| | 8 November 2019HIGHERReviewTRANSFORMING THE CLASSROOM WITH EDTECHBy Ruchir Arora, Co-Founder and CEO, CollegeDekho.comDigital whiteboards, tablets, laptops, projectors, video conferencing technologies -- the evolved classroom has turned into an exciting place. Learning has become fun, and more importantly organic for today's digital natives. The classroom has be-come an extension of the students' normal lives where they are immersed in technology. Old school thinking may ar-gue that all this is a distraction to learning. Far from being a distraction, technology is the enabler that all classroom need today. The good news is that teachers are onboard with this new style of teaching. As per an industry survey, 86% of teachers think it is absolutely essential to use EdTech in the classroom, whereas 92% of teachers would like to use Ed-Tech even more. According to Forbes, EdTech will become a US$252 billion industry by 2020, with North America and Asia leading the pack. Benefits of technology in the classroomTechnology is helping shape students to not only academ-ically excel but also become well-rounded individuals and citizens of the global world. Let's look at some of the key benefits of making technology an integral part of our learning methodologyImproves understanding and information retention: When students learn with the help of familiar devices, it gives a new dimension to their learning and helps them grasp concepts better. For example, using virtual reality to take them inside a factory or on a field trip shows them how things work rather than mugging up what is written in a textbook. Similarly, learning math with gamification has higher stickiness with students and helps them retain that knowledge longer.Enhances learning experience: Learning is no lon-ger drab or something students are forced to do. Technol-ogy can equip students with e-books, podcasts, videos, tu-torials and more. New-age learning software also provides alternative methods to tackle challenging subjects. Facilitates collaboration: Collaboration technolo-gies enable multi-level synchronization of devices so stu-dents and teachers can come together for a cohesive study session within the classroom and beyond. They facilitate group projects where students can share study materials on forums with peers in the same school or other parts of the globe. Personalizes learning: Technology also places im-mense power in the hands of the teachers to help them cre-ate more personalized, self-directed experiences for their students. By understanding individual needs, teachers can create their own digital content such as e-books, interactive modules, etc. that can help every student thrive. Increases student engagement: Not all students are the same. While some naturally find it easier to participate in the classroom, it is challenging for others. Technology helps bridge this gap. Teaches skills useful in the real world: Skills such as using an Excel sheet, preparing a PowerPoint presenta-tion, making videos, editing, etc. can be learnt in the class-room, unlike the previous generation that struggled in the workplace. Soft skills such as communication, leadership, critical thinking, teamwork, and more, are also honed with use of technology in everyday learning.IN MY VIEW
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