Technology in schools is becoming an increasingly commonplace thing. Considering that technology is something that both individuals, businesses, and society as a whole relies on heavily, it makes sense that it should be introduced in classrooms as well. There are many benefits to leveraging technology in schools. For example, it enables teachers to employ a more diverse range of teaching techniques; it enables more interactive and engagement styles of learning, which is very beneficial to students; and it can make the work of faculty easier.
We spoke to TechQuarters, a company that provides small business IT support London organisations have relied on for many years. Some of their clients are schools, and they have seen the way in which technology can support these types of organisations.
Technologies for Schools
There are all kinds of solutions that can support schools, not only in how they teach, but also how they manage their own internal operations. The managed IT services London based companies like TechQuarters provide usually includes the provision of new technologies, which is something that schools can definitely benefit from. Below is a list of technologies that are beneficial for schools to implement:
- Videoconferencing Technology: This is a solution that has become very popular among all kinds of organisations in recent years – this was mainly due to social restrictions imposed to protect people from Covid-19. This is also why many schools began using videoconferencing technology. Even without considering Covid-19 and social restrictions, videoconferencing is a good solution for schools to have. Higher education providers in particular may want to use videoconferencing to give students the option to engage with lectures remotely.
- E-Textbooks: Learning materials are very important for education. They enable students to engage with self-directed study. However, textbooks can be heavy, and are subject to wear and tear (and possibly even vandalism). This can be avoided with the use of electronic textbooks. There are other benefits to using e-textbooks, as well. For example, they are cheaper and they cannot be lost.
- Tablets: Mobile technology is becoming one of the primary forms of technology that the average person uses. In particular, tablets are popular among young children, due to their interactive nature. For this reason, some schools may wish to acquire tablets for use in the classroom. Tablets may encourage students to engage more in the classroom, and it enables more interactive forms of learning.
- Asynchronous Learning Tools (ALT): This is a diverse category of technology. Asynchronous simply means ‘not in real-time’. So any learning tool that can be accessed on-demand, at any time, may be categorised as an asynchronous learning tool. A popular form of ALT are tutorial videos – which are proven to be an effective form of content for learning. Schools may choose to provide a portal, or platform where students can access a library of tutorial videos. Other examples of ALTs include textbooks, and quizzes.
- Cloud Storage: This type of technology is used everywhere nowadays. TechQuarters told us that the IT support for schools that they provide often involves support for cloud storage, which shows that it is a valuable solution in the sector. The convenience of cloud storage is an excellent thing for schools to adopt. The good thing about cloud storage is that it can be utilized for the benefit of both students and faculty. For instance, students can keep all of their homework projects and coursework in the school’s cloud storage platform, to ensure that nothing is lost. Faculty can use cloud storage to make sure that they can access their work from anywhere, at any time, which gives them lots of flexibility.
