How has technology changed how students learn in Universities?

Evolution is such a dynamic and confusing aspect in our lives, isn’t it? It’s the very reason how the human race is progressing and limiting itself, all at the same time. Technology is one of the brightest examples of human evolution. It has managed to impact our lives positively in a million ways. Be it something as simple as the alarm clock we wake up to or something as complex as Space research. There is hardly any aspect of human life today, that’s untouched by technology.

Technology certainly improves everything it comes in contact with. And education is no exception! Our education industry has benefitted highly by the advancement of technology. Education is a simple act of a learned teacher passing on his/her knowledge to disciples who need it. Things like push notifications, emailer alerts and web chatting are considerably new in the education industry. At the very least, this has remained the same over the years. Aspects like commercialization may have come into the picture with modernization. Students still get distracted from the teacher’s lectures, and teachers still get irritated. Earlier it used to be sleeping or talking and today it’s the mobile phone or any other such distraction. One might cynically say that technology has made things worse for the education industry.

However, it’s far from the truth. Technology has made it possible for education to reach a larger mass of people. Unlike earlier days, students from the deepest corners and all stratum of society can avail education today. In earlier days’ books and educational resources were limited to very few privileged people only. Fortunately, technology has made it possible for everyone to avail these resources anytime and at their very own convenience. The only things that matters now is the students will to learn.

Here are 5 most brilliant ways technology has changed how students learn in universities:

1. Libraries and classes, in general, have become centres for high tech collaborations:

Technology is encouraging education to become a more interactive and collaborative process. Emailers, course-based websites and computer chat rooms are some of the very few technologies based resources that are helping students function remotely yet in groups. It is also helping greatly in the work of collaborative design teams, peer writing groups and all other collaborative teams. Imagine students working out of geographically different locations on the same project. Technology is also helping in personalizing the whole educational process by reducing the voluminous educational information that is directed at a student. This saves a lot of time for students and teachers, allowing them to strategize their teaching methods and learning abilities. Technology-based coursework’s can be custom designed around the need and interest of the specific student.

With more and more number of students studying at home, universities are starting libraries of the future. Libraries are adapting to be a place of experimentation and collaboration now.

Basically, technology is helping students take more control over their education.

2. Digital tools are revolutionizing note-taking processes:

This is another aspect of education that has not changed with time. Students still take notes of what they learnt at University and make a mention of it for future reference. Earlier it used to be paper and leaves and rocks before that. Today, notepads are devices that help in note-making. Students claim that laptops and notepad help them take notes more efficiently. This also allows them to collaborate with their teammates and professors easily. One can also choose to access their notes anytime anywhere, without having to worry about carrying a physical copy along. These advanced technologies allow students to highlight and also colour-code their notes, based on their preferences. This helps in easily noticing important points and not missing out on specific pointers from the teacher.

Interestingly, one can also save audio records along with their written notes. This syncs perfectly fine and assures students when they aren’t confident about a specific part of the lecture.

3. Role of biometrics in education:

This new technology helps in recognizing people based on their physical, behavioural and emotional traits. It’s a long shot technology and is yet on the horizon, but has immense potential. The science will include recognizing physical and emotional composure of the student in the classroom. Eventually, it will personalize or alter the course material according to the individual’s needs as per the biometric signals it receives from them.

Augmented reality glasses are yet another upcoming technology in the education industry that is taking things by the storm. These glasses will layer data on top of what our human eyes generally see. This new technology will enable students to get real-world learning experience. A simple example to make things easier would be, a student sitting at his desk and watching a surgeon performing surgery on someone. These kind of resources are taking things a notch higher and increasing user interaction by leaps and bounds.

4. Taking online degrees have become so much easier:

The world has become a very competitive place and students around the world are striving for a hard-earned number on their paychecks. This is why students are taking up multiple courses apart from their University courses to give themselves the edge over others. Be it learning a new trade or a new language, it’s all possible to do remotely. The students have online communication with their teachers and also their courses and save time and money on commute. This new change certainly leaves a lot of time and flexibility for the student to focus on more important things that need attention. Students can choose to watch those videos on the go and give the tests as and when they can and get certified. It has become as simple as that.

5. Technology has made things more organized; hence, more efficient:

Be it the course curriculum or the coursework structure, it’s all available at the same place instantly. Thanks to technology, the student can look at his/her online course structure as and when they want and prioritize accordingly. This helps in making prior plans and prioritizing their days accordingly.

Technology is allowing all the advantages that students of this age deserve. It’s an egg and chicken situation actually. Students grow with technology and develop it further for the generations to come. One could be an ambitious marketing student or a sous chef at a secluded resort in a faraway land; technology can always help out!