5 ways to create effective Learning Environments for EdTechs

Education is the medium that civilization uses to instill valuable skills in a generation and drive progress. According to Wikipedia, education can be defined as a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. Read further here, Wikipedia article. For centuries, a select lucky few got the opportunity to attend universities or mentorship from the learned fellows of the tribe. In our world today, we consider access to education to be a right that every individual should be privy to. Yet, this age-old industry is plagued by challenges. From accessibility issues brought about by poverty to the lack of proficiently skilled students brought about by the lack of effective teachers, education is an industry that is constantly looking to improve to meet the demands of the times.

Why is creating the right learning environment so important?

Studies have shown that thriving learning environments help increase student focus and retention of information. Remember, the learning process can be summarised as; Knowing leads to understanding, which becomes doing. Students require environments that help increase student focus and retention for learning. In traditional in-person classes, the most successful settings incorporate interactive sessions, teacher-student relationships, and practical engagement and projects. Other factors like classroom size, access to teaching and learning resources plus coursework/pedagogy design also come into play. With advances in technology, online learning environments are becoming a necessity rather than an addition to the learning process. Now the big question becomes, how do we create retention-inspiring learning environments online? 

The 5 effective elements EdTechs should have in their strategy

We should always remember that teaching is a skill and it is very difficult to convert an experienced individual into a teacher. With that in mind, online learning institutes/EdTechs should focus more on learning science instead of the technical setup that they have created. Passionate teachers have a major impact on students. They can create inspiring learning environments by focusing on these key elements. Let's look at the 5 elements necessary for effective learning environments below to learn more;

1. Aesthetics of the learning medium

According to research, studies show that our brains not only process visuals faster but also retain and transmit much more information when it's delivered visually. Read more on this here, The Marcom Avenue Article. With this in mind, the user interface of the computer or learning medium for online learning should be simple to navigate, appealing to the eyes, and have a few steps.

2. Giving learning outcomes from the onset

Our minds are more receptive and prepared when we understand the expectations and can visualize the capacity in any situation. In this case, the student is prepared to work towards an outcome and feels included in the responsibility for their success.

3. The way teachers teach/pedagogy design

When teachers are passionate about their teaching efficacy and their students’ performance, they understand that the pedagogy design is crucial for impactful results. They then focus on implementing their lesson plans, setting up student surveys at stages, and developing an assessment and reporting system that helps them gauge the students understanding. 

4. Having mediums for regular contact with teachers

There are many apps for communication that schools can incorporate into their LMS but my recommendation would be to stick with a popular medium that is universally accessible, WhatsApp. Why? Because it’s better when you have less tech for the students to adopt at the beginning of the learning journey. Especially in developing countries, tech is still an emerging industry for children but most in these regions are aware of WhatsApp since most of their parents use it for communication. WhatsApp has great tools like groups, community, and broadcasts that can enhance the teacher-student engagement relationship. 

5. Short assessments at the beginning and end of class sessions

An attentive class session is the goal of every teacher. This can be hard to achieve for every student as each of them comes from a different environment. Assessments are the way to go. Each student comes prepared with an alert mind when they are aware that they will be expected to answer questions from their last lesson and also, with an understanding that there is one at the end, they strive to pay attention and learn what is being taught. A teacher who goes further to have open communication lines throughout the lesson also boosts understanding. This is because they are going pace to pace with the student’s understanding. 

EdTech is a new toy in an old game

We should remember that technology is just a tool that makes life more efficient. With this outlook in place, a learning environment that is teacher-led ensures that the faculty is efficient in the pedagogy. The teachers understand that they are responsible for the outcomes of the students in assessments, projects, and job market outlook. For institutions, they need to remember that passion in evaluating impact is the single most critical lever that should be used to evaluate an instructor’s potential for excellence. John Hattie’s book, Visible Learning For Teachers: Maximising Impact on Learning (2012) is a key resource in the education industry to use in building useful learning environments. He recommends 10 mindframes that teachers need to have to achieve to have an influence on student achievements. You can read them here, The Thinking Pathwayz Article.

In conclusion, thriving learning environments can be more effective through online learning mediums when used efficiently because of students' ease and eagerness to adopt the technology.