Education has come a long way from chalkboards to smart classrooms and from manual school management to the use of software. All these changes happened since the integration of technology into education and the results have been positive so far. That’s why education field goes continuous upgradation with advancing technology.
The latest technologies to join the league are:
Virtual Reality (VR)
VR has been here for a while and is used widely in the entertainment industry, the game Pokémon GO being a popular example. But, now, its use has been extended to other fields, including education. Education beyond textbooks is the trend now and it has contributed to building a positive classroom experience. VR is still in its initial stages; however, there are many of its applications already available in the form of games, virtual fashion stores and the like.
• It brings students together
Not all students are the same. While some are smart enough, some may be shy to come out and mingle with the rest of the class. Virtual reality helps to build confidence in students and to tackle their social issues. Joint activities in classrooms involving virtual reality help students to work together as a team. It is also a great opportunity for reserved students to flaunt their technical skills that they usually do not get to do in a normal class environment where students are judged solely based on their grades.
• Provides experiences that are not possible in real world
Learning through experience tends to make an impact in the minds of students than learning from text books. When you learn about a geographic area or the history of a particular city, all you get to imagine what it is actually like is through the very few images printed in the textbooks. However, Virtual Reality gives the students an opportunity to explore the places on a virtual environment and their curious minds find it easy and interesting to memorize their lessons.
• Motivates students
The goal of education isn’t just about passing examinations and to use the grades to get best- paying jobs. It’s also about realizing one’s interests and capabilities. That realization comes only when education is positive and engaging. Many schools have already introduced game-based learning to make it fun and interesting, and with Virtual Reality involved, you take a step further. The visual and kinesthetic learning experience that Virtual Reality offers keep the students immersed and helps them identify their strengths and weaknesses.
• Replaces grades with rewards
Usually, students are assessed based on their academic achievements. Though it is claimed to be the best method to motivate them to work harder, it usually has the opposite effect. Involving Virtual Reality in education will transform the usual grade system. It doesn’t make the tasks easier for the students. But, they will be rewarded for their achievements and their failures will be ignored. This, will in, turn motivate the students to work harder.
Bots
Bots are software applications that help to run tasks automatically on the Internet. They are capable of performing both simple and complex functions thus making things easy for humans. Before, bots were just meant for responding to requests. But with advancing technology, they are capable of initiating actions based on what they know, with the help of digital assistants. That’s exactly why educational institutions can make use of bots.
Bots can aid in:
• Providing information regarding admissions
You can use messenger bots to keep the students informed about the status of their application to your institution. Admitted students can choose their subject preferences and also make payments using the bots.
• Choosing the right subjects/course
Based on the information provided, bots can assist students in choosing the right course. Once choosing the right subjects or course, the bots can further assist the students in enrolment to the course and in paying the course fees.
• Providing financial assistance
Institutions can make use of bots to provide advice to students regarding the financial aid they are entitled to, based on the information provided in their applications. The bots can suggest ways to allocate financial aid and arrange for payments whenever students ask for it.
• Faculty-student interaction
Bots can proactively inform students regarding submission deadlines, change in course or when a faculty is available. Students can then use the messenger bots to inform the teachers regarding the status of their submissions or to clear any doubts.
Both VR and bots are here to revolutionize the world of education. The future will see more of their applications in the field as they are prone to advancements with passing time.