The Advantages Of Technological Aids

Ruben Thomas

Although there is panoply, technological aids are often associated with computers and computer software *. It is also often these aids in which parents are most reluctant for their children lest they become “lazy.”

Assistive technologies help to increase learning autonomy, improve the accuracy and speed of classroom work, and provide positive learning and success for students. This increases motivation for learning.

On the other hand, although very useful, these technologies also have limits and cannot compensate for all the difficulties of the student. Techniques cannot pay for inefficient teaching, eliminate a learning disability, or ignite a strong passion for school in the student.

So I thought it would be relevant to unravel for you the advantages and limitations of technological aids.

The advantages of technological aids

When a student has difficulties in school, and they persist despite his many efforts and adaptations already in place, his motivation and his esteem for him are affected. It is then that we think of setting up technological aids to support the young person in his learning.

A technological aid is a tool (computer, software, calculator, etc.) that helps the young person to perform a task or develop skills, something he could not have done without this type of help. Several studies have demonstrated the positive impacts of their use in a variety of contexts.

They Promote A Better Sense Of Self-Efficacy

I do not think that anybody here finds it comfortable and above all satisfying to make significant efforts and not to have good results or the expected results, each time. This is what many children with learning disabilities experience. Despite all the work and the time they put in, they are having trouble at school, which is very discouraging.

Technological aids allow young people to feel more efficient because they have results that match their efforts. By compensating for their difficulties with the tool, students can finally use their real skills. Thus, they often have better results, which maintain some pride.

They Increase The Level Of Motivation Of Students

Ruben Thomas

I do not know about you, but me, when I succeed something, it gives me a boost of energy and I have the taste to start again to reach again. Conversely, if I do not realize, after one time, I will try with another technique, but after several failures, I get discouraged, and I give up.

It’s a little bit like what happens with young people who have a learning disability. Failure to succeed in their learning can be very demotivating. It becomes a vicious circle: the less successful they are, the less they want to put effort into getting there. And it’s even more difficult when you have to put more and more energy, and they do not bear fruit…

The setting up of a technological aid can, in several cases, give the young people this lost motivation. It allows them to reduce the amount of effort they have to put to focus on the essentials and get the job done. Through successes, but also to reduce the level of effort required for the same result, young people are encouraged, which motivates them to continue their learning and sometimes even to push beyond what is expected of them.

They Promote A Better Autonomy In Learning

Using technology help in school work frees up energy for other cognitive resources. For example, if a young person who has reading difficulties must put all his power into decoding and identifying the words, he will have very little left to understand what he is reading. If he is allowed to use voice feedback software, he will be able to focus his cognitive energy on understanding the text that is being read. Thus, the result obtained during an assessment will be more representative of the student’s actual text comprehension skills.