Caitlin Powderly of Florida works as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, where she collaborates with staff and clinicians from other organizations to create Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for clients. In the following article, Caitlin Powderly discusses digital learning, and how technology is impacting personalized education.

Digital learning has been around for decades, yet it has been revolutionized in the past few years. The opportunities today are widely varied but it raises the question of how much technology can change the way we approach education.

One of the biggest ways technology has altered education is by increasing our access to it. With an internet connection and an internet-enabled device, one can earn all manner of degrees and certificates.

Of course, this increased access is nothing new. There are several truly impressive developments in digital learning that Caitlin Powderly discusses below.

Caitlin Powderly Explains How Technology is Revolutionizing Education

While remote learning has been around for a long time, recent years have seen the technologies involved improve by leaps and bounds. In addition, remote learning has become something much more commonplace.

Aside from allowing more students of all ages across the world to access the education they desire, new technologies have expanded education in three general areas. They are:

• AI in classrooms
• Immersion tools
• Bite-size learning

Artificial intelligence has been quite contentious, especially when applied to subjects like art, but there are many beneficial applications for the technology in education. For example, with AI assistance, teachers could grade papers much faster, freeing them to do other important classroom tasks. Additionally, AI could be used to help personalize a student’s learning course.

Caitlin Powderly of Florida explains that the next improvement area is categorized as immersion tools. These include augmented, mixed, and virtual reality devices. The possible uses for this technology are still being developed. That said, it can be used for highly immersive and engaging lessons among other uses.

In addition to these areas, new technology is also helping revolutionize how we receive knowledge. New platforms such as Artist and EdApp allow students to quickly learn new and old concepts in small, easily digestible lessons–often from anywhere.

Benefits of Technology in Learning

All of the above technologies and advancements in infrastructure come together to provide several great benefits in this digital learning era. The two most notable benefits are personalization and accessibility.

Caitlin Powderly of Florida explains that everyone learns differently but with public school formats, it can be difficult for teachers to provide individualized lessons. Even outside of schools, most online educational resources are static and generalized.

Caitlin Powderly says that with AI and some other learning tools, education can be tailored to the individual’s interests and learning style. This can make learning more engaging, not to mention more effective. Personalization can be achieved for students in classrooms and out.

Then there are all the ways that technology makes learning more accessible. The basics are obvious. Students can learn remotely through synchronous platforms such as Zoom. In addition to that, students can learn asynchronously.

Whether through recorded lessons or prepared courses, individuals can learn on their own time. This allows people to make education fit their schedule. When the only options are in-person or synchronous learning, those who have other commitments may be out of luck.

Caitlin Powderly of Florida says that through organizations like the Office of Education Technology, teachers are learning the best ways to take advantage of these benefits. All thanks to the advances in technology in the past few years.

Limitations of Technology in Education

Of course, there are limits to the tech currently used in digital learning. Some are general limits of technology while others are more specific to this context.

First, and most obvious, these devices and platforms need some form of internet connection. Public internet access is an option in many cases though these spaces may not always be conducive to quality learning.

Caitlin Powderly also notes that there is the cost for everything from internet access to physical devices and subscriptions. Many public-school teachers already struggle to get standard supplies. Advanced tech is often out of the question.

Lastly, there is the fact that many of these technologies are still being developed. AI for one still has far to go before it is integrated into every classroom. It will take time to dial into the best ways that AI can assist education.

Final Thoughts

No matter the age of the student, educational opportunities are looking bright with the advancement of technology. As education becomes more accessible and personalized the public education level can only go up. With this, there will be even more improvements for the digital learning revolution.