Technology has ushered in a new era, where things have been made easier, faster, and more efficient. We’ve seen technological revolutions in manufacturing, healthcare, transport, business, and many other sectors. Now tech is finding more uses in education, too, and is proving to be beneficial to educators as well as learners.
As a student, whether attending traditional classes or studying online, tech also has a place. You can use numerous ways to make learning and stay on top of your studies easier. The top ways include:
Open Learning Resources
Open learning resources are massive databases available in the public domain. You can access them as long as you have internet. The digital material ranges from e-libraries and textbooks to podcasts. But how do these resources make things easier for you?
For one, what you would otherwise have been available in a library is now a click away. You can look up information without leaving your room. Secondly, it’s easier to find materials that you are looking for as you can search for specific things within these resources. The best part of all is that these materials are free to access and use by the public.
App-Based Note Takers
Are you tired of carrying several notebooks for your classes every morning? Note-taking is an essential part of learning and is often encouraged. It’s easy to forget what you learned in class after some days or weeks. Short class notes help you remember the things you learned in readiness for a test or exam.
Applications like Evernote, Google Keep, Apple Notes, and Microsoft OneNote are great for taking quick notes. The good thing is you can rearrange and organize your notes however you like. And, since you carry your phone or tablet to most places, you can review/ revise your notes at any time.
Schedulers/ Planners
Do you often find it hard to keep up with your school tasks? Ever had to tackle essay writing at the last minute because you forgot about it? Schedulers and planners that you can install on your computer or smart devices can make things a whole lot easier. Some good suggestions of planners you can download include:
- My Study Life (iOS, Android and Web)
- Google Calendar (default for Android users but can be downloaded for iOS)
- Any.do (for Android and iOS)
- Woven (Windows, Mac, iOS, Web)
Most schedulers/ planners allow you to list down tasks and their deadlines over the month or even term. You can also set reminders to keep you on track.
Online Group Collaboration
Technology has made collaboration easier too. And, it’s not just in the workplace. Now, students can work together in groups online and actually be productive. You can hold audio or video conferencing discussions and even share documents virtually. Web applications such as Google Docs even allow multiple people to access and edit documents in real-time.
With tech, you can collaborate with classmates, schoolmates, and even students in different parts of the world. In turn, you learn new things and nurture collaboration skills.
Online Quizzes and Tests
A significant part of learning is testing yourself. Otherwise, how do you know that you’ve retained what you’ve read? Thanks to technology, and specifically the web, there are hundreds of test and quiz samples you can access for free. You can visit numerous websites to get these quizzes for free, with perhaps the best being Khan Academy.
Study Aids – Flashcards, Puzzles, Games, etc.
If you want to make studying more effective, you could use online study aids. There are handy apps that help you create flashcards, mind maps, and notes. You can also access games, puzzles, and exercises to enhance learning. Useful apps that offer a variety of study aids include Quizlet and GoConqr.
Electronic Books, Journals, and Research Material
Outside of open learning databases, you can also access books, journals, and articles for research or reading purposes online. To graduate college, the majority of students must complete and submit a dissertation. With advancements in tech, students can find most of the resources they need from a computer. Google Scholar, a tool for searching scholarly literature, has grown widely popular among college students.
Takeaways
Learning can definitely be easier when you add technology. These seven simple tips can go a long way in making your years as a student more manageable and fun. Experiment with different apps, websites, and resources to see what works for you. What’s for sure is that there’s so much to explore out there.
