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Never has digital technology been more widely used and integrated into education than today. The Educator Online’s report on educational technology (ed-tech) highlights how Australian schools have facilitated the continuity of teaching and learning despite disruptions in the past two years, mainly by adopting computers, mobile devices, and digital platforms into their curricula. Meanwhile, push notifications and virtual interviews have changed how educators communicate with students’ parents, increasing efficiency and availability compared to traditional channels like e-mail and SMS.
However, your engagement with your child’s education does not begin and end with parent-teacher communication. For one, you can be more directly involved by helping select their digital learning tools. A previous post on ‘What to Look for in Education Apps’ provides a brief guide for identifying ideal features like parental control options for optimal security and visual entertainment tools to keep learners engaged, which is helpful for vetting digital tools and apps.
As parents, you can also contribute to better learning results and outcomes by helping your children maximise their technology use. As this article will show you, there are various ed-tech apps and tools you and your child can use for more efficient and productive studying.
Applying the Pomodoro technique for study sessions
It’s easy for young learners to get distracted when using technology for study sessions — whether it’s about notifications from social media apps coming in or getting the urge to switch to non-educational activities. However, the Pomodoro technique is a viable time management strategy that teaches your kids to focus on a single task without distractions, usually for about 25 minutes. Then, they can be rewarded with a five-minute break to stretch, rest their eyes, eat a snack, etc.
The good news is that there’s a range of Pomodoro timer apps with additional features that can ensure your child’s study sessions remain distraction-free. For instance, the Forest app helps you time each session and each corresponding break, while also allowing you to choose which websites or apps remain inaccessible while the study sessions are ongoing. Forest also has a gamified element that visualises your child’s learning progress and productivity patterns using virtual plants and trees.
Utilising Studocu for note-sharing
Effective learning goes beyond the course readings and lectures provided within the curriculum. For secondary school students, it’s particularly crucial to expand their learning opportunities to identify their academic interests and prepare them for tertiary education. In this light, note-sharing via Studocu gives your child early access to top-rated learning materials from the courses they plan to pursue or are interested in taking.
These study notes and summaries are shared and organised by the most active student communities among Australia’s qualified higher education institutions — from research-intensive universities in the Group of 8, like the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University, to members of the Australian Technology Network, like the RMIT University and Queensland University of Technology. Whether your child’s interest lies in arts and humanities or science and engineering, Studocu ensures they can find the best study documents that help them ace their way through secondary and tertiary schooling.
Learning words and concepts on Quizlet
Comprehension and mastery of a lesson, start with familiarising learners with the vocabulary and concepts discussed. A study on vocabulary learning published in Frontiers found that digital flashcards, in particular, are effective for enhancing students’ engagement and receptive knowledge. These digital flashcards provide meaningful repetition and structured learning, while also encouraging learners to make self-directed study efforts as they determine which words and concepts are essential enough to learn and memorise.
Among the selection of mobile study aids in the market, Quizlet allows students to make flashcards and do practice quizzes after going through different words/concepts. It is ideal for self-paced learning and also has smart features that create a personalised study path based on the learners’ assessed strengths and weaknesses.
As you help your child take advantage of the purpose and features of these digital tools, remember to set goals and expectations before you begin, whether these goals are focused on how long the technology will be used or why it is being used in the first place. Keep in mind, too, that these platforms should not replace human interaction, such as attending class lectures and collaborating with peers and classmates. For more guides and advice on your kids’ education, check out the rest of the posts here at Kiddipedia.
