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 20th
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.
