By Ryan Pell

Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash

Growing up, most of us had a teacher who refused to implement technology in the lessons. They had their trusty old textbook and thought that everything that’s written there would remain true through the ages.

However, that’s not how education works. It evolves rapidly, thanks to technology for the most part. According to Promethean, the focus on boosting student engagement with tech has increased by 29%. And yet, the implementation of EdTech is the priority for only 39% of U.S. schools.

Today, we’re going to take a look at the role technology plays in today’s education and why more schools should give it a priority.

1.   Students Become More and More Tech-Savvy

People who’ve been in education for years and taught several generations of students can tell that today’s learners have become more tech-savvy.

The research also backs up the claim that new generations are friends with technology. According to the Pew Research Center, Millennials stand out as the most tech-savvy group, but the younger generations don’t hang behind as well.

Naturally, the younger generations will have completely different learning needs. Giving a Gen Z student a bunch of books may work, but it won’t be their preferred way to learn about something.

In fact, according to research, most Gen Z-ers would prefer to have smartboards (84%), websites with studying materials (81%), online videos (80%), and game-based learning systems (79%) available to them during a class. All these tech tools can greatly impact how they perceive information, so teachers can’t overlook them.

2.   Tech Helps Students Learn Foreign Languages at Their Own Pace

Learning a foreign language is a pain point for many students. Language learning classes often involve a lot of studying material that students have to comprehend and master over a short period of time.

Let’s agree that most methods of teaching a foreign language at school are obsolete. Students need to learn at their own pace to be able to speak the language without stress and resentment.

Technology is the way to provide inclusivity and help students learn according to their needs. EdTech can also help students speed up the learning process. For instance, if a student needs to learn basic Spanish words and phrases in two days, they can use online mind mapping tools, apps, flashcards to practice their knowledge. They can even do it on the go.

Individuality is what modern education should focus on. When educators compare students’ abilities, they kill individuality together with the student’s desire to learn. EdTech is the way to help students learn at their own pace and appreciate the knowledge.

3.   More Technology = More Engagement

We already mentioned it briefly in the beginning - technology helps boost student engagement. However, research says that simply using technology during a class doesn’t guarantee engagement.

Student engagement depends on many factors:

Communication

Collaborative involvement

Active participation

Learning opportunity and education experience

An educator’s guidance

If you want to use technology to improve student learning, you need to target all the five factors to get students engaged. Besides, students expect you to implement EdTech in classes, and they will even tell you what they want to see more of.

Of course, there’s still the problem of school funding. Not many schools in the United States have the ability to purchase smartboards and computers. Sometimes, students can’t afford tablets and smartphones as well.

While this is an issue for the government to fix, educators should push this change and promote EdTech as the only way to keep students interested in learning. It’s about being open-minded to the technological opportunities that will keep modern education going.

Become Friends with EdTech

It’s hard to underestimate the importance of technology in today’s education. Younger generations expect educators to use tech solutions during classes since they rely on technology to help them perceive new knowledge.

Technology also helps students learn at their own pace. Education slowly moves towards inclusive learning focused on individuals rather than on group needs. Tech tools can help students work on enhancing and practicing their knowledge whenever they feel comfortable.

Lastly, you can’t deny the role of education in student engagement. EdTech makes learning more varied and rich, helping students learn faster and retain information longer.

Learn more about the importance of technology with RobotLAB!

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About the Author:

Ryan is a passionate blogger and writer who likes sharing his thoughts and. Now he works as a content editor and internet researcher. He likes to travel and explore new countries.