Educational Technology – How to Apply it Effectively

Appliance of educational technology in employee training has scarcely been more important and thought after. When two similar companies collide on the open market, the one with superior workforce usually wins. That means constant investing in employee training and development, including training software as well as certification software for those who can afford it. The others are better off just hiring one of the companies that specialize in employee training and assessment.

Modern Time – Educational Technology is Everywhere

In this day and age, everything we do seems to offer some insight into something else. One cannot even browse the internet without being showered with information, even if it is about that new “weight loss miracle” or the “new Facebook full of sexy singles”. The biggest problem is that the vast majority of the information has made our minds shut off and filter out a lot of things we see and hear, including some that we really need. Well, nobody says we have to do any of that on our own, as there is plenty of educational technology out there designed to help us achieve exactly that: weed out the undesirable information so we can focus on all the relevant stuff.

Hardware – The Tool

The first step of the way comes in the form of hardware. You know, the things we use in our daily lives, from tablet computers to PCs, VR headsets, and even Smartphones and iPhones – these can all be modified so as to facilitate your employee training needs in a more efficient manner. You don’t even need to get that creative, as many examples can be readily found online. There have been educational video games at least since the ’70s and various learning aids have been produced, but primarily for children. Still, it just goes to show that modern educational technology is not exactly a novel idea by any standard. However, what has changed over the years is the approach of various institutions of varying importance to this very issue. If you want to know more about how the classroom technology evolved over the years, the article The Evolution of Technology in Classroom should give you some insight.

Software – The Craftsman

When we are talking about software used for employee training, it is important to differentiate between standalone programs and those that are actually a part of hardware. Either one can act as the proverbial “brain” behind the machine, but it is no less important just because it cannot exist outside computers. Many people tend to neglect this component because all they can see are the plastics and circuit boards of that hardware they hold in their hands.

It is actually quite understandable why it is so hard to appreciate something they can neither hold in their hand nor fully comprehend, even if they tried. It is only when software fails for whatever reason that they truly realize just how valuable that piece of junk they are holding really is. Without software, all these gadgets are just a waste of materials and space. This is also why software is actually being developed faster than most hardware.

This means that some software has to be sold and distributed as a standalone, because it can follow your educational processes much more efficiently than new hardware. Also, it saves you from having to buy new gadgets every time that employee training needs to be brought up to speed. It helps with the results and ultimately saves money.

Case Studies – Before and After

There are numerous examples of how educational software has helped companies improve the quality of their workforce, as well as how educational institutions used it to help their students achieve better results. Unfortunately, this rapid advance in technology has also enabled some students to take an easy way out and cheat more efficiently than ever before, so this issue also had to be addressed. In any event, by streamlining the employee training process and providing a consistent simulated and controlled environment, educators could easily spot any problems and weed out employees who are too lazy to learn what they needed to know.

There are numerous studies and links to sites illustrating the point we are trying to make. For instance, this one from Harvard Business review: Implementing New Technology.

Also, a recent study into Technology and Classroom Practices by Robert B. Kozma of SRI International showed a significant effect of technology in classrooms  across 28 different countries. The study decidedly shows how ICT can be used effectively across many different countries with different background and pupils of different ages. Actual retention of knowledge varied and required additional efforts, but the overall effect could not be denied.

YouTestMe Software Solutions keeps up with latest trends in educational technology, by combining all of its benefits into two flagship products Classroom 2020 and Get Certified.