Emerging technologies like virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) and interactive projectors are becoming more accessible. These innovations are transforming learning in the classroom.

Here are some of the ways that technology is expanding possibilities in education.

Digital learning platforms

Even before more recent innovations like VR and AR, education had already benefited from digital technology.

Digital learning platforms, or learning management systems (LMS), are used to facilitate online learning and manage coursework.

Platforms such as Google Classroom, Canvas and Moodle are used to provide more organized and accessible learning environments.

Google Classroom integrates with other Google tools such as Docs, Sheets and Drive, which are also commonly used in classrooms. Students and teachers can easily share resources and collaborate.

Canvas and Moodle are popular for their easy-to-navigate interfaces and ability to incorporate multimedia content.

Having a centralized learning space saves teachers time, and makes it easier for students to manage their coursework across various subjects.

Digital learning platforms allow teachers to distribute and grade assignments digitally, and students can access their course materials, submit homework and discuss work with their peers.

Interactive projectors

These projectors can facilitate immediate feedback, allowing teachers to quickly assess students’ understanding through interactive quizzes.

Teachers can also monitor students’ interactions with the content through the lesson – an advantage that projectors may have over traditional pen and paper.

Educators can shop online for the best interactive projector. These projectors often include educational games, along with others such as sports and puzzle games.

Gamification

Gamified learning platforms give students more ways to progress. Platforms such as Duolingo, the popular language learning app, provide feedback and encouragement, as well as fun animations, to make learning more interactive and enjoyable. Projector games are another way students can have more fun while they’re learning.

A 2023 study entitled “Gamification in Biomedical Science Education” looked at how the science-based learning tool Resimion may be used in biomedical science.

The study included 769 students who were studying for a biomedical science degree. The authors noted how science-based learning and gamification “excelled during the COVID-19 pandemic, an event that completely changed education and initiated the greatest advancement in digital learning to date.”

The study concluded that the tool “was successfully integrated into the teaching of biomedical science and provided an engaging platform for students, with comparable results to other traditional assessment types.”

Associate professor James Davis made the case for gamifying learning in science. In a paper entitled, “Formal rules and rules as reasoning-in-action: playing games with reality in science education”, Davis wrote, “It is now time for more rigorous game design strategies to be developed and evaluated for empowering science teachers with the confidence and skills to design games as a common way for delivering science to their students.”

VR and AR

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (VR) are transforming a wide range of industries. Time recently noted how VR was shaping healthcare, enabling neurosurgeons to plan and practice their surgery.

Education has likewise been revolutionized by these technologies. VR and AR are able to adapt educational content to students’ varying needs. By accessing a student’s current knowledge level, learning style and recent results, programs can then adjust content accordingly.

AR, which overlays digital information onto the real word, is particularly useful for students. It can bring textbooks to life by providing interactive diagrams and 3D models of complex structures.

A last word

As technology advances, so does the range of tools available to educators. Technology can further personalize learning, provide instant feedback, and enable students to learn in more varied ways than ever. Technology will continue to revolutionize how students learn in the classroom.