The average college student spends 10 hours every day on their phone. EVERY. DAY.
But they only spend around 17.3 hours a week (that’s 3 hours a day!) studying – and some spend even less than 5 hours per week!
This may be an indicator that educational institutions need to find a way to help students learn through digital devices. Recent statistics support that idea showing that 74% of college students actually want mobile access to course materials.
Enter EdTech.
EdTech means integrating technology into the education system to improve learning and teaching processes. The aim is to enhance student engagement and support inclusivity for college students with learning disabilities. Besides this, technology also helps college students with full-time responsibilities, and it can be a great way to get students to actually learn. They’re already on their cell phones, so we might as well get them to learn a few things while they’re there, right?
How is EdTech Transforming Classrooms?
Imagine field trips to wastelands and powerplants without even stepping foot outside the classroom or endangering anyone. Or imagine a business student could experience running a full-fledged business via simulations without spending a dime!
Well, that’s EdTech for you!
EdTech has incredible transformational potential, specifically for education. Using EdTech in the classroom can help educators bypass the limitations of traditional learning and give students concrete and practical knowledge. At the same time, this makes studying easier and more engaging, which is why students also pay more attention. And innovation only continues to grow.
For example, colleges can now couple EdTech tools with storytelling and gamification to engage and retain a maximum number of college students. Plus, this turns learning into a continuous process where students can access study materials anytime and learn at their own pace and convenience. This not only streamlines the whole process but also encourages students to actively study by removing barriers to learning.
Some college students might miss one class in the entire year and never be able to recover. Missing that one class can create a learning gap that further expands as more classes go by. When students get behind, keeping up with things can become very difficult, and students can experience an overwhelming feeling of anxiety that’s crippling them to the point where they feel like it’s easier to give up or drop out.
College students don’t have a lot of time, remember?
Emerging EdTech innovation is helping us to solve issues how around space and time constraints. Now, students can gain instant access to all of their study materials anytime, anywhere – like a digital backpack available on every device – just log in and go! It really is that easy!
Nevertheless, we’re barely scratching the surface when it comes to innovation, and EdTech actually has a TON of benefits, as you’ll learn as you read till the end!
Is Integrating EdTech Really a Good Idea?
We know what you’re thinking: is it really a good idea to let artificial intelligence (AI) start teaching students?
Let’s backtrack a little bit.
First of all, incorporating technology into education doesn’t mean replacing teachers – it’s more of a complementary tool (in fact, we’ll dive deeper into that in the next section).
For now, let’s discuss what makes something a ‘good idea’ in the first place.
Lots of research supports the use of EdTech for higher education. For instance, McKinsey reported that students in the US who spent more than 60 minutes studying on their devices every week got better grades. They also found that both students and teachers should use technology together for best results. Another study found that gamification can boost student outcomes by at least 60% when combined with reading.
Besides this, 4 out of 5 students claim EdTech solutions help them improve their grades – and that’s 80%!
At this point, it’s important to consider whether the pros outweigh the cons. Well, the primary purpose of education is to help students learn and understand the concepts being taught, and this understanding is mostly reflected in their grades. So, if EdTech can help students get better grades and, in turn, help us achieve our educational goals – how “bad” can it be?
Don’t worry, we’re not ignoring your concerns. The major challenges with EdTech implementation at higher education institutions are skill gaps and the potential for misinformation.
Now, if an educational institution wants to incorporate AI or other technology in its curriculum, it will need to start with a proper implementation plan, which also includes training to bridge skills gaps. As for the misinformation aspect, if EdTech is used only to supplement educator efforts (as it should be) and not to somehow replace them, then this isn’t really a problem at all!
And there you have your answer.
Do the pros outweigh the cons?
Is it a good idea to integrate EdTech into our educational models?
You can bet it is!
Benefits of EdTech for Students & Educators
If you’re still not convinced, we’ve also listed some of the most significant benefits of EdTech for students and educators:
#1 Personalized Learning
When we talk about why EdTech is important, the most prominent argument is that it allows institutions to deliver personalized learning experiences to their students. This means that we can cater to the unique academic needs of all students, which would otherwise be impossible in a traditional classroom. So, all students will eventually understand the course contents, even if it’s at their own pace.
#2 Adaptive Learning
Personalized learning is obviously great – there’s no denying that. However, it needs to be adaptable to be practical. This means that the AI models, or whatever technology is being used, should be able to evolve over time according to the needs of specific students. In fact, 9 out of 10 college students want EdTech solutions to adapt to their learning behaviors.
Enter machine learning.
It records student behavior, learning patterns, and interactions to further personalize their learning experiences.
#3 Inclusive Learning
Another way EdTech has made a difference in classrooms is by making education more inclusive. Even college students with learning disabilities can reach their full potential when provided with the required support and a conducive learning environment – and that’s something educational institutions have tried for years and failed!
College students are reluctant to self-identify their learning disabilities because they want to feel “normal,” meaning they have to struggle alone. But with learning technologies like AI and machine learning that can personalize and adapt to unique learning behaviors, everyone can be a star student!
#4 Accessible Learning
EdTech is accessible because students can instantly access all their study materials in a drive or storage space, no matter the device. This means they can even study while traveling! In fact, some online learning platforms (Hint: SimpliTaught) provide students with their own free storage space to add convenience to their busy schedules and hoards of responsibilities.
#5 Economical Learning
EdTech can help both students and educators save time and resources so it’s not just making learning better, it’s also making learning more affordable. And you know what? This only just makes it more inclusive and accessible!
Could EdTech Replace Teachers?
As promised, let’s talk about why EdTech tools are meant to support teachers and not replace them.
Sure, EdTech can help students become more independent in the sense that they can take ownership of their learning. However, they still need teachers because a student-teacher connection is the most crucial aspect of a classroom (even if it’s virtual). Also, community and collaborative learning can literally skyrocket student engagement, so we need to actively work on humanizing our learning technologies in an eco-system to make them more useful for students and educators.
A great example of this is SimpliTaught. Our online learning solutions for students include a community feature where students can connect and interact with educators and peers – all over the world. This is the kind of collaborative learning experience that really starts meaningful discussions and encourages the sharing of ideas and resources.
Stop what you’re doing and visit Simplitaught to discover how we can help you leverage EdTech to supplement student learning curves and accelerate student success at your institution!
