Tag: education

Posted on by Edsys

A learning app serves as a virtual link between teachers and students. Institutions are launching educational applications for a number of courses as a result of the expanding trend and demand for e-learning. Without a doubt, the latest trend of educational app access makes institutions and entrepreneurs aware of their business’s development potential.

Educational App Development Cost

The cost associated with developing educational applications is determined by several factors. Your first step is to think about the features, what operating system to choose, how much time you have allotted, and how many unique features there are.

Furthermore, the cost of developing an educational app is determined by the specific requirements of each course as well as current e-learning trends. The cost of your project is also determined by the developer’s productivity. You can either hire a professional team to fulfill your requirements perfectly or hire independent freelancers in this scenario.

If roughly estimated, a best-in-class educational software will cost between $15,000 to $50,000, depending on the level of main and must-have features and functionalities. In India, the per-hour cost ranges from $18 to $35.

Development Processes For Trending Educational Apps

To ensure quality app development and deployment, clean processes should be followed from research and requirement gathering to planning and development.

Step-1: Research and Idea: You should have a clear concept about the project if you want to design a successful mobile learning application. You should gather all of the content for the programs you wish to offer in the app. To make your app distinctive and remain ahead of the online learning market, you’ll need to conduct extensive research.

Step-2: App Design: Apps with an appealing User Interface (UI) are more popular on mobile devices. The app’s user-friendly UI allows for easy access to the app’s content. For easy access, use medium-sized items and visuals in the UI.

Step-3: App Development: You can begin the development phase when the design phase is completed. This step includes everything from app functionality to front-end and back-end development. This stage will also include app testing and issue fixes.

Step-4: App Deployment: Simply deploy the app on the operating system of your choice when all app parts have been completed. An application will run well on the selected platform, whether it is Android or iOS.

The advantages of online learning apps

Learning efficiency:-  Educational applications allow students to learn a subject in a more personalised manner. It improves the interactivity and efficiency of online learning.

Flexibility in Learning: – It could be utilized whenever and wherever the student’s schedule allows, helping them to attend lectures from the comfort of their homes.

Enhanced Digital Communication:-  Education applications may also assist parents and teachers maintain a positive connection. Teachers can use the applications to answer parents’ concerns about their child’s progress.

Educative activities:-  Multipurpose educational applications enable students in improving their abilities in a variety of courses, aptitude, and a variety of other knowledge-oriented activities.

Cost-efficient:-  Online learning app subscription fees are substantially lower than what students pay for educators.

Remote Learning:- E-learning applications allow students to learn at their leisure, even when they are not in the classroom. They facilitate speedier learning and enhance students’ capacity to comprehend topics more thoroughly.

Availability:- Educational applications are continually active, letting learners to log in and start studying at any time.

Conclusion:- Countries like India are working hard to keep up with the current app development trends. Outsourcing to a country like India can result in a low-cost, quick-to-market app.

However, estimating the overall cost of developing an app in India is a difficult task. An app developer may predict future issues and design accordingly with a correct cost estimate. App developers may utilize the App Cost Calculator built by Redbytes to turn their ideas into exceptional apps.

You will have better mobile app development outcomes if you can estimate the cost of each stage of app development based on your demands and requirements.

Posted on by Edsys

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! This commonly used maxim is so true when it concerns education which demands the constant attention and dedication of knowledge-seekers. However, there will come a time when you find education slowly transforming into a dull form. This brings into focus the need for a fun element to learn when you wish to motivate yourself to learn something new or to hone a skill that you possess as a gift.

If you are looking to make the process of self-development through education even more exciting, here are the numerous ways in which entertainment and short breaks from study routines can become blessings to students.

  1. Fun-Filled Activities Motivate Students to Learn Better

If you wish to welcome every morning as an exciting day to learn new things, you should be motivated to get up and step into your classroom with a curiosity about what lies ahead of you. This curiosity can be enhanced only through fun activities that helped you relax your brain. A teacher who finds a distracted student should take this data point and change the material or mode of teaching. Aiming to enliven a classroom session, he/she can adopt a change in style or approach and conduct sessions beyond the four walls of a classroom.

Education App Directory Banner

  1. Helps Develop Healthy Competition Amongst Students

When entertainment and education go hand in hand, students benefit a great deal. Engaging students in fun activities during study time not only introduces them to social interactions amongst peers but also paves the way for the development of healthy competition. Grouping classes into teams that will be instructed to play certain games will help kids to bring in competition to learning. When they begin to concentrate on playing the game better, they are also learning to accept defeat as well as appreciate victory in a healthy manner. Acclimatizing students to a friendly classroom and outdoor atmosphere fosters inter-personal ties while engaging them with games and classroom sessions.

  1. Keeps the Excitement Alive

Imagine an English lecturer conducting a class on grammar and vocabulary. While some students may find the lecture interesting, there can be others who are disinterested with the conventional pattern of teaching and learning. As an aid to such students, a teacher can infuse a sense of excitement to her grammar class by asking his/her students to role-play an English drama with dialogues assigned to every student. The classroom turns into a stage allowing all the actors to hone their linguistic skills; the fun way! This entertaining skit can unleash the hidden talents of students alongside paving the way for a fun-filled method to master the nuances of the English language.

  1. Small Rewards Go A Long Way In Encouraging Students

Who does not crave for recognition and attention? Students also look for words of appreciation coming from their peers and teachers. These words of praise work as an encouragement to students, validating their strengths and abilities. If you are a teacher looking to encourage your class, you can announce small rewards for academic excellence.

Set your students a target; say an 80% class aggregate in a test which will get them to enjoy a movie with their classmates. You can also treat them with pizzas alongside pasting a funny sticker on the answer script of a student who performed well in his exam paper. These small yet creative moves will spin the entire class into the laughter mode with giggles and the event can be cherished by the entire class, eventually making learning a fun-filled activity.

Also Check: Latest Updated Educational Apps Directory List 

  1. Guest Lectures – A Creative Means to Break the Monotony of a Class

Notwithstanding the fact that a lecture is an educative session that calls for the attention and interaction of students, teachers can bring in the fun element to teach through outsiders. You can substitute your presence with a guest lecturer who is not only a subject matter expert in his/her chosen field but also an engaging orator. The guest lecturer who will narrate his/her personal experiences will bring in freshness to your class through an evident change in the style of coaching. This way, you as a teacher can break the monotony of your classroom sessions, encouraging your class to experience varied things.

  1. Use of Visual Media in Teaching – A Sure-Shot Strategy to Fun-Filled Learning

There can never be a dull moment in school provided teachers employ fun-filled learning strategies. One such move would be to play a YouTube video to the entire class which revolves around the subject that is being discussed as part of the curriculum. The introduction of audio-visual aids to learning not only makes teaching effective but also encourages students to concentrate better, thereby prompting them to come up with different ideas and opinions during classroom discussions about the video presentation. The use of interactive technologies can capture the attention of your entire class that will thank you for your innovative attempts to transform learning into an interesting regime.

  1. The Internet And Mobile Technologies Are The Entertaining Carriers of Education

Students of today need not exclusively rely on their teachers in their pursuit of gaining knowledge. All thanks to technology, now is the age of the internet and mobile technologies which add the much-needed fun element to learning. You can now browse about any topic under the sun at your convenience and be at the receiving end of an ocean of knowledge presented in the form of informative articles on the net. Your pocket-sized smartphone can become your tutor. This way, the use of technology in learning and teaching can help students get the best of both the worlds; the entertaining world that teaches them a whole lot of things in a jiffy.

  1. Fun-Learning Boosts the Release of “Feel-Good” Hormones

You will agree with the fact that education is all about dedication and repetition. At some point in time, learning can get monotonous and dull if it is not blended with entertainment. A joke cracked in class will serve as a catalyst for students to engage themselves with the topic that is being discussed. Reducing the tension of learning by consuming all your mental abilities, it is through entertaining events in classes that students can be at ease with themselves. When they are comfortable and peaceful in the class, they will enjoy the benefits of positive hormones that will be released into their bodies along with a rush of oxygen.

Be it endorphins or dopamine, both these have a positive influence on the minds of students. All set to improve their mind power, students will begin to look forward to the fun-filled activities that make their classroom sessions interesting and creative.

  1. Education Can Be Made More Effective

The brain of a student is constantly juggling with multiple concepts and ideas. Just as you put your body to sleep for all the muscles to relax, your brain too needs periods of relaxation for it to function effectively. It is only when you relax your brain that you will be able to concentrate better with the task at hand. In this context, students who are exposed to entertaining and brain-relaxing activities during their school hours can make the most of what is taught in class. You as a student after a relaxing session will lose track of the learning time and will put your heart and soul into what is being taught and give it your best.

  1. Memory Retention – Another Promising Benefit of Fun-Learning

Teachers and guardians can bank on a host of educational toys and games that are crafted for their wards. Allowing them to discover, share and create incredible educational content, these fun-filled tools weave magic in the lives of students in more ways than one.

Students usually multi-task even when they are simply sitting in the class and listening to a lecture. While they are listening, they are also engaged in taking notes, simultaneously heeding the instructions given out by their faculty. It calls for a great deal of mind power to perform all these activities.

Fun-filled activities during school hours bring in a sense of novelty which is not enjoyed by students but also helps in improving their memory power. After a fun-filled activity, the minds of students are activated to such an extent that they will be able to enhance their capabilities to recapitulate what was taught after the entertaining activity.

Conclusion

It is all about making education even more interesting for students to not only remember the course contents but also to relate every fun-filled event to a topic that was discussed in class. With that in mind, teachers and schools which give importance in providing fun-filled study-breaks will stand tall, attracting the attention of both parents and students to enroll. All for the sake of delivering holistic and quality education to students, it is only through fun-filled activities that assimilation of information is made simpler and interesting to students.

Posted on by Edsys

Moving away from the conventional pattern of teaching and learning, the present age is witnessing a paradigm shift in the way teachers are teaching and students are assimilating information. This change in educational patterns is all set to open up newer avenues for the teaching and learning groups, paving way for a modern school of thought. If you are curious to know about the futuristic trends in education that will shape the lives of the global student fraternity, here are the driving forces that you should watch out for.

  1. Practical Learning Strategies

Learning by rote is a thing of the past. Now is the age when students are prompted to demonstrate their learnings by following a practical approach. Laying the foundation for personalized learning strategies, the future presents umpteen opportunities to unleash the creative skills of students. It is only when students show what they learnt that they will better understand the concepts of the topic, before they step into learning the next topic as an extension to the earlier one. This strategy of practically demonstrating their knowledge can help students master their subjects.Teacher app ad banner

  1. Focus on Students’ Choice and Preferences

The future of education is all about strengthening and incorporating student-centric learning. In this endeavor, the onus is on teachers to adopt personalized learning and teaching patterns. Flexibility in learning is the keyword that governs the forthcoming tendency of imparting quality education to students. Given the fact that every student is unique with a different set of choices and strengths, it is through flexible learning patterns that students will benefit a great deal in future.

  1. Collaboration – The Powerful Tool of Sharing and Connecting With Others

All thanks to umpteen technological innovations, education is witnessing a sea change. Learning and teaching are no longer restricted to the use of textbooks and blackboards. Education has surpassed the geographical boundaries coming in the form of online training courses that can help students to enroll and complete them from any part of the globe. A host of open-source educative sites are now available to students to educate them about any topic under the sun. They can simply browse the topic that interests them the most and exchange information through social media circles.

Active participation in the online social world will set the stage for a collaborative form of learning when students of one school or country can effortlessly reach out to their peers located in other regions; whenever they want. Hence, working together paves way for better communication between students alongside improving their competencies and skills for the world to acknowledge and appreciate.

Education App Directory Banner

  1. Edutainment – The Novel Concept of Blending Entertainment With Learning

An amalgamation of education and entertainment is opening the doors to think ahead. It can mean the use of technology to concentrate on online videos or slide shows. Grabbing the attention of students, the latest technological innovations in the sphere of Augmented Reality (AR) have already replaced the pens and chalk pieces needed to learn and teach.

Relying on media as an instrument to impart education has its own benefits, brightening the future of students by honing their creative skills. While providing them with a platform to express themselves better, media learning helps students to stay in constant touch with global educative events that are happening at different venues across the globe. Educative podcasts, videos and recorded audio-video lessons are the latest educational trends that will promise a beautiful makeover to the traditional classroom-type of teaching and learning.

  1. The Emergence of A Holistic Change

It should be kept in mind that the relationship between students and teachers is constantly changing and evolving with the passage of every single day. Gone are the days when teachers were tagged as the only source of learning. Now is the age when students are able to educate teachers through classroom discussions and presentations. While teachers are looking for other means to educate students, online learning comes as a handy tool to excite the participation of introvert students.

As a class enjoys the luxury of learning from different approaches, knowledge-seekers can make the most of such teaching methods. Permitting students to get introduced to global educative patterns, exchange of facts becomes a breeze when teachers assign interactive quizzes as class and home assignments along with the novel flipped classroom sessions.

  1. Skill-Based Education Paves Way for Trained Professionals

Education is all about preparing students towards employment. While bookish knowledge helps them understand the topic, it is only when they apply that knowledge to a specific trade that they will shine in their jobs. Skill-based training, also called as vocational training not only enhances employability but also drives the competencies in students to try their hand in various disciplines.

Skill-based training through its modular pattern can be introduced at the secondary and higher secondary stages. Once this is done, our economy will witness a boost coming in the form of competitive professionals who are equipped with on-the-job-training. This skill-centric education allows students to stay in good stead with the advancements in their chosen field of work. Tagged as an essential pillar of education, skill-based training is one of the ways to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of trained professionals; a scenario that is rampant in many countries.

  1. Learning On the Go is Fun

This is the generation of smartphones which are not only omnipresent but also omnipotent. Capable of simplifying our lives in a number of ways, students will be empowered to learn anywhere and anytime that is convenient to them through their internet-connected smartphones. Offering them the best learning experiences, mobile learning can further narrow the boundaries of learning.

  1. Appreciating The Competencies of Students

Feedback is another tool that will see the light of the day in imparting holistic education. Positive feedback coming in the form of awards and credits will encourage students to perform better and develop a keen sense of healthy competition amongst peer groups. Departing from the traditional A to F grading of students, it is through academic credits that teachers and schools can handhold students of varying IQ levels to demonstrate their innate strengths. This mind shift of compartmentalizing students to grades will develop the positive mindset that will work in favor of the learning communities.

  1. Internships – Another Promising Tool For Career Readiness

Students will be better prepared to identify and grab job opportunities provided they are exposed to real world experiences. Since the underlying purpose of education is to make a mark for yourself in your chosen field of work, internships offer a close-up to the corporate environment or job culture.

Internships are promising since they extend their classroom learnings to familiarize themselves with the workplace environment. While helping students gain technical knowledge about the working of organizations, in-house training workshops can hone their social skills. It is when students begin to actively participate in campus organizations that they will land up in better organizations which ultimately result in satisfying and lucrative careers. Thus, internships are important to provide the much-needed “hire experience” that translates into a permanent job with a handsome salary.

  1. Adaptive Learning Platforms Will Gain Prominence

Teachers are now being trained to bring in an adaptive learning curriculum which is in the best interest of the learning fraternity. It is through such innovative platforms that teachers can improve student engagement when they begin to impart education using adaptive courseware. It is a personalized learning which helps students work on instant feedback given out by their faculty.

Coming in the form of formative assessments, students will be differentiated based on their innate strengths and capabilities. Creating enough room for improvement, appropriate learning tools can be recommended so that the nascent talents of students are unveiled and brought to the fore. This competency-based educational pattern will thus lay the foundation of a curriculum that will keep in mind the fundamental interests and individual needs of students.

Closing Notes

Transitioning from the traditional to the modern style of imparting education did take a long time. And now that this change is wide-spread, students across the globe will be at the receiving end of multiple benefits that will not only strengthen their knowledge-base but will also pave way for lucrative and high-paying careers they are dreaming of.

Posted on by Edsys

You will agree with the fact that education should provide you with skills that will help you prepare for and face the challenges life throws at us. Gone are the days of traditional educational systems where students learnt lessons by rote. Not allowing them to think out-of-the-box, it was the age when teachers too were not equipped with skills that they could ignite the creativity in students.

With modernization, this drawback paved the way to include classroom activities aimed at improving the creativity of students. Teaching creativity as one of the subjects of study was made possible through a model of giving instructions to students with an intention to hone their creativity; a natural ability to thrive in a fast-paced and highly-competitive environment.

Here are such creativities that fosters education:

  1. Teachers to come up with awards and rewards for creativity

Motivation is the first trick that can be followed by teachers. The onus is on the faculty to create a learning environment that not only recognizes creativity but also appreciates it. The school administration can declare awards to showcase the creative talents of students.

Every classroom which has students who provide creative solutions to real-world situations can be recognized and praised. This recognition will fuel the creative side of other students to follow suit. Here, you can create notice boards with the names and abilities of students who have come up with great school work and sing words of praise.

  1. A Blend of Cognitive and Emotional Programs

What are the effective ways to teach creativity so that teachers can impart quality education to students? All in an attempt to provide holistic education to knowledge-seekers, it is through an amalgamation of emotional and cognitive functions that teachers can handhold students to tread the path of a creative lifestyle. Other abilities of students like mastering a musical instrument, developing a spatial awareness and bodily kinesthetic development can lay the foundation of a creative means to a comprehensive educational program.

  1. Introduce a Host of Programs that can Develop the Creative Skills of a Class

Thinkquest and Odyssey of the Mind are some of the classroom programs that can be conducted by teachers who are inclined towards honing the creative talents of students. Becoming a platform to compete with the global fraternity of creative learners, it is through these well-designed programs that students from different parts of the globe can learn from the experiences of creative thinkers and learners.

  1. Encouragement to Hands-On Learning

Quote unquote the famous maxim from Benjamin Franklin says: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” The underlying concept behind this thought is that students who are encouraged to tread the path of experimental learning can connect better with the subject when compared to simply lecturing from a text book.

If you are an English teacher, you can involve a group reading session. And every time you want to conduct such a session, you can pick one  different reader who will read out the contents of the text to the entire class.

Media and Designing students are at an advantage when they can skip theory and involve themselves with hands-on learning. If you are teaching a class about fundamentals of web designing, you can encourage your wards to use  websites like Wix and Squarespace. These are free website building tools that students can use  to develop their own websites revolving around a topic of their choice.

Math can be taught the innovative way by implementing practical ideas teamed with working models.. Infusing a sense of excitement to learning will make students  learn to solve problems related to speed and distance. This way, you as a teacher will be able to provide an innovative way to solve math problems through real-life examples.

  1. The Use of Unconventional Learning Materials

Textbooks teamed with writing boards come in as traditional teaching tools. However, with technology impacting into every sphere of human life, you can promote the out-of-the-box thinking of your students by introducing them to innovative educational tools. Empowering students with TED Talks, Podcasts and Design Software, you can teach your kids to learn through audio-visual presentations.

When students listen to the TED talks delivered by role models and global leaders, they will connect with them better. Getting inspired by their life-stories, students who have TED talks as part of their educational curriculum will begin to enjoy the benefits of creative development.

Educational podcasts are handy tools that can be played in classrooms. You name a subject and you will find a matching podcast. Visual communication comes as another educational tool which makes use of design software to churn out innovative lesson plans for students. Through software-enabled visual communications, students can strengthen their fundamentals about a particular topic.

  1. Class Discussions – A Practice With Many Benefits

Unnecessary chatter can be distracting not only to the teacher but also to a group of focused students who are all eyes and ears with the subject under study. Encouraging the entire class to become part of a meaningful discussion is definitely a challenge to every teacher. If your teaching strategy relies on such meaningful subject-oriented discussions, then it will be a favor to your students in the following ways:

  • A discussion initiated by you will get your students to apply their reasoning skills and enables the entire class to think about the topic
  • Effective listening skills are encouraged when the rest of the class is made to pay attention to a group of students who are coming up with ideas and suggestions about the topic
  • Paving the way for a healthy competition, students will go extra mile in challenging their peers by outsmarting them with an innovative presentation of creative ideas
  1. Multi-Format Assignments – A Proven Means to Keep Monotony at Bay

Sticking to hard and fast rules can be very stressful to students who wish to demonstrate their innovative minds to the rest of the class. Teachers who encourage multi-format assignments fuel the creative steak in kids, alongside allowing them to come up with creative ideas to showcase their knowledge. It need not be a monotonous essay writing assignment that can become the yardstick of their intelligence. You can encourage your class to submit their assignments in the form of presentations, speeches and documentaries.

  1. Stress Busting Techniques Become Light-Hearted Learning Mechanisms

Topping the chart of options to create a positive learning environment, teachers who encourage  good sense of humor in classrooms are doing the right thing. that They can tackle stressful situations better only when students are encouraged to laugh and share relevant jokes in class

  1. A Video Diary Allows Students to Peep Into Their Inner Selves

It’s all about the “three things” concept. Teachers, by the end of every term can encourage students to introspect the three things that went well, the three major challenges that they faced and the three things that call for attention and hard work. And these inferences can be presented in the form of an interesting video presentation for the entire class to watch, learn and enjoy. This simple yet effective exercise will permit students to take their learning journey seriously so that they can make the most of the education imparted in classrooms.

  1. Education through Goal-Setting

Achievable and measureable goals are the biggest motivators in the learning curve of students. Teachers can encourage their wards to come up with a set of project or term based goals and write them down for everyone to see. A classroom notice board which displays the goals of every student will in turn serve as an empowering tool for others to tighten their belts. Once students are made to extend their efforts in the direction of reaching their goals, they will scout for creative means to finally arrive at the finish line.

  1. Motivation Through Posters

A picture is worth a thousand words. In line with this famous adage, teachers who pin up motivational quotes on the soft boards of classrooms will be dealing with a bunch of students who constantly look up to such quotes. Inspiring them to perform better by the day, these motivational quotes will go a long way in shaping their creative instincts.

  1. Team Building Strategies

Two brains are better than one. So true to this phrase, a class which thrives on the principle of team building can pave the way for creative thinking teamed with a strong sense of collaboration and communication. Allowing students to constantly interact with each other in pursuit of a common assignment or project work, they will experience a multitude of feelings. Alongside enjoying the thrill of success, they will also try to deal with failure in a better way. All these help them master the subject with a belief that they can bank on the combined efforts of their classmates.

Conclusion

A classroom which ranks high on creativity can make all the educational dreams of students a reality. All the above classroom activities can ensure that your students can hone their creative skills in the best possible manner. However, the onus is on the faculty to go the extra mile to encourage students to stretch their imagination through the above mentioned creative classroom strategies.

Posted on by Edsys

 

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.

Posted on by Edsys

Remember how you used to get excited when you, as a kid, went to the computer lab of your school or when your teacher brought a projector to the classroom? A few years back, technology in classrooms was a matter of curiosity. But now, it is a necessity. Technology has already entered classrooms now and in near future, all classrooms will turn technology-centered.

Why do we need technology in classrooms?

Aren’t the current surroundings good enough?

Traditional teaching methods involving students and teachers in a classroom are in no way terrible. But, the education thus imparted is solely limited to books and the four walls of the class room. That makes the knowledge imparted insufficient for students to face the world. They need to have vast knowledge on a variety of topics. There is heavy competition going on and almost all of it is dependent on technology and hence, it is important that the students know how to use the latest gadgets while preparing for their future.

“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” –Mark Van Doren

“We need technology in every classroom and in every student and teacher’s hand, because it is the pen and paper of our time, and it is the lens through which we experience much of our world.” – David Warlick

 

Apart from that, it can have the following advantages over traditional classrooms:

  1. Keeps students focused for longer periods of time: Sources such as Internet available to students in schools keep them engaged and make learning an interesting affair. Students also find it easy to complete their projects and assignments since any information is available to them at their fingertips in a short span of time.
  2. Makes learning an exciting process: Those who belong to the times before technology was introduced to classrooms may know how easily you got bored between lectures. The topic would have been of least interest or may be, the teacher wasn’t explaining things in an interesting manner. Introduction of technology in schools has definitely created excitement in classrooms. Lessons imparted in the form of web/mobile applications and games can keep them engaged and updated.
  3. Lets students take their own time to learn: Not every student is a fast learner. As a student, you might have found it difficult to decipher what has been taught at school. However, considering the strength of the pupils and the deadline within which a particular lesson had to be completed, teachers might not have been able to help you out. Technology in learning helps students to learn at their own pace. This helps the students to understand things better and gives a better meaning to education.
  4. Prepares students for a better future: Attaining a degree is not the only criterion for a job these days. Employers are in search of those people who can actually multi-task and have workplace skills even if they are new to a job. If it is the situation now, imagine how harsh the criteria would be for a job in the future. Therefore, it is important for students to develop skills essential to survive the competition that they may come across once they graduate.

Technology helps the students to break all barriers and connect globally, thus extending their knowledge beyond books. They will learn to deal with complex problems, improve their communication, leadership skills and productivity.

“Every student can learn. Just not on the same day or in the same way” – George Evans

How will future classrooms look like?

There are lots of advancements being made in technology. Here are 5 of the popular technologies that may be a part of learning in the near future:

Augmented Reality (AR)

You may have seen these in sci-fi movies where a character walks down a lane wearing maybe a pair of glasses and he gets full information about the location in front of his eyes. Well, it’s getting real and is going to take the world by storm very soon. Right now, AR technology can be accessed only in the form of smart phone apps. But, Google Glass is already in the market and similar gadgets will follow it to the market in time. Soon, students can go for virtual field trips to faraway places while sitting in their classrooms and get information about anything, thus expanding their knowledge about things.

3D printing

Visual learning is always effective than theory and therefore, 3D printing will find its place in classrooms very soon. Teachers and students can easily print out 3D models of any complex structure. The physical versions of many complex structures that are difficult to understand when taught theoretically can be presented as 3D models.

Cloud computing

Various excuses that you delivered for not bringing homework or assignments won’t work for future kids. Cloud computing is gaining popularity and all traditional classrooms will turn virtual in the near future. Kids can bid adieu to text books and all study materials as all they need is an Internet connection. Students can attend classes in virtual environment and they will be able to submit their work even if they are not present in the class for the day. It also gives the children opportunities to be engaged in learning activities and discussions or forums.

Biometrics

The term is usually linked to security. Apart from that, there is an interesting eye tracking feature. It can help you know how much each student has understood about the content taught in classrooms. This can help teachers to make changes in their way of teaching or in the content and help the students to understand things in a better way.

Game-based learning

Some children usually pay little attention to what is taught in the classroom and their participation in class may be quite less. However, they may love games and similar activities. So, why not integrate games with learning? Lots of educational apps have already come into existence to spread knowledge in the form of games. The next step may be for the students to design the games themselves for learning subjects in depth. This training may also lay foundation to those who would like to pursue a career in game design in the later stages of life.

With these technologies in classrooms, the students will no longer see learning as a duty but as something that is very important and interesting in life, of which they have to be a part.

Will students be comfortable with technology in classrooms?

Here are some facts that may answer the question.

It has been found out that in an environment with future classroom facilities,

  • The students were 24% more engaged in class
  • There was 23% more student-teacher interaction
  • Students felt16% more comfortable asking questions
  • They were able to conduct group work 28% more
  • Also, the students felt 22% more valued

These facts do give an insight of how future classrooms will be more effective than traditional classrooms.

Posted on by Edsys

Literacy indicates the social and economic development of a country. A literate person is someone above the age of 7 years who can read and write with understanding in any language. India has come a long way in educating its people and hence, the literacy rate in the country has been increasing with passing time. Here’s a fact check about literacy in India:

literacy-in-india

Like It ?Embed This Image On Your Site
(copy code below):

Posted on by Edsys

Managing timetables, plotting school bus route plans, calculating payroll and evaluating teacher performance adds to the tedious tasks of school management. Education software has been helping schools to manage these activities effectively by lessening the day-to-day time and effort put to complete them.

For instance, managing timetables is a difficult task for many school authorities. It involves continuous updating based on the availability of teachers, time required for each subjects, etc. So what can school authorities do to ease the tension associated with setting and managing timetables?

They can now depend on the timetable management software from Edsys to help the overall administrative functions of a school.

Let’s see what the advantages of using a Timetable management system in schools are.

Reducing paperwork

With an endless list of paperwork, manual school management is always tough and troublesome. But Timetable management software makes it easy for school authorities to manage the school affairs very effectively.

Less confusion

While creating timetables many things have to be taken into consideration like availability of teachers, number of classrooms, allotted time etc. It’s so confusing that errors may occur while setting it. Generating timetables automatically is the best way to avoid this and for that you can use timetable management software which provides a feasible solution.

Generating timetables automatically

Automatic timetable generation will help ease the disorder associated with manual timetable management. One special feature is the facility to generate timetables interactively. This will help in reducing the limitations of manual timetable management.

No more errors

Timetable management software is helpful in reducing manual errors. Sometimes, manual timetables can create confusion among teachers. So using timetable management software can help school management to effectively allot class hours to available teachers accurately.

Substitution management

Managing substitutions in the absence of a particular teacher is quiet troublesome where you need to check the availability and class timings of other teachers separately. But timetable management software can make it easier and hassle-free by providing the accurate results regarding substitution management.

Generating records

School management is not an easy job. The details regarding leaves, performance, classroom activities etc. need to be noted in order to manage and improve it. Timetable management software can be a great help for school management to take care of all the activities of employees. The benefit of generating records on a monthly basis helps school authorities to monitor the data regarding teachers and non-teaching staff in an easy manner.

Pay scales

Preparing pay scales is a tiresome job where leaves of each employee have to be taken separately. Confusion and chaos regarding pay scale can be avoided if timetable management software is used. It prepares pay scales very easily and accurately.

Not just for a single class!

Creating timetables for class itself is a hard thing. So how will school authorities manage to prepare timetable for the whole school? They can seek the help of Timetable management software which help in creating timetable for the whole school. It also helps us in saving our energy, time and money!

Manually managing the affairs of a school is not as easy as you think. So in order to keep up with the changing educational system, you need to make use of technology which will help you attain efficient results. Timetable management software is one such change which you can make in order to make things move faster. This not only helps in effective school management but also contribute significantly to the overall learning atmosphere of the school.

 

Related posts

8 Tools Schools Should Be Using To Provide Better Education

When Today’s Schools Opt for Technology to Aid in Teaching

Benefits Of Replacing Your Manual School Management With Time Table Management Software

Posted on by Edsys

“A child without education, is like a bird without wings”-Tibetan proverb

Education, apart from being a human right, is a necessity for survival these days. An uneducated person finds it tough to survive, be it financially or socially. The list of these schools given below is proof that people around the globe understand the value of education and are ready to go to any extend to spread knowledge. They are much different from the typical schools we are used to.

These schools do not even come close to those large class rooms with a black board, chairs and table, plenty of students and teaches. But they all serve the same purpose-to educate. Here’s a journey through the world’s unique schools:

Boat school, Bangladesh

1

Most of the rural areas of Bangladesh do not even have access to education. If at all there is a facility, it is mostly boys who attend school. Girls can attend only if the school is near their homes. But, when it is monsoon, it becomes tough. Due to the long-lasting floods during monsoon, children are unable to attend school. This is the reason architect Mohammed Rezwan came up with a unique idea-the boat school! “I thought that if the children cannot come to the school, then the school should come to them,” he says.

Nomadic School, Siberia

4

This school was formed in 2006 by Alexandra Lavrillier, an ethnologist, with the intention of providing modern education to children belonging to the Evenk, a nomadic group of south-east Siberia, while preserving their culture. Before this school came into existence, the Evenk children followed a modern education system, by staying in boarding schools for months at a time. This caused them to lose contact with their tradition. The school, which has been given the status of “official experimental school,” has inspired more schools of that sort to come up in other parts of Siberia.

Train Platform Schools, India

5

These schools were formed as a result of Inderjit Khurana, coming in contact with lots of children begging in trains, instead of attending schools. Being a school teacher, Inderjit understood that education is the only way to help those children escape from poverty. But to enrol these children in school was an impossible task. The concept of train platform schools enables children who dwell in streets of India to have their share of basic education.

School in the Cloud, China

gulu

Journey to attend this school in Gulu village of Sichuan Province in China is no child’s play. Located in the middle of lots of cliffs and canyons, it takes about 5 hours to walk across the narrow mountain path leading to the school, consisting of dangerous twists and turns. Unlike the present situation, the school had dirty classrooms with leaky roofs and no toilet about 26 years ago. It was the teacher Shen Qijun who toiled hard single-handedly to bring the school to the present form. Now, the school has a toilet and children have been given uniforms by volunteers. The school continues to thrive despite the difficult conditions.

Door Step School, India

2

Established in 1989 by a group of social workers, the concept of Door Step School is similar to that of Boat School in Bangladesh. Aimed to provide education to the underprivileged children, the school goes to where the children are and starts the class there. “School on Wheels” is an initiative of the people behind DoorStepSchool to educate the children on the streets. For that, a school bus has been designed as a class room, with just one aim-100% literacy.

The existence of these schools proves that, beyond the facilities, all that matters is just education.

But all of these schools do not just follow a traditional education system. Technology is making education more affordable, simpler and safer. Edsys is an example of a company that provides educational solutions that help to enhance educational system, right from school management to school bus management. Some of its products include RFID Student Tracking System, GPS Vehicle Tracking System, Parent portal and smart cards for schools, that prove to be very useful in terms of overall school management.

Posted on by Edsys

Be it providing education or receiving it, the task isn’t easy at it seems. It requires a lot of effort and energy. There may be various elements to tackle in between to earn real benefits out of education. Bullying, racism, inequality etc. are some social issues that the providers and the students have to face in common.

There are some other issues that are solely confined to teachers or students. Hence, it is very difficult to understand for people outside the circle. But many movies have brilliantly portrayed most of the issues related to education so that others out of the education system can understand them better.

Here are 11 movies that narrate some of the challenges faced by teachers and students in the education system. These convey the importance of education:

1. To Sir, With Love (1967)

Released in 1967, this movie highlighted racial and social issues. ‘To Sir, with Love’ narrates the story of Mark Thackarey, a former engineer, who begins his career in teaching at an area with low standard of living in London. Soon, Mr. Thackarey realizes that rather than arithmetic or any other subjects, how to survive is what he has to teach his students and how Mr. Thackarey achieves that forms the rest of the story. Actor Sidney Poitier portrayed the role of Mark Thackarey in this feel good movie.

2. Educating Rita (1983)


‘Educating Rita’ is all about self-discovery and the power to choose, that comes through education. The movie narrates how the life of a young wife Rita (played by actress Julie Walters) transforms when she comes in contact with Frank Bryant, her assigned Open University professor after deciding to complete her education. Mr. Bryant happens to inspires her and teaches her to value her own thoughts.

3. The Breakfast Club (1985)


A bit different from the usual teacher-student movie, ‘The Breakfast Club’ tells the story of five students, each belonging to a different high school group, who happen to come together during a Saturday detention and connect to each other. The movie successfully portrays the interaction between students in an education system.

4. Stand and Deliver (1988)

This 1988 movie revolves around a high school maths teacher, Jaime Escalante, who leaves his highly-paid job to take up teaching. ‘Stand and Deliver’ narrates how Mr. Escalante motivates his undisciplined and rebellious bunch of students to excel in academics while overcoming various hurdles. The movie is based on a true story and the character Jaime Escalante is for real. In the movie, actor Edward James Olmos played the role of the teacher, Jaime Escalante.

5. Dead Poets Society (1989)


This classic film tells the story of a teacher who motivates his students the break out of their normal lives to seize the day and to be extra ordinary. Late actor Robin Williams played the role of John Keating, the free-spirited, understanding and inspiring teacher, every student wishes to have. The movie ‘Dead Poets Society’ and the character John Keating has been inspiring students for many years.

6. Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)

Director Stephen Herek brilliantly portrays the harsh realities related to teaching in his movie, ‘Mr. Holland’s Opus’. The movie is about Glenn Holland, a music composer who is forced to take up the job of a high school music teacher to pay his bills, who later discovers the impact he made on his students. Actor Richard Dreyfuss portrayed the role of Mr. Holland in the movie packed with touching scenes that can leave you with a lump in your throat.

7. Chalk (2006)

The fictional documentary, ‘Chalk,’ narrates the challenges and problems that four teachers endure over the course of an academic year. Some moments of the documentary make you laugh, while others make you think as it honestly depicts the real hardships one has to face in one of the most respected professions-teaching.

8. Half Nelson (2006)

More than a student-teacher story, ‘Half Nelson’ explores race and class issues and friendship. In the movie, Ryan Gosling plays Dan Dunne, a high school teacher, with a unique teaching style, who is otherwise, a drug-addict. Mr. Dunne is forced to be friends with one of his students, when she finds out his secret.

9. Freedom Writers (2007)


This movie proves that education isn’t something that is merely confined to the four walls of a classroom, but beyond that. In the movie, actress Hillary Swank plays Erin Gruwell, a teacher who motivates her rebellious and underprivileged students to improve in terms of academics and behaviour by asking them to maintain journals about their lives.

10. Tare Zameen Par(Like stars on Earth) (2009)

This Indian movie, which comes with a tagline, “Every child is special” gives a new definition to education. Tare Zameen Par narrates the story of Ishaan Awasti, who is good at art but fares poorly when it comes to academics. Ishaan’s art teacher Ram Shankar Nikumbh, suspects that Ishaan is suffering from dyslexia and helps Ishaan overcome his disability. Actor Amir Khan plays Mr. Nikumbh while Darsheel Safary plays Ishaan Awasti in the movie. .

11. Precious (2009)

This movie about an illiterate and obese girl explains the importance of education. Actress Gabourey Sidibe plays the role of 16-year-old Claireece Precious Jones, who is physically and mentally abused by her mother and is sexually abused by her father. Precious Jones later enrolls in an alternative school and certain incidents inspire her to have a new outlook of life.

All these amazing movies help you to understand a lot about education. They might help you to provide better education to students. And for that to happen in an easier way, you can embrace technolgy. There are solutions such as RFID Student Tracking System, GPS Vehicle Tracking System, Parent portal and smart cards for schools that can be quite effective.