How is Smart Learning Revolutionising K-12 Education?

In the 21st century, smart learning is used interchangeably with education. Smart learning makes education simpler, faster, and more effective – especially when learning complicated concepts such as trigonometry or calculus. It is a global trend that will change how people learn new skills and gain new knowledge worldwide.

Smart learning is a new trend widely adopted by schools across India. Do you use smart learning in your institution? If you wish to learn more about smart education solutions, EdTech in schools, and the smart learning approach – you are in the right place. This article will discuss all the nuances of smart learning, the different ways to use education technology to enhance the learning experience and the benefits.

What is Smart Learning?

Smart education and learning involve the intelligent use of technology to empower the learning process and make it engaging, personalised, and more effective. There are four parts of the smart learning process –

• Learner: The seeker of knowledge or the student is also known as a learner. In smart learning, the learner is an active participant who leads the learning process instead of being a passive follower of the instructor.
• Faculty: The teacher or educator responsible for driving the learning process is called the faculty. In smart learning, faculties are facilitators or mentors who inspire the learners to pursue knowledge in a learner-centric framework.
• Curriculum: The content of education is known as the curriculum. It reflects the evolution of the form and delivery of knowledge in a smart learning approach.
• Learning Environment: The online or offline environment where the learning takes place is called the learning environment. In smart learning, mobile learning environments are the norm. They help customise the learning process by allowing learners to learn from anywhere and anytime.

Traditional vs. Smart Learning

Traditional Learning

Traditional learning has laid the foundation of education and has remained the modus operandi for educators for centuries. It comprises a structured classroom, a standardised curriculum, and a one-size-fits-all instructional approach. Even though traditional learning is the foundation of most education systems in the world, it is found lacking when it comes to diverse learning needs, individual learning styles, and engagement.

Smart Learning

By leveraging technology, smart learning aims to create a dynamic, engaging, and personalised learning experience. It represents a paradigm shift in education – as it works with a learner-centric approach. Unlike traditional learning, smart learning aims to adapt the instructional approach to suit individual learning styles using tailor-made content and immersive learning experiences.

Benefits of Smart Learning

Adopting smart education and learning for your institution holds several benefits for students and teachers.

For Students:

• Enhanced Engagement: Smart learning can be moulded to suit individual learning styles, interests, and pace of learning. Therefore, it helps improve the engagement and involvement of students by making the learning process enriching and fun.
• Personalised Instruction: Contrary to traditional learning, smart learning is learner-centric. It offers tailor-made instructions that cater to every student’s unique learning needs. It takes the student’s current level of understanding and allows them to progress at their own pace and avoid gaps in knowledge.
• Targeted Support: Smart learning systems can identify students’ difficulties and provide targeted support to help them overcome the challenges. Immediate feedback and support to improve their weak areas help students get better conceptual clarity.

For Educators:

• Efficient Time Management: Smart learning tools like the Extramarks Smart Class Plus help educators streamline mundane and administrative tasks. It leaves a lot of time to focus on personalised interactions with their students.
• Data-Driven Insights: Educators can get valuable insights into student behaviour, their response to instruction methodologies, and individual learning patterns. Smart learning allows collecting and analysing data to help educators identify the best pedagogical techniques and classroom management strategies for their students.
• Personalised Learning Plans – Educators can use smart learning technologies to create personalised learning plans for their students to improve engagement and learning outcomes. They can address specific learning needs and cater to diverse learning styles with smart learning solutions.

Schools and higher education institutions partner with Extramarks to create customised smart learning solutions that benefit students and educators. We analyse your teaching methodologies and students’ learning needs to create your institution’s most sustainable smart learning application. Explore our wide range of new-age learning solutions now!

Smart Learning Challenges and Solutions

Despite the excellent benefits of smart learning, it also brings challenges for the institutions that wish to adopt it. Here is a look at the most common challenges faced by schools that take the first step towards integrating smart learning solutions into their education ecosystem:

1. Resistance to Change: Implementing smart learning solutions may invite resistance from teachers, administrators, and students who are accustomed to traditional learning methods. School leaders may overcome this challenge by employing change management strategies and maintaining transparency at all levels.Solution: Choose a smart learning system emphasising clear communication among management, administration, teachers, and students. The Extramarks Smart Class Product offers seamless user connectivity, simplified classroom management solutions, and enhanced student engagement through a unique classroom-to-home ecosystem. It helps teachers and students experience the benefits of classroom management first-hand to reduce resistance to change.

2. Infrastructure and Connectivity Challenge: Access to technology and the internet can be challenging for many schools. Accessing the technological infrastructure and connectivity needed for smart learning is difficult for educational institutions in remote areas. Such institutions need significant investment to implement equitable smart learning solutions for all their students.Solution: School leaders can discuss the significance of smart learning solutions for their students with the district administration to garner financial support. Large corporations also invest in fields like education and agriculture to improve their social impact – they can help fund a school’s drive to implement smart learning. Extramarks Smart Class Plus offers all our partner schools reliable and substantial operational support for implementing and using effective smart learning solutions in their school.

4. Teacher Training & Professional Development: Smart learning requires a paradigm shift in a school’s teaching and learning methods. Teachers must lead the change and guide the students about using the smart learning tools to their benefit. Teachers need training to effectively utilise technology, curate high-quality online resources, and design engaging and interactive learning experiences. Schools should be ready to invest in professional development for teachers to ensure the effective implementation of smart learning techniques.Solution: Schools must organise training programs to help familiarise teachers with smart learning technology while emphasising the pedagogical benefits of smart learning. Extramarks is revolutionising the teacher experience by empowering teachers through user-friendly technology, automated solutions for administrative tasks, and a student-centred approach to impactful instruction. EXTRAMARKS also has a dedicated training, maintenance and support team to resolve any issues promptly.
5. Measuring Learning Outcomes & Assessing Impact: Smart learning aims for holistic education and development of the learner. The learning outcomes from smart learning pedagogy may not be accurately measured by standardised testing. Teachers must employ diverse evaluations, including formative assessments, project-based learning, and developing student portfolios to capture the entire range of learning outcomes. Evolving assessment techniques are vital to finding the relevant data to drive pedagogical decisions – which can improve smart learning strategies for the school.Solution: Extramarks creates comprehensive solutions that enable schools to implement end-to-end smart learning modules in the school. The Extramarks Smart Class Plus application includes game-based learning that helps teachers gather insights about each student’s level of understanding and pace of learning. This data is then used to improve the smart learning approach and personalise the learning experience for students.

   It also includes holistic, hassle-free assessments wherein test-creation and in-class practice are simplified for teachers, with the flexibility to conduct pen-and-paper tests, instant grading of evaluations, and shareable answer keys. All these features make it possible to evolve assessments with evolving learning styles. With new-age assessments, Extramarks Smart Class Plus offers actionable analytics on a convenient teacher dashboard.

   Such data can offer valuable insights to teachers about the effectiveness of smart learning methods, classroom management concerns, and precise recommendations on areas of improvement.

6. Adapting Curriculum and Assessments: To implement personalised learning experiences under the smart learning methodology, schools must revise their curriculums and assessment techniques to suit the new learning model. Educators must adapt assessment strategies to gauge student progress in a dynamic learning environment. The effectiveness of smart learning strategies may also be visible to teachers and students only when the learning outcomes are measured with accuracy.Solution: The Extramarks Smart Class Plus application designs all smart learning solutions following the curricula defined in the new education policy. We bring you the latest in technology and subject matter to upgrade the learning experience offered in your school. Teachers can administer tests by automating the creation of tests and in-class practice exercises on the Smart Class App.

6. Measuring & Evaluating Effectiveness: School leaders need to define a robust evaluation framework for smart learning outcomes before implementing a smart learning policy in their institution. As the concept of smart learning is new, school leaders may find it challenging to define the key performance indicators to monitor and measure the work done by their teachers and the knowledge gained by their students through smart learning.Solution: Identifying the indicators for success in the smart learning environment can help chalk out a roadmap of effectiveness for schools. For example, measuring aspects like student engagement, higher achievement levels, and reduced dropout rates can help give an insight into the success of smart learning strategies in your school.

Adopting a new learning strategy for an educational institution is easier said than done. However, partnering with the right experts can be the difference between effective implementation and a failed attempt. Our experts at Extramarks work alongside school management to understand the pedagogical structure of your school and offer customised solutions that can help your institution shift from a traditional instructor-centric education model to smart learning within weeks.

Last Updated on March 11, 2024