Neetin Agrawal is Senior Vice President, Knowledge at Toppr. He is an IIT Madras alumnus, having completed his B.Tech in Electronics in 2006. Altogether, he holds a decade-long experience in teaching young learners. He has mentored multiple top-100 rankers in JEE Advanced/ IIT-JEE. Neetin was a Professor of Physics at leading institutions in Kota including Bansal Class and Vibrant Academy for nearly 6 years. Subsequently, he founded an edtech company Dronstudy in 2015. More than 1.5 million students have benefited from DronStudy across platforms. Besides his active role as a teacher, Mr. Agrawal has authored 3 popular books on IIT-JEE Physics. He also loves to share his thoughts on education through articles and authored pieces.
Technology is evolving rapidly and transforming the lives of human beings of the 21st century. Role of technology has been predominant and its impact is being felt much more comprehensively in the educational field.
Technology-based learning has not only transformed online learning but also enhanced and supplemented regular classroom based pedagogy. As we know, classrooms look much different than what it used to look like a decade ago. A common example of this change is the usage of whiteboards as a substitute for chalkboards in new age classrooms.
Although the pros and cons of technology in education is debatable, it is undeniable that learning has been made personalised and interactive. According to the Pew Research Center, 92% of teachers claimed that internet plays a significant role in their ability to access content, resources and materials. Toppr answr takes a look at more such advantages of technology-based learning:
1. Individualised Pace
Each student has a unique way of absorbing information at their own pace. Students have more time to think and process information at their own speed during online education. This further enables them to work in a confident manner and eliminate all possible shortcomings in their learning process. For teachers, it is an opportunity to focus on each student and provide undivided attention without interruption.
2. Flexibility
One of the best advantages of online learning is the element of flexibility. Flexibility learning provides the students as well as teachers with full control and accountability of their learning and teaching respectively. It further enables them to set time as per individual requirements and schedule.
For example, some students can study better during the evening but traditional institutions of learning restrict them by offering only daytime classes. Technology-based learning allows these students to decipher their learning and tailor the course as per their individual schedule and capabilities. Moreover, educational platforms such as Toppr answr ensure that students continue to learn flexibly by providing 24×7 expert support to resolve their queries.
3. Improves Teamwork
It is observed by the teachers that students tend to help each other more when they are using technology in the classroom. Similarly, when students are asked to work on assignments or projects in small groups, technologically-advanced learners tend tohelp their inexperienced friends. Moreover, they are exposed to diverse ideas and such group efforts ultimately result in a swift exchange of information from one student to another.
4. Better Interactive Experience
Students can now learn more actively and productively with the help of mobile phones, tablets and computers. With videos, stimulations and digital books, students can now access a subject/ teaching unit with more enthusiasm. Moreover, this results in students’ effort to dig deeper into an area that interests them further allowing them to potentially recognise their talents.
5. Cost Effective
With the introduction of technology in education, resources like books and other forms of study material have become more accessible. This further leads to a reduction in tuition fees, lack of dependency on books as well as their prices. Additionally, the existence of e-books has made things easier for low-income families wherein the students can access the same quality of education without any compromise.
Conclusion
Technology helps a teacher establish better relationships with their students and colleagues. The integration of technology in the lesson plan and using it for expanding one’s knowledge can make a significant difference in a classroom. Hence, technology will undoubtedly continue to evolve, and it is extremely crucial for both teachers and students to adjust their classroom style to align with its advancements.