Just five years ago, walking into a classroom of students engaged with their electronic devices would have resulted in disciplinary action, but today the tables have turned—or rather, flipped—dramatically. Bringing electronic devices, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and other valuable technological tools is not only allowed, but also encouraged and even required by schools all over the country. Schools—from kindergarten all the way through graduate schools—are beginning to catch on to the fact that modern technology is not just a vehicle for entertainment platforms, but also a key to the future of education.
Virtual Schooling as a Mandatory Process
Adapting to modern technology is a lot like jumping onto a moving train—the longer you wait, the more difficult it is to climb aboard. Leaders in education are recognizing the rapid pace at which technology is evolving, and they’re not wasting any more time to start catching up. Examples of this include the recent legal measures that have been taken in Florida, Idaho and, most recently, Virginia to make virtual schooling a mandatory component of high school curriculum. According to the spokesman for Governor Robert F. McDonnell, who signed the bill into law this past month, “The online course requirement will better prepare students for the job market of the 21st century.”
Although colleges haven’t gone as far as making online courses mandatory, there are a growing number of college students integrating online courses into their schedules organically. According to a survey conducted by the Pearson Foundation, 61 percent of community college students reported taking online courses in the year 2010. The Babson Survey Research Group further reported that the number of both two-year and four-year college students taking at least one online class surpassed six million in the year 2011, which translates to nearly one-third of the college student population.
Training Students for an Increasingly Virtual World
There are plenty of reasons why educators might justify incorporating technology into the classroom in addition to placing a greater emphasis on online learning. For one, study after study has reported that online education results in improved learning and performance among students. Another good reason is that it offers greater convenience and communication ease among students and instructors.
The list goes on and on, but perhaps the most valuable reason to date is that technology already plays a fundamental role in nearly every professional industry across the country and even across the world. Acquainting students with technological concepts and familiarizing them with technological tools is not simply an effective vehicle for learning, but an effective way to train them for the professional world they face when the time comes to move on to a career.
Flipping Classrooms for the Future
The practice of integrating education technology and online learning both in the classroom and outside of it is commonly referred to as “flipping classrooms.” According to Kyle Johnson of Wired.com, flipping a classroom involves “providing traditional lecture material for review at home and problem-solving exercises in the classroom.”
By structuring the classroom in an entirely different way than the traditional method of lecturing at school and homework at home, students are more engaged in the classroom and have more extensive educational resources at their disposal when their instructors aren’t around. This revolutionary approach to education is expected to have an equally revolutionary response in terms of student learning and technological proficiency.
About the Author: Jon Dawson is an attorney and professional writer in Indianapolis. He covers law, education, health and technology and can be found writing on behalf of American Intercontinental University. Image courtesy of eschoolnews.com.