11 EXAMPLES OF THE USE OF TICS IN EDUCATION - TECHNOLOGY - 2025

Some of the examples of the use of ICT in education are the digital whiteboard, tablets, interactive tables, digital books, educational applications and digital teaching platforms.

The incorporation of new technologies into our lives has completely changed the world in which we live. Among these modifications we find those that have occurred in the educational field, in which at present, it is strange to see a class in which they are not used to improve the teaching-learning process.

There are many ICT tools that can be used in the classroom to motivate students and improve their learning. However, not because we use all of them will we be good professionals and children will learn more content.

We have to be able to know how to choose which tools we are going to use, for what and for what purpose, since all of them will not be equally efficient and effective for our students to understand a certain content.

Examples of the use of ICT in education

1- Interactive whiteboard

Source: Marina in Venice

The interactive whiteboard is a tool consisting of a computer, a projector and a screen that can be controlled by a pointer. There are different types of whiteboard, although the most used is the one we are presenting here, another is emerging, the interactive touch digital whiteboard. It differs from the previous one in that it allows us to control the screen with our fingers.

The digital whiteboard allows us to carry out many activities in the classroom. Next we are going to explain the most frequent ones briefly:

• We can project any information that comes from the laptop since the blackboard becomes a large monitor in which we can hear and see the contents of it in an expanded way. Among these contents the most common are usually: general and educational programs, videos, music, web pages, presentations, documents, etc. In addition, you can interact with them in the same way as we would with a computer without a digital whiteboard.
• We can also project content from the multimedia tools that we will present later on if we connect it properly using a cable: CD, DVD, camera…
• The boards incorporate their own teaching tools and resources that are intended for all ages and areas. On the other hand, we can also use the image, sound and music banks or if we prefer to use the existing portals and websites in order to fulfill our objectives.

2. Interactive tables

Source: Intermittentgardener

Interactive tables are another tool that, although they are less widespread, can be used with groups of children in the infant stage. One of its advantages is that given its 27-inch diameter it can be used up to six children, who will work with digital content as if it were a digital whiteboard.

This has been designed so that students have a moment of reflection and debate among themselves thanks to the digital content they are working on. They tend to like it a lot because they can touch the screen and all the games it incorporates are interactive.

Its functions are the same as those of any other digital tool. The difference is that to facilitate its use, its height is adapted to that of the smallest.

On the other hand, it also incorporates educational games with which children can learn while having fun intuitively and using their fingers. However, due to its high price and it only has capacity for six people, it is not very widespread.

3. Tablet

Tablets are small devices characterized by having an intermediate size between the laptop and the mobile phone. Some centers have incorporated them to work with him in some subjects due to its design, lighter and more intuitive than laptops.

On the other hand, they do not need accessories or accessories, which, unlike the laptop, saves centers money.

The functions of this tool are the same as those of any device. The difference is in the interactivity through the screen, which can be operated with an electromagnetic pen.

For those students who have a visual disability, it can be a very useful tool, since you can work on it, thus being able to adapt the letters and the environment of the device to your needs and even if it requires it, use the programs that exist for this type disability.

For students in the last years of Early Childhood Education and the first years of Primary Education, the function of writing on the screen is very useful, because it allows them to learn to write in a medium as motivating as the digital world.

4. Digital books

They are tools with digital textual content for which a screen must be used. Normally its use in the classroom is accompanied by other types of content such as audiovisual or even online.

Its incorporation in the classroom has brought with it a lot of controversy in the educational environment, since some people thought that its use in the classroom would replace paper in every way and that, therefore, it would harm children in learning to reading and writing.

However, like other tools, they offer great benefits in the teaching-learning process.

5. Laptops / laptop

As we already know, it could be said that they were the first tools that came to the classroom after the cannon, television, video… Like the other tools, it allows both individual and group work and motivates students in an excellent way. the activities they carry out in it.

On the other hand, it is a good learning complement for children to internalize what they have learned on any specific topic or even to expand it if they prefer.

Because it is a playful instrument, children do not know how to distinguish whether they are playing or working with the computer, but play or work, what is certain is that they learn to use it and acquire new knowledge, so that in schools it is available every time of more high-quality pedagogical programs and applications to offer.

6. Specific software for online applications or online activities

With the arrival of new technologies it has also been possible for us to use different programs, educational platforms or pages in which there are online activities that we can use to work on different areas of knowledge.

In this way we can make learning those subjects that may be more boring or difficult to understand become very fun.

Although it is always recommended that these types of activities be used once the main content has been explained to them, some teachers are already incorporating them at the time of the explanation to capture the attention of the students.

On the other hand, they can also be used to support homework that is sent to children on paper.

On many occasions, our students will acquire better learning if they use a device to carry out these types of activities because the procedure is more interactive and dynamic.

7. Multimedia resources

Multimedia resources are those tools that have always been used in the classroom to make learning less monotonous. That is, the ones that we have used forever before the more modern ones like the ones we have been mentioning above arrived.

Some examples are: television, video, DVD, the cannon… Currently, these are used as a complement to the other more modern tools, however, I have seen fit to mention them because they have been the basis for the development of all the others.

8. Virtual teaching platforms

Another well-known tool in the educational field for the amount of benefits it provides to students are virtual teaching platforms, understood as that tool that allows students to study the subject at a distance without the need to travel to the training center.

This has allowed different study modalities such as e-learning or electronic learning in Spanish or b-learning or blended learning.

9. Game consoles

Video games can be very useful as a teaching and learning tool. The use of these helps to improve, strengthen or develop skills related to vision, motor movements and reasoning.

Their topics are varied, many are focused on teaching science-related content. However, others are oriented towards movement and sight, such as sports games.

In addition, video games help the individual to promote teamwork, control impulsive behaviors and reduce anxiety.

10. Educational robotics

Educational Robotics Room. Source: Robotairon Educational robotics is a subfield of robotics, specifically aimed at teaching and education. It is very useful when the objective is to teach concepts related to electronics, computing, mechanics, among other branches.

Its teaching is not limited, it can be trained at any educational level, from primary to postgraduate. For children it is an excellent way to introduce them to cutting-edge topics, and it will also allow them to recognize whether or not they have an interest in robotics or the like.

11. Virtual reality

Virtual reality is understood to be the interface that with the help of technology creates a virtual scene. It simulates sound, visual and tactile effects based on reality, allowing the user to believe that they are in a real environment.

Although the field of virtual reality is new, it is also a tool with many possibilities for teaching. You can recreate specific situations that allow the development of different skills in children.

On the other hand, the devices allow to disconnect the senses from reality and capture the movements of people, which immerses the individual in a scenario that can hardly be experienced in real life.

Examples of its use in education are: traveling to a distant country, exploring the human body or traveling through the history of mankind.

Advantages and disadvantages

All the tools that we have presented previously are characterized by their own disadvantages and advantages when using them in the educational field. However, in general they coincide in many of them, so below, we present the most important ones.

Advantage

• Its use in the classroom increases the motivation of students. It is a fact that since they began to be used in the classrooms, students are more motivated in the different areas they study.
• Renew learning methods and processes. Today, all education professionals have had to retrain to use these tools in the classroom and change the way they teach.
• It allows to use new educational resources. Thanks to the continuous evolution of new technologies, little by little, new devices are being incorporated into classrooms that increase the quality of teaching.
• Time in class is used more. With the multitude of online activities out there, students can learn more content in less time.
• Involve the student in homework. Students learn by playing and without realizing the contents that are worked on in class.
• They encourage collaboration between students. Some tools like touch tables allow learners to collaborate in problem solving.
• Digital and audiovisual literacy. They allow students to acquire the digital and audiovisual skills necessary for their future.
• Another advantage is: It stimulates creativity, respects the students' learning rhythm, creates curiosity and a spirit of investigation, they can experiment and manipulate them.

Disadvantages

• The price of some of these tools is very high and they prevent their generalization.
• Some can only be placed in a certain way within the classroom as is the case with the digital whiteboard.
• Due to the characteristics of the classroom, there may be a lack of brightness if there is light in the classroom or if the projector is not powerful enough.
• Shadows can also be projected onto the blackboard by students and teachers.
• There may be technical problems with access to the internet, computers, or the whiteboard software, for example.
• It involves a greater initial time investment in the preparation of the activities in the teachers.
• A certain degree of knowledge is needed to develop your own activities, so if teachers are not recycled and do not know how to handle them properly it can be a big problem.
• There may be an excess of information for students in the use of these devices.
• Sometimes it can be distracting to students if you do not know how to lead the class while using this type of technology.

References

1. Marquès, P. (2008). The digital whiteboard. Recovered from peremarques. net
2. Tapscott, D. (1997): Growing up in a digital environment. Bogota Mc Graw-Hill.
3. de Caso, AM, Blanco, J., & Navas, G. TICS IN THE SECOND CYCLE OF CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
4. Area, M. (coord) (2001): Educate in the information society. Bilbao. Desclée.