By Rahul Karamat Barlaas
WE all have seen our teachers using whiteboards and projectors to show us multimedia presentations on the topic of the day. There’s no doubt that all those images, videos and sounds make a dull topic much more interesting and engaging.
In fact, information technology is changing the ways of learning, be it classroom-based learning or independent learning. Computer-based learning has made its way into schools in the last few years and has proved to be extremely popular with students as well as teachers.
Computer skills are essential in today’s technology-based/technology-crazed world and without them you cannot accomplish much; you cannot make the most out of the available time without using computers. We use computers all the time, whether it is to Google something we don’t know, to play games or to make a presentation for school. Computers have these and many other uses, but today we are going to talk about how computers can be helpful to us in learning and studying.
Uses of computers in schoolwork
THERE are various ways in which computers are helpful in schoolwork. For example, you can use computers to prepare assignments. Let’s say that your teacher asked you to write a report about global warming. Now you can either come up with a handwritten report or you can use the various Word formats and presentation software like PowerPoint. What will you do?
The handwritten version isn’t going to be very clean in terms of appearance and you won’t have much control over modifying some sentence later because you will have to write the whole page(s) again. Besides, if you make a mistake while writing the report, in most cases, you won’t be able to erase it. What you will do is apply correcting fluid on it.
And what about images for the handwritten report? How are you going to add them to it? By pasting them with glue? Where will you get the images from? Newspaper? Magazine? Let’s just assume that you somehow complete the report. But what impression will it have on your teacher when you give it to him/her? Not so good, it seems.
However, if you prepared the same report using the computer, you could have accomplished it faster and with a neater result. The good ole’ Microsoft Word would have automatically spell-checked the whole thing for you. Also, using the clipart you can enhance the report to make it more appealing. And you will also finish your work in less time.
YOU can use computer-aided learning (CAL) material for getting extra help on the subjects that bother you. When I was a child, I used the Dorling Kindersly’s CD for learning. In fact they are what made me realise the wonderful world of science. They contained interactive and highly elaborated software that allowed you to learn about various wonders of science.
So if textbooks bore you, it’s time that you go for CAL! Besides it’s a very basic fact that human beings are going to remember what they hear and see for a long time rather than what they read. So CAL is going to be a big advantage to you because it engages you on multiple levels.
But when using computers, it’s often seen that people get distracted and don’t do the task that they were supposed to do and they start surfing the web, reading news, playing games, checking Facebook, etc. Everything has its fair share of disadvantages, and so is the case with computers.
What you need to do is internalise that you are studying only for yourself and nobody else. When you know that no one is going to lose when you don’t study, you will realise that there is no benefit in wasting time. So every time you are using the computer for “studying”, make sure that you are actually studying.
Then you can also use computers to get assistance from online forums. There are tonnes of online educational forums where you can get help if you get stuck somewhere in your subject or if some concept eludes you even after studying it for hours. The members on the forums are mostly helpful and are willing to share their knowledge with you. Those who are in a higher grade than you would be able to explain difficult things, while those in your grade might share their notes with you and help you out in other ways.
However, keep in mind that at times they can confuse you even more than you already were. So you need to use online help wisely.
Using internet for research
INTERNET helps you increase your knowledge as you can read online articles, books and research papers about whatever it is you are interested in.
You might come across a biased or polarised text but you can easily identify it using the IT skills that you might have learned in school. Another important point would be to make sure that the source you are using for your research is reliable. On the internet, there are so many websites that claim to provide you the best information, yet so few of them do. Choose your sources wisely.
Help for people with disability
THE advancements in computers and technology have made it possible for disabled people to use computers to gain education which they otherwise couldn’t owing to their disability.
Those with poor vision can use computers to listen to books and they can even use the ‘text-to-speech’ and other such specialised software to navigate the computer without any additional help from any other person.
What it means is that computers have, in a way, put an end to disabled people’s dependence on others for navigation. Besides, there are specialised computer devices for use by people with different disabilities so that they can easily use a computer just like normal people do.
So these are some of the many ways in which you can use computers to aid you in studying and in increasing your overall knowledge. Computers also have other wonderful uses which you can find for yourself through exploration and individual research.
I always say that exploration, rather than dictation, is the best way to learn. It is fun and productive, and it stays with you for a long time. So what are you waiting for? Go, explore, and learn about the fantastic uses of computers in our life.
Helpful websites for students
This is a website that is focused on the UK education system. You can get all kinds of help on all subjects of O/A level. I used the forum for getting help when I was studying for O/A level exams.
It was really helpful in explaining things that had been difficult for me. In fact sometimes the members really go the extra mile to make sure that you understand the concepts or explanations. In addition to that, you can get advice on writing personal statements when you are applying for undergraduate study in the UK.
Preparing for SATs? TOEFL? If so then this website is going to be your first point of help. It has loads of material and advice ranging from preparing for SATs, TOEFL, scholarships to applying to universities. Not only will you find out the best books to prepare for SATs but you will also get information about applying to USA universities.
It’s one of the most popular websites for online learning and you might already have heard about it. It also contains material for preparing for different tests. It’s a very well-trusted website that contains tonnes of videos that explain hard-to-grasp concepts with such clarity that it makes us wonder why we were so scared of a subject when it’s so easy to grasp.—RKB
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.