New generations have grown up with technology at their fingertips, which has allowed them to develop differently. The way they interact, search for information, and even think has changed. A clear example arises when having to remember something: students no longer need to rely on their own memory, but can look up everything they need to know on the internet. New generations need new skills and, consequently, new ways of teaching and learning that go beyond the traditional—a fact that has become more evident this past year. Therefore, using only traditional learning methods in the classroom based on memorizing endless textbooks, attending in-person classes, and taking one-off exams is no longer as effective for developing and retaining the knowledge of today's students. But how can we transform education to achieve more effective learning? Technology is the key, and our great ally.
We must begin to take advantage of technological capabilities to combine the traditionally used generic approach together with learning adjusted to the pace and level of each student. Keeping the student at the center is our main objective and, for this, adaptive online learning offers many possibilities. Adaptive learning can be carried out through an algorithm that, based on student results, identifies knowledge gaps and those concepts that have not yet been understood or mastered precisely. In this way, it is possible to personalize and adapt the steps to follow to the needs of each student according to the subjects they still struggle with. On the other hand, teachers can monitor their students' academic progress, thus also adapting classes and reinforcing in the classroom the subjects that students master the least.
They watch, listen, read, and reread. When finished, students believe they have mastered a topic when in reality they only recognize the concepts. In fact, listening (and even watching a video) passively results in forgetting up to 80% of what was learned in just one week. In other words, only a temporary and short-term learning effect is achieved.
We can transform this passive learning based on memorization into assessment-based adaptive learning: the student learns by answering questions and recalling the feedback they receive instantly. In this way, the student actively processes the information. By posing a question, the brain is challenged, achieving greater assimilation of concepts.
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Gamification consists of transferring game mechanics to the educational field, in order to increase student motivation and obtain better results. Passive training involves little interaction and participation. In contrast, technology fosters much more dynamic, fast, and active learning, taking education beyond the classroom. For example, by comparing scores among peers, or establishing levels according to the degree of understanding. This way, students become much more involved in their own learning outside of formal contexts. Greater engagement is achieved due to gamification and the fact of being multiplatform: accessible from any mobile device or computer. Students only have to dedicate a couple of minutes to review the material and they can do it wherever and whenever they want! This way, it is much easier to keep knowledge up to date.
Last but not least, the infamous learning curve. An algorithm can calculate the learning curve for each student. That is, when the student is in danger of forgetting all the content already learned, they receive a notification to review the concepts again. This is where what is called spaced repetition comes into play. Spaced repetition consists of increasingly extending the period of time between reviews to achieve stronger assimilation. As concepts are reviewed and recalled later and later, their knowledge is transferred from short-term memory to long-term memory.
As can be seen, the combination of technology and traditional learning methods adapts to the new needs of students. It is about complementing the study carried out in the classroom to ensure correct long-term assimilation of concepts, in a personalized and dynamic way. In this way, students will be well prepared for the future.
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