A new study shows that technology is leading to new
ways for teachers to teach and students to learn. In fact, 75% of college students
and 72% of faculty are using notebooks or netbooks as learning tools in the
classroom, and 69% of students and 73% of faculty are making use of digital content,
according to an article in Campus
Technology.
The report Learn Now, Lecture Later, funded by CDW-G, a
company providing technology to government, education, and healthcare
industries, suggests students prefer a mix of teaching methods, such as hands-on
projects (17% of participating students), independent study (14%), and group
projects (12%), and that 69% of students would like to see more technology
used. The study also showed that 64% of high school teachers are using class
time for group projects and 45% of their students have used smartphones
in class as learning tools.
“Students told us they want more interaction with
teachers during class, as well as the opportunity to incorporate more
technology into their classes,” said Andy Lausch, vice president of higher
education at CDW-G. “In fact, students who are very satisfied with how their
teachers use class time also use more technology in class with all types of
learning models.”
The greatest obstacle facing to using more technology
in the classroom for secondary and postsecondary education is securing funds to
provide it. Lack of time and lack of technical support were also cited by IT
staffers participating in the survey.
The complete report is available for free at the CDW-G
web site.
