6 Ways Digital Learning Prepares Your Child for the Future

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic pushed online learning to the front and center of mainstream education systems around the world, technology had already become an integral part of the educational landscape. Like many other sectors, the field of education underwent rapid technological development, and technology-driven education is further poised to shape society and the global economy in the near future.

Futurists and technology experts have been predicting major shifts in almost every sector and industry, education included. With the future workforce facing a hyper-digital age, schools are likely to experience an influx of changes to determine future young professionals’ roles in the age of technological innovations such as AI and robotics.

As with the first and second industrial revolutions, schools will be at the forefront when it comes to  preparing students for the challenges of their future careers. That’s why parents should ensure that students are exposed to digital learning technologies and concepts, and that the school they choose can provide both a relevant curriculum and effective instruction befitting of the 20^th century.

If you’re a parent to an international school Singapore student, here’s what you should know about how digital learning prepares your child for the future, plus how a digitally driven learning environment will give them a good head start once they finally enter a rapidly changing workplace.  

Digital Learning Puts the Emphasis on the Customized Curriculum

Traditional teaching approaches are designed for mass learning, a remnant of the first industrial age when a large labor force was required to run facilities like factories and mills. There are limits to these modes of instruction, however, especially now that learner profiles have proven to be so broad. The one-size-fits-all curriculum that was once the norm for educational institutions may not be enough to provide a satisfactory learning experience today. To address this gap, customized e-learning or online learning curriculums are now being offered in a lot of schools. Because of these highly tailored curriculums, students can learn at their own pace without pressure or fear of being left behind.

For example, software like Adaptive Math helps kids who have difficulty with math understand simple to complex math concepts. The software is designed to have a dynamic algorithm that automatically responds to students’ input and determines which topics students are having trouble with.

Digital Learning Upholds Self-Motivation as a Learning Value

One distinguishing characteristic of online learning is that this model places less of an onus on teachers to provide intervention. As such, students learn to be independent and to regulate their own behavior during online classes.

For self-guided e-learning, finding the motivation to finish requirements is another hurdle to conquer. But once students learn to implement the right strategies for fostering self-motivation, they’ll be able to carry this trait throughout their academic journey and professional life. Self-motivation is essential for self-development and for ensuring flexibility in the future,and employees  will need to be both flexible and disciplined enough to adapt to the demands of the labor market. Luckily enough, many digital learning pedagogies help young learners develop both traits.

Digital Learning Helps Students Practice Time Management Skills

Another skill that students learn and master during self-driven e-learning is time management. There’s only a finite amount of time in a day to accomplish assignments and projects, so students have to plan ahead and stick to their timeline. They also have to be consistent about the practice to truly accomplish what they need to do in a term. 

This skill will become crucial when students pursue further studies and develop their own careers, with the many deadlines and schedules they’ll have to meet. As a future employee or entrepreneur, one has to think about being efficient with time because, as they say, time is money.

Digital Learning Provides a Wealth of Specialized Opportunities

As part of adapting education to the digital age, many schools now offer highly specialized digital learning opportunities. For example, in Singapore, the government made it mandatory for primary school students to have 10 hours of coding class. It’s part of a wider plan to build a smart nation as the government anticipates the country to even more deeply immerse itself into the global digital economy.

A specialized skill like coding is not just about building an app or software; it teaches students many fundamental skills such as math, logical thinking, creative thinking, and communication. It also promotes the values of persistence and perseverance.

Specialized knowledge like coding or programming will also be highly valuable in the modern workplace. Right now, programmers and software engineers are highly sought after not just by tech companies, but in almost every industry. Since automation and real-time data analytics will soon be the norm in the future, more organizations will want the professionals they employ to run algorithms or at least understand how they control modern computer technologies.

Digital Learning Promotes Collaboration and Teamwork

Collaboration doesn’t just happen face-to-face. It happens online as well, thanks to many new technologies that allow remote teams to work together. Through digital learning pedagogies, students learn how to collaborate online with cloud-based tools such as Google Classroom, videoconferencing programs, and their schools’ dedicated learning portals.

Whether their projects pertain to math, science, languages, or the arts, students will learn many innovative methods for working together as a team. This will prepare them for the workplace, where professionals use myriad tools to collaborate and achieve a common goal.

Digital Learning Helps Students Pursue Entrepreneurship and Other Innovative Projects

When exposed to a digitally driven learning environment, students can also imagine and try out innovative new ways to do things. This can inspire them to think about creating their own business, making content from their own channels, or even building their own apps in the near future, much like the young entrepreneurs today who founded successful startups or became influential creators at an early age.

By the time these students become adults, a lot of opportunities may open up for them since technologies are changing fast. The future will demand services or products that nobody knows are necessary just yet. One important contemporary example is YouTube; the platform opened up a new career option for millions of people who wanted to be content creators. Even though “vlogging” didn’t exist as a career until a few years ago, many kids aspire to be successful vloggers just like their heroes.

There’s no stopping the digital revolution, and the only way to thrive in it is to adapt and be prepared. It’s high time for parents to welcome digital education for the many unique skills and opportunities it will provide their children with in the future.