How technology’s helping schools adopt smart learning

Technology has had a tremendous impact on our daily lives, especially in the workplace. We are now able to store and access information and various programmes over the Internet instead of going through a computer hard drive.

Educators are also turning to cloud technology to enhance children’s learning and prepare them for a highly advanced global economy that relies on rapid technological advancement and innovation.

This has been boosted by the explosion of cheaper smart mobile devices and easy-to-use free applications.

With technology evolving at breakneck speed, students need constant access to information that meets their learning needs.

With the help of e-Learning platforms, teachers and students are able to interact through web-based portals and access the latest curriculum content through PCs, laptops and tablets.

And with the help of webcams and applications like Skype, students can exchange ideas online and even take exams in real time.

Samsung Electronics’ Solar Powered Internet Schools (SPIS) programme is an initiative by the company that utilises cloud technology innovation to enhance the quality of education in rural areas that are outside the grid. It does this by providing a technology-rich learning and teaching environment.

The programme focuses on the deployment of ICT infrastructure, such as the Samsung Interactive Whiteboard, commonly called the e-Board, the firm’s multi-purpose printer, and its tablets.

This technology-laden environment is complemented by the professional development of educators, content generation and management, as well as sharing best practices in the integration of ICT in enhancing learning and teaching in the classroom.

With the e-Board technology, there is cross-group collaboration between and among teachers and learners across different geographical areas.

Amazing experience

With the help of such e-Learning platforms, teachers are also able to monitor tests in real time and grade them as soon as the student is done.

Learning is also made more interactive with educational videos that teachers can download and share with students on their tablets.

Technology provides an amazing learning and teaching experience for teachers and students. With tablets, teachers can direct students to various educational resources, such as web links and case studies during class.

Students can privately request assistance when needed, making teaching more personalised, and improving the quality of learning.

Students at Arap Moi Primary School in Rongai, Kajiado County, where one SPIS was donated a year ago, have been found to have better information recall because of improved engagement with content, which has improved grades.

With the help of content developed by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Standard One and Two pupils have registered improvements in English, Math and Science.

A feature of cloud technology in the classroom is the ability to back up information. Currently, we worry about students losing books, but in the near future, tablets and other smart mobile devices will replace books, storing information in a space that is difficult to misplace or destroy.

Cloud technology also automatically saves content that can be retrieved at any given time, even if the devices crash.

The writer is marketing and communications business leader, Samsung Electronics East Africa.

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