Millennial all over the world prefer to spend hours on their phones than look at books. It seems more interesting to be either on your phone or laptop doing homework or relying on online sites such as famedwritings. In order to make the classroom more active, the teacher has to be innovative and incorporate what the students resonate most with in order to make the lesson more interesting.
College students are increasingly becoming dependent on their electronic devices for learning. Unlike the conventional method of taking notes down by writing, students would rather type away or record the lesson for later. Different people may have different opinions regarding the issue, which means that there might be people against, and people for the idea.
Since books are slowly becoming less popular as the days go by, it goes without saying that technology is the way to go. Incorporating the various devices that students live by in their studies will help teachers keep in touch with their students while still delivering content.
Especially our parents who will argue that they turned out well using books may frown upon the increasing use of technology in a classroom setting and if they did, so can their children as well as the coming generations. The older generation made it through college with little or no technology involved in the learning process. Whereas this may have worked back then, times have definitely changed since then and technology is always advancing. This begs the old age question; does using technology in the classroom help in learning?
The answer to that question may seem as a yes but take time to think about it. How are you reading this article? It is obviously not through a book. Chances are that you would never have come across it had you not been on the Internet. Let’s think some more. There has been numerous times that you had homework to do and you probably had no access to the library. There could also be a limited number of books in the library for everyone to get a copy. I’m guessing you ran to your phone or laptop to search for alternatives. There are a bunch of companies that upload books online to enable people from every corner of the world to access the information. Technology has broken all kinds of barriers to enable the spread of information globally.
So how does this help in learning especially in a classroom setting. Do all of you have the relevant subject books in a given class? Your answer is probably no. If your teacher was able to project the contents of the book for each particular lesson for everyone to see, wouldn’t that make it easier for you to grasp content? Wouldn’t you have an easier time grasping content if you were able to visualize it? If your answer is yes, then it answers both our questions. Technology has contributed immensely in enhancing learning in classrooms.
Let’s take another common and relatable example. Think about a time you were sick. You have a class which is very crucial and contributes greatly to your GPA but you are unable to attend nonetheless. What if there was a way that you could recover that lesson without attending it at that particular stipulated time? Yes, that’s what recorders are for. You can have a friend record the lesson for you and watch or listen to it depending on the visuals at a later time. This way, you do not have to over-exert yourself in order to excel in your studies. Technology will help you keep up with your studies at your own convenience. The recording does not have to necessarily be used for only the times you feel sick. You can also record it for yourself even when in class to listen again. You may have been absent-minded or missed a point. Being able to know that you can go back and listen to the lesson will enhance learning.
A lot of talking is considered boring for most students. A teacher who takes up all three-lecture hours actually lecturing is not everyone’s cup of tea. A lecturer has to be interesting in order to maintain the concentration levels of the class. Technology here comes in with the help of audio-visual features. If students have something else other than the lecturer talking nonstop, they are able to keep their minds active and concentrate more. Too much talking can even lead to a couple of sleeping students in the class. As a lecturer, you can also encourage your learners to search for information on their phones during the lesson to get them more involved. It is a classic use of their own weapons against them but actually helping them learn. They may use their phones for non-learning materials most of the time but while in class, they can gain information on the topic of study.