10 Ways to Increase Student Engagement with Technology
Despite the difficulties and the demanding nature of integrating technology into learning, it is rather widespread in classrooms of the present day.
Some educators believe that the use of technology represents a prospective factor in developing new forms of learning experiences that will capture and enthrall pupils so that they will not even notice the ringing of the bell when the playing time is over if used in the right way.
Teachers cannot remain indifferent to technological advancements and techniques which crop up from time to time. With the help of technology, students can discover the safe use of digital platforms and the practices to follow.
Among them, they include the following ten student engagement solutions, which will assist in attaining this enhanced learning environment.
1. Including Virtual Models
While using technology to engage students, it is possible to involve the aspects of digital simulations in your courses. Another suggestion of bringing variation into the teaching process – using such approaches as virtual field trips and using the Internet may also affect the children, encouraging them to get an understanding of the cultures from different countries of the world.
This tendency to integrate technology into all aspects of teaching opens up new ways to spark the interest of learners, interest them in the material, and revise more traditional methods.
2. Videos & Podcasts
It is fair to state that teachers who use the concept of “flipped classrooms” might use some of the applications, such as podcasts and online video material. In other words, they attempt to transform traditional teaching-learning resources into new forms and, therefore can be introduced in any context of educational practice to appeal to students.
Another best practice that can contribute to effective student learning is a podcast or a video in which the student can participate in a course. This is good for pupils who have challenges or those who pay less attention towards customized education. If a student gets a hold of classes, their capacity and interest in learning is increased throughout classes.
Creating your podcasts might be an excellent way to deliver assorted handout content into your classroom and offer your students resources if you are implementing the principles of an inverted classroom. It is an excellent way of increasing student engagement while keeping them interested in the curriculum, too.
3. Cloud-based Files
Cloud documents, including Google Docs or Microsoft OneDrive, allow two or more students to work on the same project using different devices. Writing on a piece of paper that is shared by all students is also not a bad idea, it is:
- Faster
- More organized
- It allows each child to speak
But keep in mind this: Seat several pupils in a row next to each other and avoid having many students writing on the same paper from one workstation.
4. Online Tests
Another good way to encourage students to use engagement technology is through tests and quizzes. It may be given as a review before a large test, or it might be given to see how students understand a given topic or lesson. There are several online quiz makers available that can be used by teachers, such as the Proprofs Quiz Maker. Such sites allow the creation of fun quizzes that students can participate in and turn into a Google Classroom or classroom website.
5. Assignments Involving Technology
In place of research papers and requests that homework be turned in on A4, virtual assignments are an engaging way of getting students involved and making studying a more fun experience. These can be any kind of assignment that involves the usage of technology in any way, shape, or form - from using Google Slides to create a presentation based on a topic to more creative approaches like anything using Minecraft Edu to build.
Thus, there are certain benefits of such exercises, such as the development of new skills during their studies. Here, teachers can determine how much the students understand the topics they are explaining. They may also be used in the interaction with students who might struggle to complete conventional work assignments, which is always highly effective for kids who have learning difficulties in the classroom.
6. Collaboration Tools
Teachers can employ student engagement tools that provide a deeper connection with the content when they use technology in the classroom. Through the use of technology, students may interact more hands-on with the things they are studying. Students will be able to engage in a range of educational experiences both within and outside of the classroom, from participating in learning activities to receiving feedback promptly. They may work together on projects in real time by using collaborative technologies like Microsoft Teams or Google Workspace (previously G Suite). These systems promote cooperation and increase student involvement by facilitating easy communication, simultaneous editing, and file sharing.
7. Ensure Greater Information Access
Earlier, the only sources of learning that were available to the pupils were books that were found in their classrooms or the bookshops and libraries. Yet, in the present time, students can also search for the most recent information from different resources using technology and internet access. In doing so, technology through websites, movies as well as charts and classroom engagement tools offer students’ knowledge that can continue guiding them even as they study from other subject areas.
8. Apps For Customized Learning
This gives the students the benefit of interacting in experience mode for the gains that fit their individual needs as a result of the many educational applications that are available. Students can remain engaged by using apps such as Khan Academy for subjects of various levels, Photomath for mathematics, and Duolingo for languages, which will offer the courses, as well as tapping on the answers to get immediate feedback.
9. Multimedia Projects
There are possibilities that while creating multimedia assignments with the help of tools such as Adobe Spark, Canva, or iMovie, students will also be able to develop creativity and certain digital competencies. When an assignment has multimedia elements included, students can be more involved in what they are doing and can offer a part of their work more uniquely.
10. Engaging demonstrations
Using interactive presentation technologies which let you include films, polls, quizzes, and other multimedia on your slides, is one method to make your lectures more interesting. With the aid of these resources, you may assess your pupils' comprehension, get input, and start conversations. Mentimeter, Nearpod, and Socrative are a few interactive presentation technologies. These technologies may also be used to develop self-paced learning modules that your students can access from any location at any time.
Conclusion
The use of technology in the classroom has the potential to completely change how children learn. Teachers may create a more dynamic and engaging learning environment by utilizing interactive platforms, immersive technology, collaborative tools, customized learning applications, robotics and coding exercises, multimedia projects, and new instructional methods.
In the end, incorporating technology into the classroom improves technology and student engagement while also giving them the fundamental digital skills they will need in the future.