What are the Advantages of Edtech

Great strides in the field of technology have resulted in it being used in every aspect of our lives, and this has penetrated the field of education to enhance learning experiences. Computers are used not just for computer science and coding classes but to teach any subject in the classroom. In today’s world, it has become essential for teachers to use technology and digital media, among other latest tools, to teach and engage their students. Innovative and new ideas are presented in an engaging manner to excite students about what they are learning and also enhance their understanding.

Edtech is the short form for “education technology”. The Covid-19 pandemic enhanced the use of technology in education by enabling virtual classrooms and online learning and has boosted the edtech industry to make it one of the fastest growing sectors. In fact, this resulted in a lot of schools and universities reaching a global audience. EdTech is gaining popularity with both academics and students because of the various advantages it offers. EdTech has become extremely valuable since it improves student performance and enables their success.

Advantages of Edtech

Accessibility

Accessibility anytime and anywhere is a massive advantage of edtech, especially when educational institutions face resource crunches. Tech features such as page zoom, read aloud features, and variable font style help students’ understanding in many ways. Edtech offers advantages for those with disabilities and inclusion requirements, with customization for various learning needs of individuals, and therefore is fast becoming a preferred learning option. The internet has become an essential tool in education thanks to edtech. Another advantage is that students can access their lessons at any time of the day or night depending on their convenience, which is a huge positive benefit of edtech.

Collaborative

Edtech enables easy collaboration between learners in terms of sharing notes instantly with each other and also with the teacher. In addition, interactions in real time with peers and the teacher is a helpful feature. Since communicating effectively in a work setting is crucial, edtech enables this at a very early stage and better prepares the learner for a job.

Efficiency

Edtech saves the time of the learner by consolidating all the notes in one place thereby saving their effort to refer to various textbooks. Features such as highlighting, commenting and content searching enhance the learners’ abilities and also are a fun way to learn. It keeps them excited about their studies. Centralized resources for reference can be used by several students at the same time thereby making it very efficient.

Engaging

Considering all the technology features it offers, edtech helps to keep learners engaged with the topic being taught. Teachers and academics can boost learning by tracking which pages have been read by the students and thus boost the learning outcomes by intervening and helping their understanding. Also, to keep students engaged, some ideas such as a history teacher showing videos of historical monuments will be more effective than simply lecturing about them. Or a geography teacher can use Google Maps and take the students on a virtual tour of the Himalayas when teaching about it. Math, biology and chemistry can be taught in a very engaging manner using augmented reality and thus learning becomes extremely interesting and immersive for the student.

Economical

Internet accessibility has enabled the possibility of edtech becoming very economical. Online tools are easy and cost-effective to produce and also save time for both the teacher and the learner. Space requirements for classrooms are met efficiently and several learning resources at the click of the button are available to the learner. The time and effort saved in commuting to and from class for everyone is a big plus for edtech.

Conclusion

Edtech impacts the environment positively. Massive savings on costs related to paper save millions of trees thereby resulting in a positive environmental impact. The use of apps, PowerPoint and animation help grab the student’s attention and also teach concepts very effectively. Thus, edtech is a great enabler in the field of education. The only disadvantage of edtech may be the lack of personal interaction with the teacher and peers therefore isolating the learner.

Edtech prepares learners better for a job because jobs today require people to be not just good with their subjects but also requires them to be familiar with various technologies. Workplaces use video calling, calendars, websites, electronic whiteboards and mobile apps, and knowledge of these are imparted easily by using edtech, thus preparing students for the ease of working in the workplaces where they get absorbed. When children learn how to use technology in the classroom, it is a safe space and responsible way to learn about it. Online etiquette is another important skill that edtech enables unwittingly. Overall, edtech has become a part of our lives and schools, colleges and universities have no option but to undergo digital transformation and embrace edtech as a way of life.