MD Learn about the effect of technologies on modern education and learning. Find out what the best digital learning tools to facilitate your studies are.
MT The best distance learning tools for both students and teachers
Content Summary
Introduction
Educational Platforms for Those Who Strive for New Knowledge
Top Helpful Apps for Students
Google Meet for Effective Distant Lessons
Discussion Boards for Efficient Communication
Messengers for Higher Productivity
Conclusion
Introduction
Although just a few years ago distant learning was something outrageous and seemed to be not for us, nowadays, it is more than normal. Thanks to the pandemic, all educational establishments, courses, and even many businesses had to move online. Modern distant education is something more than just lessons over Skype or Zoom. Plenty of remote learning tools is available for both students and teachers to facilitate the process of education.
Thanks to LMS development, the educational field is rapidly growing online. Students from all corners of the world have a chance to use the best technologies and the most convenient tools ever to access the studying process and get as much new knowledge as possible. Moreover, nowadays there are a bunch of options to gain new skills and even pass tests and exams remotely.
If you want to be aware of the best digital learning tools that will make your life and studies easier today, keep reading until the very end. Learn how exactly you can benefit from them and what challenges you may face.
Educational Platforms for Those Who Strive for New Knowledge
Of course, you can include Zoom and Skype in efficient remote learning examples and they really are indispensable in everyday learning. However, there is a whole range of various tools and educational platforms where students can get new skills and even master new professions.
Here are the best educational online platforms for students nowadays:
- Coursera. If you do not feel the knowledge you are getting in college is enough, this platform will expand your horizons. Top universities from all over the world offer their courses here. Choose whatever you want to practice and go ahead. One more profession is guaranteed.
- Khan Academy. This platform is perfect for high school students but some college students also use it successfully. You will find plenty of free lessons here in nearly any discipline you are interested in. The platform is really helpful for those who missed something at school and now want to catch up with the missed lessons.
- edX. That is the best Coursera alternative ever. The platform is created by MIT and Harvard. This is the best tool for people striving for self-education. Here, you will find the best courses in all disciplines presented by professionals. It will be perfect even if you are going to learn lifelong. Those who want to gain new knowledge throughout life will always find something interesting on edX.
Top Helpful Apps for Students
Among different learning tools for students, you can find some really helpful and very often, free apps that can be used right on your smartphone or tablet. Below, you will find the most efficient ones.
- Kahoot! This is a learning app that is built as a game. The app is used by different businesses and educational establishments to facilitate the process of studies and keep their students engaged through various quizzes and games.
- Evernote. If you are a college student, this app is right for you. The app is not just a note-taking assistant but is perfect for storing all materials and classifying them. Thanks to it, you can share your course materials with peers, create interactive lists, and do many other things students normally forget. If you are not very good at time management and often procrastinate, then this app will be a real must-have for you.
Google Meet for Effective Distant Lessons
Apart from classic Zoom and Skype, you should distinguish such a remote learning technology as Google Meet. This is a relatively new product from Google that allows students and teachers to conduct their lessons really efficiently. All you need to have to use it is a Google account.
With your Gmail account, you can access the platform and have a lesson totally for free. This option is widely preferred by teachers all over the globe because, unlike Zoom, it is not limited to 40 minutes. Everyone can have a lengthy lesson for free. Moreover, it is not just an online messenger or a conference tool like Zoom or Skype.
Google Meet is a huge interactive platform where students and teachers can interact. Teachers post their tasks with deadlines while students submit their homework right there. Everything is automated and you can clearly see when the deadline is over, who submitted the homework on time, who failed, etc. Commenting and some communication is also possible there.
Discussion Boards for Efficient Communication
Discussion boards also belong to modern distance learning products that managed to conquer the attention and respect of both students and teachers. Dialogues are crucial for the educational process and simple learning or writing is not enough for effective learning.
Constructive dialogues are important for students to learn how to defend their viewpoints, admit their mistakes, and adequately accept viewpoints that are different from theirs. They also help develop their critical thinking skills. Although online education is effective, it is limited in terms of live communication. Thankfully, there are discussion boards that solve this problem.
Previously, discussion boards have already been used by many colleges in the process of distance education. Now, they are specially required. So, what discussion boards, actually, are? They are online spaces for students similar to their classroom education. As a rule, students receive a writing prompt and students respond to it. After that, students comment on the posts of their classmates, ask each other questions, and build a constructive discussion.
Messengers for Higher Productivity
If you believe messengers are created to chat with your peers only, you are wrong. Nowadays, they have become very productive distance learning tools for both students and teachers. Yes, there are such communication and educational platforms like Google Meet or Moodle where everyone can discuss the process.
However, thanks to WhatsApp or Viber messengers, both students and teachers can arrange groups to share various materials, and post tasks and notifications promptly. Not everyone has access to an email 24/7 to check notifications in Google Meet or Moodle but everyone uses smartphones and can see if the lesson was canceled due to an emergency, for example.
Conclusion
Modern education is full of online learning tools without which no one can imagine the learning process anymore. They became part of every student and teacher. Although live education is necessary, various technologies substitute for it successfully and even make the educational process even more effective.
