Want to know what modern technologies can be effectively used in online education? Find out what the future of learning in school and universities is.

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How Modern Technologies Enhance Online Education

Education is the part of our lives that has changed a lot over the past years. Of course, there are certain standards and educational methods that remain consistent no matter how many years pass. However, there is at least one crucial point worth mentioning — now, you can study online. There is a range of opportunities for students who want to follow the academic path without leaving their room:

• Online courses
• iOS and Android apps
• Video-calls with tutors
• Online essay writing platforms
• Access to online data-sources
• Educational videos

All these are opportunities for students to get access to heaps of educational materials, boost their skills, widen their knowledge, and become more competent in any field they want much easier than it was a decade ago.

With time, online learning has been combined with various technologies that can facilitate the process itself and make it easier, more convenient, and interesting for students. In this article, we are going to discuss popular modern technologies used in online higher education and their positive and negative sides.

Ways to Integrate Modern Technologies in Online Education

If you are studying remotely or just interested in widening your knowledge online by yourself, the aspects we are going to discuss may be familiar to you (or at least you would like to try one):

• Gamification
• Virtual (VR) and augmented realities (AR)
• Customized learning 

Gamification

Perhaps, for the older generation, the involvement of games (especially online ones) in the learning process may not seem as something beneficial. On the contrary, with a high probability, they think that games can worsen the students’ performance by distracting them from things that need to be focused on. However, the overall idea about the negative sides of using modern technologies in online education, namely games, is rather a stereotype. Gamification is a powerful technique and a good way to study stress-free. When a student is immersed in the process, it can be a strong incentive for them to study more, go to a new level, or reach top score while learning various school materials and memorizing all the necessary information.

Virtual and augmented realities

When hearing about VR or AR, many people immediately think of online games. However, this technology is very often used in online studying and yields good results. The most extensive use of VR/AR can be seen in classes where various cultural aspects are studied. There, VR helps students study a particular country better without buying a plane ticket. Thus, any lesson can become interesting and memorable. AR, in turn, can complement all the school materials with additional images and explanations. This technique can be widely used in Chemistry, Biology, and Physics to demonstrate various cause-effects, principles of actions, illustrate different formulas, etc.

Customized learning

This is one of the most positive sides of using modern technologies in online education. To get the best result, an educational strategy may change depending on the student’s needs. However, it will be too complicated for one teacher to adjust the program for every student on a case by case basis. But, with the help of technologies and different devices, it is possible to create an individual curriculum for a student without any knowledge gaps or efficiency loss. According to researchers, online studying may help students achieve better results, and that is without any technologies mentioned above!

We think it is great that by inventing new technologies and developing scientific areas, the educational process also evolves. And it’s great that now anyone can study online! In the end, the development of various aspects of our life largely depends on how effective our education is.