5 Tech Tools to Try with Adult Learners
by Yescenia Delgado Lorenzo
by Yescenia Delgado Lorenzo, Adult Education Counselor, Hacienda La Puente Adult School
posted January 2023
Try these five tech tools and notice adult learner engagement increase. It has become a powerhouse that absorbs the instructional process and creates a highly engaged environment centered on learner needs. Selecting tools and technologies that serve as scaffolds to help students self-regulate their own is important. This article includes 5 technology tools that can be used to provide opportunities to accelerate learning in the adult education classroom. This article focuses on these five tools:
Tool 1 - NEO LMS
Technology has revolutionized the way our adult learners engage in content. A Learning Managemt System (LMS) allows you to create a positive virtual environment where you can present, engage, and inspire all students. NEO LMS has many benefits. The platform is very intuitive, easy to use and visually appealing. The LMS system supports over 40 different languages, is accessible on mobile apps for all devices and has accessibility features for all students.
Tool 2 - Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook designed for taking and organizing notes. Digital notes allow students to review what they have learned and revisit the information later. A note organizing app is a wonderful way to help students stay organized. The tool also allows students to search information easily to find exactly what they are looking for without reading the whole document. OneNote is a digital notebook that can synchronize across all devices regardless of platform. OneNote can be used for both handwritten notes, typed notes, drawings, screenshots, and recordings.
Tool 3 - Loom
Create short microcast videos that are no longer than 5-10 minutes. Microcasts can be parts of longer lectures, broken down and made into a series so that students can listen in short bursts on specific parts of course content. Loom is a recording application that allows you to record on your camera, microphone, and desktop simultaneously and instantly share your videos.
Tool 4 - Quizlet
Create custom question sets for students to help them prepare for tests and exams. Study aid applications engage learners, augment knowledge, tailor experiences, and provide remote access to course material. Quizlet is a great tool for courses where students need to learn new vocabulary. Also, the course instructor can customize Quizlet to best suit the needs of their class. An added feature is the "live" classroom setting to engage students in collaborative learning.
Tool 5 - Padlet
Collaborative learning allows for opportunities for students to attain both social and academic goals. Our classroom develops a learning community developing both intellectual and personal boards. Collaborative learning can encourage higher level thinking skills, improve memory, and motivate learners. Padlet is a tool that enables interaction and collaboration and is a great tool to reduce the communication gap among students, teachers, and peers. Padlet is a digital board where students can post ideas and comments for brainstorming, collate research, and debrief on a topic.
Summary
Engaging our adult learners with high quality tech tools assists with retention of knowledge and aids in comprehension. The list of applications used to support learners is endless and can seem daunting. There is no simple application that is a perfect fit for every learner. Pick applications which seem most interesting to you and continue to explore new ones. Visit OTAN to explore new applications for adult education settings.