Education has changed with the advent of technological devices. From PCs to mobile phones, smartphones, laptops and tablets. Things have changed greatly since the time our parents were at school. All these technological devices play a great role in the development of the educational system. Although there are many people who are still against educational technology since they are nostalgic for their old days, technology has been proved to be of great use at classrooms. The doubts could be concluded in a few words “Our students are wasting their time!”. Wasting time used to be a lame fact we pull whenever we do not understand the use of something new. The time students spend using this technology teaches them a lot. Education and knowledge are not only about facts in textbooks. Whatever the kind of knowledge is, it needs to be shared and practiced and the modern technology helps to do this. The following are the top 10 latest issues and trends in modern day educational technology.
10 MOOCs
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are online courses mostly free delivered on the web. The most famous MOOC partners are edX, Coursera, Open to Study and MIT. Every one of them offers a group of different courses in various majors, all for free. The course is often video presented by a university professor or instructor. Recommendations of the materials students need are often listed along with the course plan. Moreover, many MOOCs offer certificates but they are not necessarily certified from the actual university.
9 New Tools
With the advent of the online learning revolution, education is witnessing a massive change in the tools students use. No pen or paper? No more! Students mention that a laptop is the number one tool they need, tablets and readers are second to it. Here comes the problem of providing all the students with the new technological tools that they need to learn. Another problem is to keep pace with the new changes and technological trends that are presented every day.
8 Electronic Devices
Students tend to employ the new devices we spoke about wisely. For example, in developed countries where students are provided with modern electronic devices or wherever they are able to afford them, they would prioritize and are able to decide the most appropriate tool. For example, they prefer the digital reader to the tablet simply because the first is particularly made for reading.
7 Social Media
Social media is an integral part of the student’s life. Students use social networking websites for useful purposes, so you would find them making groups to post the math problem answers, or you would find them tweeting the best of the day at school.
6 Gaming
For many traditional parents, gaming is where their kids start wasting time. However, it is different for modern day students. Gaming for them is a way to learn more and understand different things such as mathematical problems.
5 Equality
Whenever the technology is available for the two sexes, the gender gap and discrimination will vanish. Just think of it, young girls during ancient times were deprived of education and many other rights, and this created the man-do-something and woman-do-something-different complex or problem. Whenever the two sexes have the same atmosphere and materials, there would be hardly any difference except for the biological one.
4 Video virus
The video is the primary method of learning in the new educational system. TED and Khan Academy videos are the two famous categories to be used in classrooms.
3 Mobile phones
Mobile phones did carve their niche in the modern educational system as well. Students use them in such useful ways like collaborating with their colleagues, logging in to the internet, taking photos of the lesson parts they want to remember and setting reminders and alarms. Whatever the way they use them, there is no doubt that mobile phones have educational benefits to be the students’ 24/7 friends!
2 Apps
One of the newest and most important trends in the educational arena is using applications, apps for short. From dictionaries to engineering drawing, many apps are designed to teach and others offer students the programs they have on their PCs or laptops just on their smartphones to be easily used wherever and whenever the students want.
1 Internet
Nothing of all the advantages and technological devices we have talked about will be useful and even possible without an internet connection and without the students themselves being connected. Internet connection is a necessity for using the new devices and getting the needed information.
