Week One: Digital Tools and Education

The way in which students work and learn has changed dramatically over the past two decades. Gone are the days of hand writing assignments, working long hours in the library, and struggling to share information with one another. Not only has the digital age improved the lives of students, but it has improved the lives of those in the business world as well. Thus far the biggest benefit from using digital tools is the ability to conduct research quickly and efficiently. Having access to a virtually endless amount of resources has helped improve the quality of my work and will be incredibly beneficial as I work towards my degree. This has also proven to be a huge time saver for me as I can work during all hours of the day and am not bound to the library. Also, being able to quickly and easily share and collaborate with fellow classmates, teaching assistants and professors saves time and aides in learning a great deal. I have found that my writing has also improved through the use of word processors and online grammatical resources. The university website also provides a number of tools accessible to students online that outline ways to strengthen their research and written work. These tools include links to databases and online guides to sourcing. Digital tools have also allowed us to store and preserve our work, making it easy to find and access for future reference. Cloud storage services provide users with the ability to upload and save data that can not only be accessed easily but can be accessed on a number of devices and by multiple users. This can be beneficial in a number of situations, such as when your computer devices break down or you are collaborating with others on a piece of work. Many of the courses I have taken here at the University of Guelph have had an online component where students could access course material such as lecture slides, readings and discussion boards. I believe this has enhanced my learning experience as I can access this information at any time to recall what was addressed in class and discuss it with fellow classmates. I have taken full courses online at the university as well, which has also impacted my experience as a student as I could learn the course lecture material and complete assignments at times most convenient for my schedule. This is a relatively new method of teaching, as a credit can be earned with virtually no in-person interaction. As discussed in our Digital Humanities lecture last week, online courses are proving to become a more popular and growing teaching method within the academic community. I believe that we will continue to see more technological advancements in the coming years that will make the lives of students and working professionals even easier than they are today.