Digital learning tools have a little bit of a love-hate relationship in the educational field, but there are ongoing attempts to strike a happy balance. Cellphone bans have only grown in popularity over the past few years and AI tools are starting to change the way we look at accessibility in the classrooms.
Technology is a dynamic push and pull. We’re going to explore how overdependence on learning tools can weaken trust and why a careful balance is key to a successful education.
Students and teachers have more obligations on their plates than ever before. Both groups are constantly on the lookout for digital tools that will help them understand each other and excel in the classroom.
Below are a few learning tools that many teachers are using to improve student engagement in the classroom.
The past few years have been a golden age for educational gamification apps, adding a sense of fun to subjects like math, English, and science. Teachers have been turning to apps and platforms to help students retain information during class or finish their coursework.
One example of a gamification platform is Kahoot!, a learning platform that encourages student engagement and healthy competition between classmates with educational quizzes. There are pre-made quizzes on various topics as well as the ability to customize new quizzes for specific classrooms.
70% of statistical significant tests showed Kahoot! significantly improved their final grades or test scores.
AI is starting to crop up everywhere in life and the classroom is no different. Teachers are starting to use AI tools to help free up more time in the workweek, such as drafting emails or helping edit assignments.
Likewise, many students today are turning to AI tools to help them proofread essays or speed up the research process. Microsoft Copilot is a fresh spin on an old program that provides writers with real-time assistance in everything from editing to content creation.
A 2024 study showed Microsoft Copilot saved its users valuable time working and studying, such as 31% less time reading emails and 16% less time in meetings.
The days of dusty chalkboards and squeaky whiteboards are being replaced by sleek, digital presentation tools. Teachers are saving valuable time putting together slideshows, infographics, and videos by using fast-paced tools with a short learning curve.
Students can also use similar tools to help them put together presentations for coursework or practice public speaking. Keynote, Jotform, and SlidesAI are all helpful resources to help students get better results without compromising their education.
Using slideshows for presentations, in particular, is directly linked to improved active learning. With AI tools lowering the learning curve and saving students time putting together their homework, it’s never been easier for them to express themselves and collaborate in class.
The smartphone is a staple of the classroom, for better and for worse. Teachers depend on smartphones to stay in touch with their colleagues, while students use their phones to research or take notes.
However, careless use of smartphones may weaken teacher and student trust instead of building it. The growing frustration of phones in the classroom is a case study in student engagement and what it takes to achieve it.
Many teachers have been frustrated with smartphones in the classroom. These tools may be practical for note-taking and researching, but they often act as a source of distraction.
Some students struggle to pay attention during class with the temptation of their phone nearby. Instead of asking questions or participating in a discussion, they may be texting friends or scrolling through a website. A 2022 study found that smartphone usage in the classroom has a direct link between lower retention and worse grades for students.
Simply banning smartphones in the classroom may not be the answer. Since smartphones are a tool of everyday life, many students may feel unfairly targeted if they’re not allowed to use them. Teachers may also struggle to reinforce this ban when they have to split their attention between dozens of students every day.
The smartphone debate is just one example of the difficulties of building a teacher-student relationship. If teachers can’t trust their students to pay attention and students can’t trust their teachers to accommodate them, where do we go from here?
Trust between students and teachers is essential for good outcomes after graduation. Digital tools have the opportunity to help or hurt the educational process. These past several years have seen challenges crop up concerning classroom retention, tech literacy, and bias.
While learning tools can help save time or support learning disabilities, overreliance on them can create the opposite problem. Teachers can potentially fail to give students individualized attention, while students can start losing the skills they were building.
For example, a student who relies on ChatGPT to research their essays will miss out on opportunities to develop vital critical thinking skills. They won’t learn how to cross-reference different sources or spot red flags of poor research, like a lack of control groups.
A teacher that depends on the same tool for administration may encounter problems in the workplace. Since ChatGPT struggles with contextual details and nuance, using it to write emails or proposals can create future headaches later.
Generational differences often have an impact on tech literacy. A Pew Research study found that Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation were much less likely to have smartphones than Millennials or Gen Zers.
The generational difference between teachers and their students can create friction in the classroom. Students may have doubts about their teacher’s ability to meet them halfway when asking for help or trying to seek accommodations. This doubt can lead them to try to hide their problems or feel less emotionally engaged in day-to-day classroom activities.
Ongoing biases in the classroom can’t be fixed by digital tools, but they can potentially start correcting inequities. Students today still struggle with being overlooked and unheard due to issues such as racism, ableism, and classism.
Teachers that haven’t started addressing their own subconscious biases in the classroom can reinforce them in everyday conversations or while grading tests. Lost trust is extremely difficult to get back. When 40% of public schools had a special education teaching vacancy in the 2020-2021 school year, this discrimination is likely to only get worse.
Creating an environment where teachers and students can depend on each other starts with honesty. Digital tools shouldn’t be used to replace healthy communication and safe learning environments, but to support them.
AI tools are already starting to help the workforce challenge unconscious bias by introducing objectivity in areas such as hiring and training. With a little more thought and care, students and teachers can meet each other halfway with today’s (and tomorrow’s) digital tools.
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