Amy Watson - Tech Research Online

How is Robotics Changing the EdTech Industry and Improving Learning?

Amy Watson — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 12:18:58 +0000

A few decades ago, robots were nothing more than fiction characters in science. This is no longer the case. As technology advances, robotics continues to push the envelope across different industries. The education industry is no different. Robotics in education has proven to be an invaluable resource for students, teachers, and parents.

Increasingly, robotics is used to enhance development of cognitive skills among students while empowering them with robotic and programming knowledge. This article explores educational robotics and unpacks the role it plays in improving learning.

What is Educational Robotics?

Educational robotics is a discipline that introduces students to the world of programming and robotics at a young age. Robotics in EdTech emphasizes practice rather than theory. Integrating robots in primary education means that students are provided with everything they need to build and program robots that can perform different tasks. In higher levels of education, advanced robots are used.

This education model is used to teach STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in schools.

Role of Robotics in Education

Robots are not just theories, they are already performing tasks in different industries. Robotics in education empowers students with requisite skills that are needed in a technological world. Besides helping in different industries, robots are innovative tools that help kids learn new concepts and acquire valuable skills through exciting recreational activities.

Since robotics is futuristic, robots stimulate curiosity. This encourages logical thinking and builds concentration in students. These skills prepare students for the world of work where automation and robotics are increasingly becoming prevalent.

What Types of Robots are Used in Education?

Robotics in education utilizes robots that are designed specifically for educational settings. Robots come in varying forms. Some are big and can interact socially with students. Others are small and programmable, students can code them. Robots that have been equipped with artificial intelligence are also used in the EdTech industry. AI allows such robots to respond to students in real-time and adapt to the learning environment.

There are four types of educational robots that are currently being used in classrooms today. Each comes with unique capabilities and features to support learning for varying age groups as follows:

Humanoid Robots

These are designed to mimic humans and are capable of performing different tasks. Humanoid robots help to teach robotic concepts like locomotion, balance, and motion.

Pre-built Robots

Unlike humanoid robots, pre-built robots are quite basic. They are fully programmed and easy-to-use robots designed for young children. Pre-built robots can be used to teach kids simple tasks like avoiding obstacles and following lines. They introduce children to foundational programming concepts.

Modular Robots

These are used to teach complex robotic concepts like dynamics, kinematics, and mechanical engineering. They utilize multiple modules that students can assemble into varying configurations.

Programmable Robots

These are used to teach students coding and robotic concepts like motors, sensors, and controllers. They have actuators and sensors to enable them to perform complex tasks. Students assemble and program them during learning.

How Robotics is Changing the EdTech Industry and Improving Learning

Robotics in EdTech is transforming how teachers teach and how students learn. Below are five ways this discipline is improving learning:

1. Supporting Interactive Learning

Educational robotics leverages interactive learning. Students work on robot projects together. This builds their communication, teamwork, and collaboration skills while helping them to appreciate individual strengths.

2. Making Education Accessible

Robots can be programmed to meet the individual needs of a child. This makes provision of special education accessible and easier. Through robotics children with special needs like autism, attention disorder, and other developmental challenges can focus and develop social and communication skills.

3. Generating Interest in STEM Subjects

The use of robots in the classroom builds student interest in STEM subjects and helps them see how those subjects apply in the real world.

4. Non-Judgmental Learning

The use of educational robotics in the classroom reduces judgment and embarrassment for students because, unlike humans, robots don’t judge or feel. Although their ability to act with intention or form opinions is low, robots have emotion recognition capabilities.

This enables them to provide non-judgmental outlets for emotional expression. This way, they can support children when they experience homesickness or cultural adjustment challenges.

5. Personalizing Learning

Robots help students and teachers overcome the one-size-fits-approach challenge. Since they are capable of adapting different teaching methods, they can be programmed to support students to learn or practice more depending on their learning styles and abilities. This personalized mode of learning allows students to get instructed in ways that resonate with their needs and preferences.

6. Higher Knowledge Retention

Educational robotics focuses more on practice than theory. It gives students global perspectives through virtual interactions, field trips, and exposure to issues in different parts of the world. These experiences help students to retain more knowledge than they would in conventional learning approaches.

What are the Benefits of Educational Robots?

Robotics in education offers numerous benefits for students, here are 3 major ones:

Promotes Hands-On Learning

Robotics allows students to learn by doing. Students are introduced to tech and science concepts in a practical way, empowering them with mechanical, electronic, and coding skills. This hands-on learning helps them understand theoretical concepts better.

Builds In-Demand Skills

Educational robots enable students to build skills like problem-solving, programming, and coding that are in demand in the job market in an engaging, fun way. Developing these skills early will help them succeed in their careers in future.

Prepares Students for the Workplace

Technology has become an integral part of the workplace. Robotics is already driving transformation in every sector. In the EdTech industry, robots give students a solid computational thinking and programming foundation that will enhance their understanding of emerging technologies in future.

Wrapping Up

Robotics in EdTech is changing the way students learn and retain knowledge rapidly. In the modern-day digital world, this approach can build STEM skills in students and adequately prepare them for future jobs. It can also expand opportunities for children with special needs and make education accessible to them based on their learning needs and styles.

In addition to providing technical skills, robotics in education also helps students develop a range of transferable skills like problem-solving, collaboration, teamwork, and logical thinking. These skills are what they need to succeed in life and the workplace.

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Small Guide on Benefit of Managing IT Services For your Business

Amy Watson — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 11:05:26 +0000

Introduction

Technology creates a significant impact on business. It gives a new direction to the companies, and it’s working like productivity, communication, business decision making, and increased speed.

Therefore it is essential to have the right managed IT services and the IT team for your business to fulfill all your IT needs. Using a server, computer, software – for some names, you must have strong IT skills to manage your business operations. Employing IT specialists who are eligible for managing IT infrastructure can make all the differences in your business.

Organizations are now more familiar with services managed and switch to them for specific IT function management, especially hosting email, storage, backup and network recovery, and network recovery.

What Are Managed IT Services?

Managed IT services are outsourcing your IT operations to a third party. Managed IT services manages the core technologies like data center, telephony, work, core network handling, breaking, and fixing patch management.

Managed service providers are the organization that owns and operates your companies IT functions remotely. The MSP’s allows you to use any technology and services through a subscription.

Benefits of Outsourcing Managed IT Services

Every business organization, whether big or small, are moving towards hiring the managed service providers. MSP offers clear advantages by overcoming the significant challenges faced by the company.

The most important advantages of using managed IT services are as follows-

Less Downtime Risk

If you select the right MSP, they cover the data network during the downtime by cyber threats to natural disasters. the MSP has the skills to make your process and system run continuously, increasing your uptime and productivity.

Security and Compliance

every business has main concerns of security and compliance. MSP protects the companies from a security breach and helps in transmitting the data very securely over networks. MSP’s uses different policies, procedures, and protocols to measure compliance. The MSPs also protect your data from viruses, malware, ransomware, etc.

Reliable

One significant reason companies choose the managed IT services is the reliability factor. Generally, the company doesn’t have staff who have enough knowledge and expertise to handle the overburdened IT staff and handle network, resulting in low productivity and inefficiency. MSP’s provide very reliable IT operations.

The Managed Service providers address the issues very quickly and then try to resolve them very soon. The business has hands-on latest technology like cloud computing, disaster recovery, and remote monitoring. All these factors are significant for increasing uptime and productivity.

Cost-Effective

The most important advantage of outsourcing the managed IT service providers is the financial benefit it provides to the businesses. The managed It service providers save your outgoing expenses like internal staff training and making them tech-savvy, or hiring more staff for it. MSP’s provides you with the flexibility and scalability that helps you in increasing. Businesses can save a considerable amount by taking managed IT services and invest that amount in some other projects. This way, you can also get a high return on your investment.

Get Support 24/7

The managed IT services are available 24/7, and you don’t have to worry about their availability in an emergency. They also offer weekend support and on-call availability at any time.

Whether your problem is very big or very small, you can be sure that it will get solved before you even address it. It will solve any bugs or glitches before you can even think of them. MSP’s are available 24/7 globally.

Proactive Approach To Maintenance

Business owners don’t have to waste any more time working on the IT infrastructure, and they also don’t need to worry about the network connections and dependability.

They offer security solutions for potential threats, vulnerabilities, and disturbances. The data managed on a cloud by the MSPs generates more revenue—managed service provides a proactive alliance with encrypted backups and cloud computing.

Enables Businesses To focus on More important Activity

If the companies’ internal staff focuses on the IT services and needs, their time and energy will divide, focusing less on the core activity. Therefore it is the main reason to work with the managed service providers, so the main projects and tasks get attention. It will maximize your company’s IT budget, and staff will focus only on the critical business functions. This way, productivity will increase.

Robust Infrastructure

Every company needs an It infrastructure for running their networks and many other things for smooth functioning. You will require a lot of cash and process to keep up with it. So it is best to hire a managed IT service provider because they will handle all your infrastructure responsibility, which will save you a lot of costs.

They also keep the network infrastructure robust and make it easy to monitor as per security standards.

Automatic Upgrades

Technological changes every few days, and it becomes imperative to stay ahead in the competition by upgrading your system with the latest technology. If you miss it, you will be back in battle, and it also takes a lot of expenses. Therefore hiring MSPs can save you from this, as they will make an automatic update whenever any changes occur, and you can keep the cost and time of this. Also, If you are not aware of the latest updates, then you will be less productive.

Centralized Data

Manages service providers use the centralized data center and contains all the servers and applications from there. This way, the remote users can get easy access to the data, and you also have the storage and backup in your centralized network, which will save you from data loss.

Conclusion

The managed It providers will give your business the relevant support and services required to function efficiently and productively. Hiring the right MSP can save you many costs, and it can be a great return on your investment. You can get the specialized services at a very predictable price. Your employees can stay connected and on top of the competition by outsourcing the managed service providers. MSP will ensure that your business is growing and advancing in the best possible way. They will act as your business partner, not just a service provider.

Author Bio:

Amy is a zealous writer and with her passion to read and write about Technology and business phone system and its implementation in our modern world. Her inquisitiveness towards
learning about how technology has evolved and changed its perception in the society is
commendable. With such curiosity embedded in herself, she researches extensively before
writing a blog to deliver a credible and detailed content piece.

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