Technology is transforming the art of teaching. It helps teachers focus on what matters most, which is the content delivery. Technology does not aim to replace teachers, it is a supplementary tool for them.
It is reducing administrative burden and enabling teachers to design activities’ plans more effectively and mentor students with a personalized lesson plans. More specifically machine learning can harness the power of data mining to give teachers the ability to process tons of data fast and effectively.
Teachers will no longer rely on their gut feeling and experience. They will be able to statistically determine what works and what doesn’t in the class. Let’s see at all the benefits, one by one:
Reduce Administrative Burden
Tools that allow teachers to organize information like grades and absences have existed for years. Recently we have some new tools that reward behaviour. Wouldn’t it be great to have an easy to use sophisticated reporting dashboard that gives teachers insight into the learning process?
Imagine, also, having the ability to know what each student knows down to the concept level. Instead of spending a great deal of time scoring and organizing material, teachers can spend more time analysing data and determining actionable steps for their students to take. Using dashboards, teachers can:
- See how students are performing in certain areas
- See which parts of material are the most challenging for students
- See how students have performed on specific assessments
- Use data to determine if underperformance is attributed to carelessness or confusion
After multiple years of teaching the same course, teachers can compare the data from year to year. They can then fine-tune the curriculum. The end result is more time spent on delivery and teaching rather than updating the grade book.
Increase Flexibility
Analytics will allow teachers to allocate their time more effectively. As a result teachers will be able to focus on the aspects of teaching that appeal to them most. Let’s see a case study: John, who is talented in orchestrating can experiment with class activities that promote team work and collaboration among students.
He can then use social media and other tools to publicize the results to other teachers. Those who are gifted and eloquent can record their lectures and broadcast them to big audiences.
Handle students, one at a time
One of the biggest challenges facing schools and administrators today is the growing diversity of the students within their population. A greater diversity of students means a greater diversity of needs to consider.
There are all sorts of issues that teachers face in a school and no one is bigger than diversity. Some students struggle because English is not their first language. Others have difficulty with focus or organization and so on.
All teachers know that classroom management is a time consuming act. Teachers must engage the more advanced students while helping the struggling not fall behind. Some students will be bored and some will be confused.
Sophisticated analytics dashboards give both students and teachers more leeway. Students move through coursework at their own pace and teachers retain control over the classroom while gaining insight into the learning process. The analytics help teachers understand where students struggle and then direct them to material that improve their grasp.
Improve Engagement Levels
Engagement drives academic success and low engagement is the most serious problem in classrooms. In the USA only 56% of students who begin post-secondary education receive a degree within 6 years.
Teachers can use data analytics to fine tune their curriculum. The teachers can see where their materials trail. Big data allows the content to be analysed and students receive a constantly updated and improving book.
