We’ve all experienced the rapid changes in lifestyle that Covid-19 has introduced into all our lives. Man is a social animal and this pandemic has taken ‘social’ out of all our lives. Professionals have adjusted to working from home and likewise, students and teachers need to adjust to their new environment.
If you’re a kid then you’re busy with Online classes, and if you’re a parent then you’re busy with online work meetings, you’ve likely seen an increase in screen time. Switching over to this form of work and learning, most households started calling their internet providers like Cox customer service number and upgrading their internet packages. Since more members of the family were spending time at home, internet use was also increasing.
How Technology Saved Academics in a Pandemic
At the peak of the pandemic situation in the month of March 2020. The United Nations stated that 143 countries of the world had suspended their regular classes. This put over 1.4 billion students (70% of students worldwide) out of classrooms and back in their homes.
Universities and schools had to adapt fast, and most of them did just that. Within the first 3 months of the pandemic, almost all classrooms had now been converted to online or digital classrooms. With a range of apps and software to choose from, companies and learning institutes worldwide shifted to the use of Online video conferencing allowing for teachers to once again interact with their students.
In this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at some of the latest tech innovations that have revolutionized the way students are studying while also discussing how learning institutes all over the world have adapted to their new environments.
Online Classrooms
The biggest innovation in education tech is the large virtual classrooms and meeting spaces that we now find online. Almost all universities and schools took towards Online video conferencing platforms to engage with their students.
Some of the most common apps that were used for online classes are:
- Zoom
- Google Meet
- Microsoft Teams
If you’re a student in the post-Covid era then you know exactly which apps we’re talking about. Most students now are experts in handling this software. Apart from all the fun and games students have in an online classroom, this tech put 1 billion students back into a classroom without wasting much of their time either.
Online Courses and Diplomas
There are entire libraries of online platforms and software that offer short and long courses for almost any skill you’re interested in mastering. With a lot of students having more time at home, they’re usually up for more learning tasks and assignments since they’ve got a lot more time on their hands.
A great option for students now to further improve their skills is the mountain of online courses that are available on a variety of different platforms.
Here are some of the most widely known platforms for online courses and diplomas
- Coursera
- Khan Academy
- LinkedIn Learning
Online courses have a whole range of benefits for students from convenience, flexibility, real-world skills, to bringing education right into their homes. The logistics of this is what is most beneficial. Online courses tend to be a lot cheaper than traditional classes and can be done at a pace that’s comfortable for the student.
Virtual Reality
What used to be an innovation for Gaming and Entertainment has quickly found its way into classrooms as well. Imagine sitting in a geography classroom and listening to your teacher go on and on about the Grand Canyon. Now, imagine visiting the Grand Canyon and experiencing the wonders with your own eyes, while still sitting in your classroom.
Technology just made geography class a lot more fun – did you ever imagine that happening!
By making use of VR technology, students have a much more immersive learning experience than ever before. Technologies like these are what the future of education looks like.
Online Assignments and Tasks
With most students shifting from in-class assignments, quizzes, and surprise tests to their online alternatives. The online learning environment has given the teachers a chance to innovate themselves and their teaching patterns to better engage their students.
For example, a student having an assignment to do from home rather than a classroom gives them the comfort to work without any pressure. They can focus more on their learning and have access to a lot more information than they had earlier because of their Phones and Laptops. Something which they couldn’t use just a few months ago inside their classrooms.
Teachers have also adapted by innovating their teaching methods by using fun and interactive platforms to take quizzes and test their students. Students tend to have higher tendencies to retain the information they’ve been taught by using such platforms as it engages the student more effectively than in a classroom.
Read More: Why Do Students Need a Math Tutor?
