Learning institutions can obtain real-time, relevant data for every member of their community through intuitive interfaces, automated configurations, and advanced analytics.
Albitros is online analytics platform that can be utilised by teachers, students, school leaders, wellbeing teams, parents/guardians, data analysts, IT admins and school systems in order to provide valuable insights into learning, behaviour, business operations, and more.
Its features include:
- A holistic view of student achievement and learning progress is possible due to the consolidation of data sources such as NAPLAN, ACER, AAS and Allwell, as well as teacher judgements.
- The Pulse early warning system monitors truancy, behavioural issues, and overall academic performance and notifies the appropriate parties.
- An understanding of the conditions under which students thrive when learning; based on factors such as assessment methods, learning tools and even teacher testimonies.
- It has a simple yet powerful user interface that anyone can use regardless of their previous experience with analytics.
Albitros is hosted on the Intellischool Data Platform which provides comprehensive data management. By simplifying and automating data processes, such as cleaning errors, storing data on the cloud for analyzing and querying, providing data between apps and services, as well as auditing what apps access and interact with data, these tools simplify and streamline data processing.
The data platform provides:
- Easy data unification so institutions can collate learning data from technology such as a student information system (SIS), learning management system (LMS), Google Office 365, etc.
- Security protocols that allow your data to be accessed and protected based on parameters that you set.
- Workflow automation, integrating technology such as Microsoft Flow or Zapier to allow actions to be automatically triggered.
- Cloud data synchronisation, which synchronises cloud apps with up-to-date data with programs such as Google Workspace or Microsoft Office 365.
If you have any questions, contact us so we can help you optimise your education institution’s technology.
Cover photo by Giovanni Gagliardi on Unsplash.