Leveraging Technology In Classrooms - Is Education Done Right?

Textbooks are getting replaced by tablets and students are learning to live in the era instead of just reading about it. Yes! The traditional classrooms have evolved at a significant pace and the 21st-century classrooms are unquestionably putting a stamp on the validity of the same.

However, the debate of the century still stands prevalent; is technology inclusion in classrooms helping students after all? And, by technology inclusions, one must not stay under the impression of incorporating printable versions of textbooks for handy access of the information. Rather, contemplate around the learning outcomes that would have been a mere reverie without the leading EdTech innovations.

How are educational institutions or to be specific, students leveraging the best of technology aids? Are teachers managing to improve their learning techniques with the support of tech-enabled tools? How are the learning models evolving after the tech inclusions, or should say, intrusions? And, the leading question; in a tech-enabled era, is education done right? 

These are some questions that strike to me when a debate around the subject starts taking shape.

We should talk...

Opting The Learning Model First

Blackboard was first used in 1801 to teach the same lesson to several students at the same time. This was one of the best inventions and is still used by many teachers globally. Agree?

However, would it have been a fit for schools, where the prevalent learning model was all about one-room schoolhouse? Would it have been a useful invention where all the students, no matter what age, of course, are supposed to sit in one room and learn? How useful would it have been for the teachers who had to teach students in small groups, despite being present in one single room? By little to no means?

Yes! Eventually, it all narrows down to the learning model and then taking in the sought technology. If the technology you are deploying in the system is not fit per the intended learning model, making the most of it will become a lost cause.

Fast forward today, where the debate is becoming a logjam situation for the EdTech leaders and the fruitful tech implementation is blurring out in the disputed zone, some renowned and informative researches stay competent enough to ensure that the affluent aspects like owning adaptive and blended learning come to play. Amidst of a lot going on, let’s know how the current education system can make the most of the technical considerations and involvements to benefit one and all.

A 21st Century Ideal Tech-Enabled Learning Space

Keep It Blended - This generation believes in intuitions before giving priority to researches and facts. We can leverage the very notion for the benefit of the education sector, however, the touch of interpersonal skills must not be dodged at any given point in time. We must keep it blended! Complementing the teacher-student classroom learning model along with the technology addition is what’s desirable today.

Cost-Effectiveness & Sustainability - Technologies are disrupting every possible sector and proposing the growth models on the go. The dominance of the same in the education sector can also help students benefit from it the most. So, why keep it limited to learning solely, when the plethora of other perks like providing lower tuition fees, achieving higher retention, and intensified sustainability, etc. are right in front of us!

Enable Data Protection Measures - We all know that the education sector is one such space which is prone to cyber threats. With the compromise of around 32 Million records in 2017, the education space accounted for 13% of the total data breaches. Thus, advancing in the area with the technology boost is indeed imperative. After all, student data is sensitive and there is no middle ground when it comes to protecting the same.

Real-Time Class Participation - Another facet to the digitized learning model is its global student presence. There are myriad online courses present today, however, through the incorporation of real-time class discussions is still missing. Implementation of webinars happening worldwide with the active real-time presence of students, being able to raise and clarify their doubts then and there, still needs to take a global stage and technology inclusions will indeed help in the right execution of the same.

Befitting Tech Additions Are Sure To Help; Investments Say It All

Right implementation can help students as well as institutions to raise the current level of the education system. That is why leading investors still bet and favor this sector. Why shouldn’t they, especially, when the data revolving around it is pointing towards a sheer growth?

Consistent increase in the overall investment in EdTech space is not new to anyone anymore. In 2017, the biggest investment was seen for EverFi, a digital learning platform for universities, k-12 schools, sports leagues, corporations, and nonprofits. In April 2017, EverFi raised a $190M in Series D round. This was led by leading investors including Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos.

The Bottom Line Is

Just enabling students with laptops is not how technology will help the students. Rather, it is more about figuring out the problems that cannot be fixed with chalks and boards or a pen and a paper. Progressing towards intelligent adaptive learning platforms, incorporating handy mobile access to information, enabling campus-wide communication via institution's white-labeled mobile app, pushing institutions to conceptualize their learning practices are among a few steps that can help students and institutions leverage technology inclusions at its best. 

Anjli Jain

Guest Author Anjli Jain is the Managing Partner at EVC Ventures, a $50 million Chicago based Venture Capital fund focused globally on growth stage startups.