Educators worldwide are beginning to embrace educational technology (also known as EdTech), as the new normal—and for good reason. Engaging, exciting, and easily accessible, educational technology is advancing the learning space and improving eLearning. In fact, the global educational technology market was valued at USD 115,022.22 million in 2021 and is expected to reach a staggering USD 467,263.92 million by 2027. We’ll explore why educational technology use is on the up, and some innovative examples of how it’s boosting learner engagement.
First up, what is educational technology?
Simply put, educational technology is any digital technology that facilitates learning. It can include things like in-classroom tablets, cloud-based learning software, apps, gamification, or even virtual reality.
Technology has an important role to play in education, as it allows educators to tailor student learning, boost interaction, and reach more learners—no matter where they might be in the world.
The key thing to keep in mind is the capability of technology to enhance the learning process. It’s exciting to see the developments in educational technology, and it’s tempting to expose learners to every new development. Facilitators, educators, and organisations seeking to develop or redevelop their training need to ask themselves “Does this improve or enhance the learner experience in a meaningful way?” Educational technology isn’t a means of replacing traditional learning methods, but an exciting opportunity to build upon and improve the current learner experience.
Educational technology can boost the learning environment
We know people learn in different ways, and educational technology offers a new level of customisation and flexibility. Learners who are struggling with course content don’t need to struggle alone, trainers and facilitators can supplement existing course curriculum materials with technology tools to suit learners’ unique learning styles and abilities.
Educational technology tools can also increase creativity, fun, and offer more opportunities to collaborate in group learning settings. Plus, learners can access their education materials from any device, at any time. The inherent flexibility that educational technology makes it an appealing pathway for organisations that are consistently expanding and upskilling their workforce.
4 technologies that improve the eLearning experience
We’ve picked four innovative education technologies that are offering opportunities for Educators to increase learner engagement and outcomes.
- LMS
Learning Management Systems are the ideal vehicle for organisations and education providers to package, store and deliver eLearning materials. The eLearning environment delivered through an LMS ensures all users receive the same, standardised training. Plus, the humble LMS can also be setup as a one-stop-shop, making it easier for students to find and use all organisational learning materials and communications—improving their learning experience. What’s more, educators can use LMS to ensure mandatory training (such as First-Aid) or onboarding is completed too.
Our eWorks LMS provides a complete eLearning solution to empower our clients through an engaging online learning experience. It enables a modular and cohesive design through integrated applications, tools, and plugins to enhance the end user experience. We’ve tailored the eWorks Open LMS platform to meet the specific requirements that global organisations, training providers and the Australian Vocational Education need.
- Gamification
Games are a sure-fire way to make the learner experience interactive and engaging – and it’s not just children who are reaping the benefits. Take Norwegian game-based learning platform, Kahoot!, a firm favourite with learners from kindergartens, universities and workplaces alike. Over 2.5 billion people from more than 200 countries have played Kahoot!, thanks to its positive impact on learning and classroom dynamics. Video game enthusiasts are also delighting in gamification technology such as Minecraft Education Edition. The immersive and interactive learning platform helps boost creativity and collaboration amongst school-based learners.
- Cloud Technology
Through the magic of cloud technology, learners can access learning materials and courses that are stored in the cloud, rather than on their own computers. This centralised approach improves security and gives learners access to the same education materials that they can access from literally anywhere in the world. Thanks to cloud, for example, millions of people around the world have free access to education from some of the world’s leading universities (MOOCs, anyone?).
Cloud also allows educators and learners to collaborate, in real-time. For many organisations and educators, storing education platform offsite in the cloud is cost-effective, as they don’t have to worry about managing servers and keeping software up to date.
- Mobile Tech
The vast majority of Australian households have access to a smartphone and tablet. Using mobile tech in education is a powerful opportunity for organisations to tap into. Through mobile tech, learners can benefit from accessing digital versions of their course materials. This lowers organisational costs of printed course materials and makes content easy to update quickly as your organisation’s strategic aims change.
Mobile tech encourages individualised education, as learners can tailor their devices to their own eLearning preferences. They may, for example, choose to learn content with a video, app, or podcast that is attractive to them, at their own pace—a real win for increasing learner engagement. It also gives your learning development team an opportunity to create meaningful and impactful content.
Chat with the eLearning experts
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