How is Digital Learning Going to Change Schools and Education?
Introduction
This is the technological era of laptops, computers and other digital gadgets. Those who lag cannot be up-to-date with the modern day’s facilities. The same is the case with schools and education. They need to pace up with the fast, changing, and ever-evolving world. Here I give you a few pointers, emphasizing how digital learning is going to change schools and education.
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Read on a Screen
You ask your students to do class assignments on computers/laptops. I know it’s difficult to concentrate on a screen especially if a page is crammed with information. Books in print are easier to follow because unlike screens, they are not radiating UV rays. Your eyes can absorb information smoothly from print pages. For absorbing information from screens, there should be proper spacing between lines, with appropriate formatting so that it does not overwhelm the average student.
Retain Information from a Video
Live lectures are hard to concentrate all the time for any student. The brighter students will ask for information and absorb more of it. But that is not the case with the weaker students.
A video, on the other hand, can be played repeatedly to get a feel for the information in it. It helps the weaker students very much. This is because a video can be equipped with pictures and a few short sentences on each slide. Therefore, it delivers content-rich information in small chunks which all students feel happy to absorb.
How Can Digital Learning Help Teachers and Students in Developing Countries?
Digital learning is all over the internet in the form of PDF’s, documents, videos, YouTube and foreign universities’ curricula as well as research and teaching homepages of professors. They have their own resources and content. Teachers in developing countries can look over these technological aspects. They can integrate them inside their lectures in class and impart them to their students. They can provide links and other foreign resources, preferably in English on their homepages and also ask their students to look them over on their homepages. This is a brilliant way of how digital learning can help teachers and their students in developing countries to catch up with the respective people in developed countries.
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Does Digital Learning Help to Build Students' Important Skills Like Critical Thinking?
Digital Learning allows for access to a variety of resources over the web but not everything is put out there. There will always be room for new information, discoveries and innovations which current and future generation students can contribute by way of critical thinking through digital learning. They can apply it to real life, giving form to intelligent thoughts and bringing forth new, useful and applicable ideas or products.
How Should Traditional Education Change?
In order to keep up with digital learning, traditional education needs to accept the use of laptops and computers in classrooms. Class and home assignments should be digital. Multimedia projectors should be used in class by teachers to present lectures in the form of PowerPoint slides. They should also have the option to write on a whiteboard with markers to clarify some point or fact.
Students should be able to absorb information from their teachers’ lectures as well as digital books on their laptops, which the teachers should pinpoint and refer. Additionally, students should present their research in the form of PowerPoint presentations as well as videos. The list goes on.
Are Students with No Access to Computers Learning More?
As I mentioned earlier, digital learning has caught up with the modern day. Everybody dreams of having a laptop or computer these days because they have become compulsory commodities of life. Traditional learning has to change in the modern day and, therefore, that leaves no room whether some students can traditionally learn more. The traditional way of teaching is becoming obsolete. The modern method of learning - digital learning is much more advanced and up-to-date. Students are more likely to learn more and gain more knowledge in this way.
Should Schools Supply Digital Devices for Students?
In developing countries, schools may not have the provision for supplying students with digital devices or laptops. Also, these are liable to be damaged or be stolen, which may be a huge loss for the schools concerned. Schools may supply laptops/digital devices to students abroad in developed countries. This is because schools can maintain better rules and discipline abroad. But nowadays most students prefer to bring their own laptops, take notes in editors and take them back with them to the hostel or home.
Conclusion
In conclusion, digital learning is going to change schools and education in various ways. It will incorporate the use of laptops and/or other digital gadgets. Students will have to read content online and carry out the digital classroom and home assignments. Teachers and students in developing countries will catch up with the corresponding people in developed countries through the usage of the internet and online resources.
Unlike the myths held by the traditional people, there will always be room for innovations and discoveries by critical thinking through digital learning. Traditional education has to be left behind while students need to adapt to digital learning and modern technology.
Laptops, computers and other digital gadgets have become important and regular commodities of life. Therefore, every student likes to own them and carry them between class and home/hostel.
Poll Time
Comments
Rosina S Khan (author) on November 02, 2020:
Yes, my article was written way ahead of the pandemic season. I am glad you pinpointed some of my lines that suit the current pandemic. Yes, these are changing times.
Thank you for the visit and your generous comments, Manatita.
manatita44 from london on November 02, 2020:
I see that your article was written in 2019, but is even more pertinent now. Lock-down has driven us into ever-new creative possibilities and potentials. So some of your lines stand out:
"Unlike the myths held by the traditional people, there will always be room for innovations and discoveries by critical thinking through digital learning. Traditional education has to be left behind while students need to adapt to digital learning and modern technology.
Laptops, computers and other digital gadgets have become important and regular commodities of life. Therefore, every student likes to own them and carry them between class and home/hostel." - Rosina Khan
There's increased home schooling and working from home, and so a greater demand for platforms like Zoom too. Changing times! Excellent Hub!
Rosina S Khan (author) on September 11, 2020:
Denise, I found several good points about digital learning in your comments. Yes, now with the pandemic, digital media and learning will take a leading role in our lives. Thank you for reading and your insightful comments. I really appreciate them.
Denise McGill from Fresno CA on September 10, 2020:
I found that free information on the Internet is also competing with learning platforms. I learned many useful tools by watching short YouTube tutorials that I had not learned at college. Also, technology and information is changing and updating at such a fast rate that it would be hard for the printed word to keep up if not for the digital media. Digital learning has many good aspects as well as bad. Right now with the pandemic still raging, digital learning is essential to maintain social distancing.
Blessings,
Denise
Rosina S Khan (author) on July 14, 2020:
Yes, I understand- not all kids will have a computer at home. My sister in the US said she opted for online school lessons for her kids second time round. But her kids were unhappy about the choice because they badly want to talk and interact with friends in reality not virtually anymore.
It has become a global problem. Anyways, thanks for the visit and for your generous comments.
Manuela from Portugal on July 14, 2020:
This year due to the lockdown my kids have lessons through their computers but many students had problems because they don't have computers at home.
Very nice article and very well written.
Rosina S Khan (author) on June 22, 2020:
Thank you for enjoying this article, Mona. Okay, I will try to update this article by writing another article with regards to the pandemic.
Mona Sabalones Gonzalez from Philippines on June 22, 2020:
This is a lovely article. I think when it was written it was ahead of its time. However, now with COVID digital education is changing things up. I look forward to your writing another article that will update this one.
Rosina S Khan (author) on May 13, 2020:
Yes, it's true and pathetic. Even in our world all schools and institutions are closed due to the pandemic. Yes, teaching is a good profession but if you have left it and think that the new structures are not your cup of tea, that's well and good. Let's hope for a brighter future.
Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on May 13, 2020:
This article is certainly timely now with the pandemic. Traditional schooling is on hold here in the States. It is all remote learning now. I think I left teaching at a good time. I'm not sure I could have adapted well to the new structures.
Rosina S Khan (author) on March 08, 2020:
Thank you so much, J.C.
Rosina S Khan (author) on March 08, 2020:
Stephanie, although digital technology is overused in many U.S classes, the developing countries have a lot to catch up as I mentioned in this article.
JC Scull on March 08, 2020:
Good article Rosina.
Stephanie Bradberry from New Jersey on April 02, 2019:
There is a use and advantage for digital technology in the classroom. But it is over used in many U.S. classes.
