USING TABLETS FOR E-LEARNING: THE ADVANTAGES

The system of education is changing in tandem with the evolution of technology. Schools have started to integrate digital devices to the classrooms to ease the process of teaching and to enhance the understandability of students. The majority of the classrooms nowadays are equipped with projectors which helps to display videos and pictures corresponding to the syllabus and this altogether makes classes interactive. Even in some parts of the world, classes have become fully digitalized with schools providing students with tablets and sometimes laptops. Naturally, we'll wonder why tablets are opted by many when there are laptops available. For starters, the portability they offer is excellent and there are many more reasons why Tablets are propitious for E-learning or Remote learning.

Let's have a look at them.

1. Not Necessarily Need WiFi

When you make a comparison between normal data plans and Wifi data plans, you can see that the latter are a tad expensive. Furthermore, in certain areas, establishing Wifi isn't feasible. In such cases, Laptops will have to be connected to a hotspot of a smartphone but it won't be speedy in browsing and also it may consume a lot of data. On the other hand, in Tablets, we have the provision to insert sim which means that the students who use it need not depend on Wifi. It even can be connected to a hotspot and work just as fast as a smartphone. In short, Tablets with a data plan can almost equal a Laptop with a Wifi connection. Therefore, tablets are ideal for those who are looking for a cheaper alternative of a Laptop.

2. Access The E-Books Anywhere

With Tablets, the need to carry all the books is tackled, thanks to the ample storage a tablet has to store E-books. Electronic books can be download with a few megabytes of data and can be stored safely in a tablet. This makes those books accessible from anywhere we are, provided we have our tablet with us. The interesting part is, it doesn't require internet to access if you have already downloaded it. This adds a lot to the convenience for both the teachers and students.

3. Easy To Take Notes, Thus Saves Time

One thing special about Tablets is the Stylus pen that comes with the majority of the models. These pens are smooth and can be used to write and draw on the tablet, as you might know. Some tablets can even convert written texts to digital texts if the settings are tweaked accordingly. Add to this, the features to underline and highlight the texts. Altogether this makes note-taking much easier for the students and saves a lot of time when we compare it with writing in a book with a pen. Also, you get the option to type in the notes just like in smartphones. So, if you are a fast typer, then you could opt for typing the notes.

4. Cheaper Alternative Of Books

One of the major reasons why many schools have adopted E-learning is to save some bucks, thanks to E-books. Electronic books can be acquired by paying a lot less than printed textbooks and some E-books can be downloaded for free. This cuts down a lot of costs and reduces the expenses for students. However, laptops normally can be a little bit costlier but they are a long term asset but in today's market, budget laptops are also available. Brands like Samsung and Lenovo have recently manufactured budget laptops specifically for students with a view to cater to their learning needs.

5. Enhances Understandability Of Students

The way education works in E-learning is much different when compared to normal learning. The inclusion of videos, applications and other digital activities makes learning more interesting. Reading and learning might not be the cup of tea for every student because the level of comprehension differs from one student to another. However, with videos which explain the lessons, the chance of better understandability is comparatively higher. In this modern era where its dominated by technology and with students having more knowledge on how to use electronic gadgets, tablets can be the best bet for every student for learning.

6. Portability Adds Convenience

Gone are the days when students had to carry their bags stuffed with notebooks and textbooks, thanks to tablets. Even before the pandemic came into the picture, several schools from different parts of the world had adopted E-learning and even furnished the students with tablets because as mentioned earlier, this way is much cheaper. One of the main reasons is it enables students to come to school freely without having to carry their heavy bags, thanks to the portability of tablets. In other words, with one tablet in hand, students could access all the textbooks and they could take down all the notes conveniently. In the current scenario where students are learning from home, they can sit anywhere they want and study with a tablet in hand. If the couch is their favourite place, then they could settle on the couch and read their textbooks or do their homework. Can it get any easier?

7. Less Paper Means Environmental-Friendly

With the hike in deforestation and pollution, the environment is extensively affected and as a result, climate change has gone worse and natural calamities have risen. As you might know, textbooks and notebooks are products derived from trees. Therefore, when we substitute books with tablets, we actually are saving a lot of trees thus helping the environment. Many organizations and companies are taking steps to contribute to the environment and one of the notable steps was Apple's decision to produce its products with carbon-free aluminium.