E-learning for Kids – Is the Future of Education Already Here?

In the developed world, long gone are the days of blackboards, chalk, and overhead projectors. Technology has moved into the classroom. Not only have the latest advancements helped teachers create more interactive lessons that engage their students like never before, but they have also actually changed the way education is done. E-learning for kids is a hot topic both at home for parents and among eager colleagues at teacher-training conferences, so let’s discover how these technologies have impacted and revolutionized education as we know it. 

As these solutions are progressively incorporated into our lives, they are not only altering the way we do things—they are changing the way we think. In the modern world, we operate at never before seen speeds. There is no need to physically go to a shop to buy a book and read it. Instead, information is thrown at us from every angle. To adapt our brains themselves are evolving to be able to receive and process these massive amounts of information. The result is shorter attention spans, forgetfulness due to the lack of need to remember information, and technology addiction, with American's picking up their phones over 80 times a day! But it’s not all bad news; many believe technology has improved our ability to multitask as we can conquer many different tasks at once online. For kids growing up with these advancements, aside from being early technology-adopters, they will discover the world in a way that previous generations never could. Want to see Africa? Just go online. Need a solution to a math problem? Google has the answer. 

E-learning solutions for kids target their need to play, interact, and learn, drawing it all together in one tech-based package. Although many parents fear technology addiction and teachers loathe when children play on their phones during class, the latest solutions are moving away from “just having fun” and towards the more acceptable learning sphere. Two key features that are drawing in young learners and producing effective learning results are game-based learning and immersive learning. 

Children learn by playing, whether role-play games in school or through team building skills in football. If we look at game-based e-learning, it allows children to engage through play while developing essential skills. Take digital puzzles or jigsaws, for example, available on a handheld device; they teach necessary problem-solving skills and spatial awareness. Simple math and language games can help children engage in material that could otherwise be “boring” to them, presenting it in a new interactive way. While 15 years ago, we may have been glued to our screens watching Sesame Street, the younger generation of today engage with the popular TV show’s learning app and study by interacting with the show's characters in various tasks. 

Empowered by AI, AR, and VR, e-learning focuses on completely immersing the user into the learning environment through a range of stimulus – visual, auditory, and, in the near future, touch—and asking them to participate in the situation actively. From the early e-learning solutions provide by the language-learning system Rosetta Stone, which uses immersive techniques without translation to teach foreign languages, to such roleplaying “games” as Lifesaver, that teach lifesaving skills such as CPR, by putting the user in an interactive situation and asking them to react, immersive e-learning technologies allow their users to truly get into a situation, making it real for them and creating an effective learning scenario. 

E-learning’s accessibility and flexibility give it the potential to be one of the most open and equality-friendly forms of education available in the world today.

Let’s talk access. Considering the US market alone, 77% of Americans own a smartphone, while just under 75% own a computer. This is a colossal percentage, and it is rising by the year, meaning new users are continually engaging with technology.   

But the world is not perfect, and not everyone has access to a smartphone or computer, 40% of the world's population, a total of 3.8 billion people do, and this is not a number to be sniffed at. Technological advances give the potential of providing access to education for those of lower-economic backgrounds and those unable to enter traditional school systems for a variety of reasons. From simply attending classes via Skype, e-learning has made rapid leaps forward. Teachers are now employing solutions such as the flipped classroom approach which allows students to learn the material individual at home but come to class ready to engage more deeply in the topic. Or, take systems such as Fuel Education or HotChalk that have entire dedicated systems built to educate students wherever they are. Teachers can upload plans, do grading, and provide feedback, while students can access lectures, tutorials, and quizzes at their own pace, wherever they are in the world. 

Learning isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing. Just as children require different learning styles so do they need different e-learning solutions. AI can be used to assess a learner’s ability and tailor learning material to suit them. Take so-called “special needs” education, for example. Children with learning disabilities and difficulties often find it difficult to cope with traditional learning methods. E-learning presents the perfect tool to engage users with additional needs, work with them at their level, and exclude learning-inhibiting factors that the traditional classroom scenario presents. For educators and parents alike, this potential for e-learning development could be a lifesaver. 

Many parents and educators remain cynical about the benefits of e-learning, fearing that children will become tech-addicts, never looking up from the smartphones. While eyesight issues, concerns over appropriate information, and anxiety from FOMO (fear of missing out), are genuine, these are challenges that need to be addressed, not roadblocks that can't be overcome. As e-learning development progresses, specialists seek to take on these challenges and build a more interactive future for the world of education.