The tools and technology used inside and outside of classrooms to facilitate learning have come a long way from the little one-room schoolhouses on the prairie. Although students continue requiring a human educator and a formulated curriculum, modern technology offers various learning benefits.
Classroom Evolution
During the 17th century, lessons were often made available to students on slabs of wood. Two centuries later, small slate boards and chalk accompanied bound books during the learning process. The mid-1900s introduced overhead projectors and photocopying machines that enabled all to visualize lessons simultaneously.
Two and three decades later, computers entered the education scene, which necessitated typing instruction but provided the ability to create papers using word processing software. The introduction of the internet-enabled educators and students alike to sit in one location while accessing an unimaginable wealth of information in a variety of formats. Students easily visit the institution of their choice, explore a variety of curriculums and degree programs, and initiate the enrollment process.
Current College Classrooms
Today, social media makes communication between educators and students or students with each other fast and convenient. Students may attend online forums and workgroups to socialize, study, or complete assignments. Traditional note-taking is commonly replaced with miniature recorders, laptops, or smartphones to capture lectures while concentrating more fully on the lesson educators convey. With the lesson recorded, students have the opportunity to review the material at their own pace and as often as desired to retain the information. The technology proves beneficial whether students are audio or visual learners.
Having a personal device that accesses the internet enables students to broaden their study location options instead of being confined to a campus computer laboratory. The devices also conveniently store the syllabus and lectures for different classes while providing quick access to information resources in addition to allowing the creation and submission of multimedia class projects.
Additional Technological Benefits
Learning needs no longer be confined to the classroom when educators and students have access to virtual environments. A wide variety of topics might be explored using virtual reality programs that enable classes to visit remote destinations or perform laboratory activities via a personal device.