.jpg)
Thanks to innovations in educational technology, the schools of today look far different than they did just a few short decades ago. Tablets and laptops are in the hands of everyday students, and projectors have made room for state-of-the-art, computerized imaging.
Though some might give screen time a bad rap, it has a constructive, beneficial place in the classroom. Take a look at a few of the ways interactive educational technology can improve both student and teacher experience for a better, more effective learning experience.
1. It Keeps Students Engaged
Students are used to interactions with screens, and including interactive technology in the classroom capitalizes on the momentum of that familiarity. Screen-based learning provides an opportunity to gamify course content, which can help students to associate learning with fun and enjoyment.
Interactive technology is also responsive and quick. The speed at which both teachers and students can interact with their material and receive nearly instant feedback facilitates active participation at both ends, which means students are less likely to zone out due to lengthy pauses or a lack of their required participation.
2. It Caters to Different Learning Styles
Some students learn best through hands-on work, while others need to see or hear a concept in order to fully understand it. Interactive technology provides students with a variety of ways to experience and interact with their class material, so each student has a better chance at retaining the information, regardless of their learning style.
3. It Provides an Additional Learning Platform
Books and lectures have usually been the customary vehicles for information in classrooms for as long as education has been a part of human culture. While these standards of education have not gone anywhere, the addition of interactive technology builds a new layer onto the educational process in the modern world.
Through this technology, students now have their textbook, notes, lecture materials, worksheets, and these interactive programs to help them memorize, understand, and retain information in new, impressive ways.
4. It Facilitates Collaboration
One of the key features of interactive educational technology is the option for students to collaborate with their instructor. Teachers are able to ask questions and receive anonymous responses from their class, collect and display student notes and ideas, and even work together in a program to complete, solve, or explore concepts as a class or in smaller groups.
5. It's Easy to Utilize
Teachers spend a large amount of time in preparation for their class, even outside of the classroom during their personal hours. As well, students typically spend between six to eight hours at school each day and often have hours of homework at the end of each night. Interactive technology benefits from its ease and speed of use.
Interactive technology is an asset to classrooms filled with busy students and teachers, and those that incorporate these high-speed educational tools gain a time-saving advantage.
6. It's Inclusive
Students from all walks of life enter through the doors of the school every morning, each with different physical, mental, and emotional capabilities. Computerized educational systems have long been heralded as inclusive to a wider range of educational needs, as students with differing abilities can witness and interact with course material in a way that levels the playing field amongst students and gives everyone a better chance to succeed.
To get started with interactive technology in your school or to upgrade your existing systems, the professionals at Ward's MediaTech can help your staff find the best fit for your institution. Contact us today to bring cutting-edge displays, top-notch audio equipment, and leading software products to your school.