Technology has always been a part of the education system, from mobile phones to laptops. However, the internet and the use of related technologies in the teaching system have become increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is through this technology that the students were able to study and be safe in their homes at the same time. The rise of online teaching apps and the accessibility that it has provided cannot be sidelined.
Technology helps facilitate easy learning access for students, allows them to track their progress, and highlights the work at the same time. Here are the types of hardware used in a digital classroom by teachers.
Types of Hardware used in Digital Classroom
- Computers – Computers are one of the most common digital devices used in a classroom. Many schools issue laptops to students to study efficiently and effectively.
- Projectors – Modern classrooms have projectors and smart classes for students to understand complex concepts with ease.
- Interactive Whiteboards – IWBs act as a whiteboard in real-time. It includes both interactive flat-panel displays and projector-based interactive displays for multi-functioning.
- Tablets – Tablets are another type of technology that is used to teach the students. It provides a small screen size to watch, write and learn the study material instead of a bigger screen like found in laptops.
- Smartphones – Smartphones are often neglected and described as a cause of distraction. However, they can be used as a valuable and productive learning tool if used right.
Advantages of a Digital Classroom
A digital classroom refers to an educational class that incorporates electronic devices and technology to provide teachings and learning solutions to students. It allows teachers to teach and students to study from anywhere around the world. A digital classroom extends a physical classroom into a digital space.
- Improves engagement – Digital classrooms improve both retention and engagement of the students in their studies. Students like studying on digital devices more as compared to a physical classroom as digital classrooms are more fun and present concepts in easy-to-understand mode.
- Learning styles – Digital classrooms accommodate multiple learning styles for students and allow them to learn faster and effectively. Digital classrooms also double as assistive technology and provide various special needs to students.
- Instant feedback – Technology has made it simple for teachers to give instant feedback to their students on the concepts, learnings, or tests. It allows students to immediately focus on their mistakes and improve them.
- Collaboration – Digital classrooms also promote collaboration with peers on a project or a task. It allows peers to share information faster than ever.
- Prepare students for the future – Technology prepares students for the future and allows them to connect with new devices, technology, functioning, and operations of the devices. It helps them gain knowledge about computers and other devices.
Technology has changed the learning style of study for students. It is a valuable tool for improving education quality and outcomes. It helps prepare students for a digital future. Technological solutions help solve various problems compared to physical classroom solutions. It helps students to learn faster, provides easy-to-understand concepts, and is accessible irrespective of the location.
Students can study from anywhere and everywhere in the world. Following are a few things to keep in mind before implementing the technology in the classroom.
Connectivity
It is essential to know about the connectivity of technology in the classroom. You can connect the classroom devices with your existing data network. If there is no internet connection, files will not get saved, shared, and synced with the modern EdTech system. Before setting up your system, know-how does the device connect? Is it wireless or with cables? What kind of connection does it work on? And what kind of cable connection can it make?
Integration
Before connecting the tech devices with your network, make sure that all the devices are connected. The device setting of the classroom must be done in a way that allows students to access them easily. The same thing applies to software solutions. All the tech devices must connect with each other.
Support
The next step is to have a support team for tech devices. A digital classroom requires a full team to operate and support the devices. The technology works on connections and cables. A support team is essential to check the operations of all devices. An IT team provides support, fixes the system when needed, and maintains it over time to avoid lag and bugs in the system.
Ownership
For entrepreneurs in the education sector, the total cost of ownership of the digital classroom course consists of the price of using special software, operating devices, and its expenses. This cost covers the expenses of the entire lifetime. It also includes miscellaneous costs, such as subscriptions, electricity costs, maintenance expenses, and replacement costs. Choose a good b
Classroom design
Another important component of a digital classroom is classroom design. It is one of the major factors while deciding on technological solutions. A small classroom might require a whiteboard or chalkboard for study. However, a large classroom might not be suitable for whiteboards. It would require projectors or flat-panel interactive whiteboards.
Many students have also started shifting to online courses because they are more accessible and easier. Some courses also provide an option to work while working. It helps students both financially and economically. With the help of technology and digital classrooms, the study has become more advanced. Students can study any concept, topic, and book as per their study program. It further helps students to explore their career opportunities. Soon, every classroom will become a digital classroom.
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