Over the years, methods of learning and gaining information has changed drastically. Why is this so? Well this is because of the ever-evolving digital technology. Thanks to the Internet and digital devices that are portable such as mobile phones, one can learn with ease and at the point of need. Traditional learners are now progressing and adapting themselves to what this digital era has to offer; one of which are new and modern methods of learning.
Let’s take a step back through time before mobile phones existed to first understand the characteristics of a traditional learner. A traditional learner is one who is text-centered where their main source of learning comes from text-based materials such as books, academic literatures and essays. The most common environment where traditional learning takes place are in classrooms, where you open your textbooks and a pre-determined lesson is taught face-to-face between students and a teacher at a prescribed time. Since traditional learners are text-centered, they are usually independent learners as they tend to read and learn by themselves.
Fast forward to today. What are modern learners like in this 21st Century? Modern learners of today are visual-centered, they are attracted to the use of visuals to understand a lesson. With the advancement of technology, modern learners are attracted to interactive content which makes the process of learning more fun and engaging. Instead of learning by themselves, modern learners now prefer collaborative learning in which they would gather in a group or attend focus group / workshops where knowledge and ideas are shared across one another for an immersive learning experience.
Thanks to continuous new technology, we are blessed with many new alternate ways for learning, and one of them is E-Learning. Although E-Learning can be traced back as early as the 1980s, what makes this method increasingly popular is because it can now be accessed through our mobile phones and any of our portable devices. With the help of the Internet, one can gain knowledge or learn a new skill anytime, anywhere. E-Learning is an accessible, affordable (often free) solution that does not limit lessons and topics to the walls of physical classrooms, it provides learners the ability to fit learning to their daily routines, even the busiest person is able to gain new skills and enhance their knowledge at their own pace. The materials in E-Learning are now limitless as they are a blend of text, images, animations, videos, games, webinars and so much more as engaging and interactive! These contents attract the learners’ attention and enable learner to achieve knowledge at their fingertips.
We can’t deny that smartphones are our go-to device for anything and everything be it communication, shopping or searching for information. As our smartphones can be accessed at any point of time, educational apps are created and are available for learners to learn on the go. Apps such as Duolingo that teaches you new languages or Craftsy that gives you tutorials on how to knit, there is no limit to what one can learn when they wake up in the morning, commuting to work or even during their lunch break.
Collaborative Learning
Collaborative learning at the other end is a method of learning that is currently on the rise. Collaborative learning is based on the methodology that knowledge can be created within a group of people where they actively share across ideas, discussion, evaluate and work together to understand a topic. Modern learners prefer collaborative learning compared to learning on their own as one can gather so much more insight and understand a topic of discussion better when different experiences from a diverse group of people are shared across, giving a learner broader perspective. Collaborative learning can be practiced anywhere and with anyone, be it internally within an organization or during workshops and events.
Learning has indeed evolved greatly throughout the years and we can never run out of things to learn. Let’s take advantage of technology and learn as much as we can through all the learning resources available to us, wherever and whenever. As a creative agency, Purpose Built believes greatly in the use of digital media, incorporating creativity and storytelling method that is interactive, engaging and relatable. We also believe that our knowledge on the current digital era and trends should not be limited to the walls of our office, but to be shared to all who are interested.
Interested to learn about the development of explainer videos or how to tell an engaging story? Pay close attention to our LinkedIn page and attend our focus group of collaborative learning, free of charge!
For more information on when our next event will be held, you may drop us an email at engage@purpose-built.com.my or call us at +6011 2556 3337.
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