Shayne Frost
Education Technology
G.C Foster College of Physical Education and Sport
ND4B ID# 110086
“21st century learning is the process whereby digital natives utilize the power of modern technology to learn anything, anytime, anywhere” (Ligon, 2009). To say that twenty first century learners have changed in the way they learn would be a gross understatement. It seems as though things are completely different for learners now than how it was for those not taught in the digital era. Many changes have taken place in the classroom itself such as teachers using white boards and markers instead of black boards and chalk. A change like this has many benefits such as faster writing and cleaning off. Students can also record lectures which gives them the opportunity to listen to or watch it at a later date as much as they want. If people from the 19th century could see the advancements made today, they would first be shocked and clueless, but then intrigued and eager to learn. The way learners learn in the twenty first century helps the learning process immensely and provides this generation with the best ever access to learning and education.
Three changes evident in the twenty first century learner include: the use of the internet for research instead of encyclopaedias and books, taking notes on iPads, phones and computers instead of books and doing online courses instead of actually being in a classroom.
Using the internet for research these days is a great upgrade in relation to learners using library books and encyclopaedias before. Students now have information literally at their finger tips because access to research content is just a click away. In an article entitled ‘The Web as a Tool for Research’, (Green, 1997) said “Unlike traditional books and journals, the internet is capable of providing information in the form of time-based media elements such as sound and video.” Before the time of technological devices, students would have to go to the library to get information which was more time consuming and difficult. Nowadays doing research is hassle free with the internet as millions of links appear in less than a second to show information on any topic needed. The problem with using books for research was that the books can become outdated and the information could be proven to be wrong or different, but with the internet the information is updated regularly so the information is current and relevant.
The other change with the 21st century learner is the taking of notes on iPads, phones and computers instead of books. Books can be heavy, are usually kept in a bag and they require care to be properly preserved. A student can now go into class with nothing but a phone and not only write notes, but also record the notes. The phone, computer and iPad make note taking a breeze, for instance, if the lecturer is speaking and everyone is recording it, there would be a need for the lecturer to repeat or slow down because someone fell behind. The change in the way notes are written from books to technological devices makes it easier for the students and the teacher because it is a simpler yet more effective way of note taking.
Doing online courses instead of actually being in a classroom is another change in how the 21st century student learns. By doing courses online, the student can go at their own pace unlike in a classroom where there are others trying to learn too. Online courses allows for comfort as it can be done anywhere internet is available. The student does not have to worry about getting the best seat or hearing the teacher’s voice. The 21st century student’s classroom can be their bedroom or anywhere chosen. With doing an online course it saves time and money as the student wouldn’t have to spend money to reach to a class or wasting time on travelling.
An implication of taking notes on technological devices instead of books is that the lesson becomes faster and more efficient. By being faster it is time saving. Back in the days where these technological devices were not present, learners would have to use books to record notes. In today’s classroom, the laptop can replace all those books which can save time with something such as writing because typing is faster. This means teachers could give notes at a more accelerated rate which leaves more time to go through the notes in class and for the teacher to explain the notes for a longer period. By completing the taking of notes faster, it also leaves more time for class discussions which are important as it is in those discussions that students understand the topic of the notes even better. “One of the prime uses of the iPad is as an electronic notepad, largely replacing the use of paper notebooks” (Gray, 2012). It is also more efficient because when the notes were written in a book back then, the common way to transfer those notes was to write it on something else. When notes are taking on these technological devices, the notes can be sent, stored, copied and reproduced instantly which allows more options for the transfer and storage. It is more efficient as errors can be changed easily and instantly which does not create a mess as it would in a book. In using a technological device the notes will always be legible if type and can always be listened over at any point if recorded.
An implication of doing online courses instead of actually being in a classroom for policy decisions is that the government would have to set up rules to protect the content of what learners use online. This means there would be a specific set of regulations learners would have to follow as it deals with giving credit for sources to protect internet material from copyright infringement and plagiarism. Learning online means learners would use the internet more in doing the online course in comparison to doing a course in a regular classroom. Whatever learners would read or research would mostly come from the internet during the online courses and the decisions on how learners use the internet have to be guided by these specific rules.
Three ways in which integrating technology in teaching and learning will improve the quality of education for students are by using the projector, creating a classroom chat room and by recording classes by video or sound.
Using a projector is an excellent way for the teacher to present a lesson and it is faster than writing on a board. The way it improves the quality of education is by capturing the attention of students based on the fact that colourful words, pictures and videos can by shown. The words will also be more legible than the writing of a human being which helps students to read better. “Teachers can make use of PowerPoint presentations, images and even film as teaching tools through the use of projectors” (Whitaker, 2013). If the teacher uses a PowerPoint to present a topic, that document which was first shown using the projector can then be passed on to the students to use in their own time.
Creating a classroom chat room will allow for the teachers and students to communicate while in class or even outside of the class. In creating a classroom chat room students can speak to each other about topics discussed in class which allows them to help each other. Students at times find it easier to communicate with their peers so they can provide their views to other students who are weak in a particular area.
Recording classes by video or sound is another way in which integrating technology in teaching and learning will improve the quality of education for students. This improves education’s quality by allowing students to have a previous class recording to listen or watch at any time. It would be like the class happening over again every time the student plays it which can help with understanding the more times it is listened to. This provides an opportunity to a student who was not at class to get the whole class just as if the student was there. With a recording a student can control what is listened to and at what pace which can help when studying.
The 21st century learner is quite different from years in the past with changes such as the usage of the internet, taking notes on technological devices and the access to online classes. Those changes in 21st century learning help the students in studying and performance. Ways of technology integration such using the projector, creating a classroom chat room and by recording classes by video or sound, also help to improve the quality of education for students. Education in the 21st century will only get better as time goes by which will enhance the way students learn and perform.
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