Why Do Middle/High Schools Need An LMS?
Usually, children and teenagers have a shorter attention span than adults. However, many teachers believe that younger generations have even shorter attention spans because they are plugged into technological devices most of the time. "A Pew Internet survey of nearly 2,500 teachers found that 87% believe new technologies are creating an 'easily distracted generation with short attention spans' and 64% say today's digital technologies 'do more to distract students than to help them academically' [1]."
On the other hand, research also shows that children and teenagers exposed to technology as a means to learn are getting their brains rewired positively. Since it's so easy to find information about anything and everything online, curious students can find an answer to most of their questions in a matter of seconds. Switching from one unfinished task to another is also a behavior “borrowed” from the use of modern devices. It can also be beneficial in the long term because it improves cognitive ability (it’s no easy task to do multiple things at the same time) and the elasticity of the brain. Increased elasticity of the brain heightens our ability to share information easily with colleagues, work simultaneously with them on different tasks, and be ready to quickly adjust the pace when new challenges come along.
At the moment, the biggest challenge teachers face is keeping students interested in class when they are so accustomed to a digital world full of stimuli.
How Can An LMS Benefit Teachers?
- A huge amount of time saved
There's no need to give the same class twice. Record it and share it as a video with your students. Or, write down the main points to create an interactive online course with notes and images. In addition, no time is required for correcting homework and grading exams, the Learning Management System automatically takes care of these tasks. Less "homework" for the educators means much less time spent working extra hours at home doing the above-mentioned activities. Ultimately, this leaves more time for hobbies, family, and friends. - Happier students
With a Learning Management System, teachers can take advantage of the lack of focus and multitasking that is so common with kids and teens these days, and turn it into positive results. Less disengagement leads to more motivation. An LMS can result in happier students, happier teachers, and less stress for everyone involved.
What Are The Benefits For Students?
- More motivation to learn
Students are used to being stimulated in many different ways because of technology. As a result, traditional learning methods seem to be very boring in comparison, which can decrease the motivation to learn. The use of eLearning technologies can help students become more engaged in the learning process and take more responsibility for it at the same time (and be less dependent on teachers). - Self-discipline
Blended learning and online learning techniques require much more self-discipline from the learner than traditional learning methods. This is because the teacher is not often present and few activities are conducted in a classroom that can teach students how to develop self-discipline, which is a valuable skill for adult life. - Less weight in the backpack
If you were born before tablets and smartphones were used as reading devices, you know how heavy a backpack can be. Some schools have cabinets to store books and other materials, but that is not the norm all over the world. Using modern technologies to create and store reading materials makes learning a much lighter activity (literally).
References:
[1] Kids, Tech and Those Shrinking Attention Spans
Sources: