The Use of Modern Technology in Classes
Yu-Xi ZHAO1,a,*,Xiao-Wen ZHANG2,b
1,2Institute of Structural Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
ayxzhao@zju.edu.cn, bkathyzala@163.com
Keywords: Modern Technology, Network Platform, Wechat.
Abstract. This paper introduce the importance of using modern technology in our life, especially in modern education, and gives two example of the use of modern technology in classes. From these two succeeded using examples, the paper illustrate the function and effect of modern technology in courses of new times.
Introduction
We are now living in an fast developing age ---- the age of information, and the age of knowledge economy. Education, which has a consistent importance in time, is always one of the deceive factors in national development. However, on the one hand, we need to insist on developing education and hold a good tradition of teaching, on the other hand, we must also acutely aware that education should keep pace with the times. Since we are now living in a time the internet has become one of the daily necessities; a time information has filled in every corner of society; a time when lower and lower cost are needed to pay to get knowledge, education should be developed to comply with the trend of times and fit the new laws of society.
When talking about education, college education is undoubtedly an important part, which has been given a more profound and rich connotation. On the one hand, college education should adhere to the excellent tradition, to perform the duty of enlightening wisdom, exploring the truth, developing science, transmitting cultural, and serving the society; on the other hand, universities should reform the teaching mode, teach students how to respond to and take advantage of the huge amount of information. University should not only teach students to adapt to society and to serve the community, but also need to teach these college students to guide the society into a way of getting the social prosperity. In addition, it should take account into the harmony and unity of theoretical study and practical application, the cultural heritage and enterprising innovation .
And these series of educational needs of the new society, should be established on an in-depth understanding of the times and information technology. We need to reforming the teaching methods, should find a new way to present the information to the students so that students are in a more direct way to feel the pulse of the times. Through this teaching demonstration, students learn how to extract, use and even digest a huge amount of information, which will enable students to develop a professional angle of view to overlook what they have learned. Also, these new technologies reflect an endless possibility of teaching in a new era for curriculum . From class presentation to homework, the support of information technology make every aspect of the course become more convenient. Network has achieved the more convenient elective system, more flexible classroom presentation, more diverse layout task in curriculum and a more convenient way to test. Even in the traditional classroom, in order to show the document in the form of PowerPoint instead of blackboard or use animation to visually show the principle will make teaching much more convenient. Changes in technology have been extended to all aspects of education, deep into the specific details. We will talk about some examples to show the effect.
Using a Network Platform in Courses
Concept
As we have discussed before, there is a tendency in modern courses reform to develop and use network. Since the pace of learning in modern life has become faster and faster, there is a urgent need to better utilize the limited time on classes. Traditional classes always spend too much time on interpret what teacher want students to do and how teacher elaborate the knowledge, but care little about what students are thinking about. This may waste a lot time for students to comprehend better.
An internet course platform may improve the situation.
By establishing a course platform on the internet, teacher can better communicate with students. The platform is a good way to publish information. Teacher can easily let students know what they need to do before and after courses, which will save time on the classes. A course platform will also make student ask questions about courses much more convenient.
Example: Reinforced Concrete Structures
Let us take the course of Principle of Steel Structure and Design Practice in Zhejiang University as an example.
This course has its own platform where students can download useful data of the courses and learn before the class begins and where teacher and students can communicate easily.
The teaching procedures of this class is:
Before the class begins, teacher release announcement on the platform, and students prepare for the classes based on the announcement, and record the part difficult to understand. On the course, students can ask questions about what they have learned but did not understand. Teacher can also lead students to ask questions and organize discussion of the difficult part of the lesson. After class, teacher can answer questions on the platform. Students also upload their homework on the platform so that teacher can check them as soon as possible.
The network platform is used before and after classes to save the time of both teacher and students.
Summary of Using a Network Platform in Courses
The course of Principle of Steel Structure and Design Practice has many difficult parts. In traditional classes, many students cannot comprehend the difficult parts even teacher have already spend several classes on them. This may because students are not familiar with the content of the courses before class so that they cannot get on with what the teacher is talking about during the class time.
By using a network platform, there is a appropriate way for teacher to ask and lead students to learn before class. It will make students to comprehend the content of the class much easier.
Also, by uploading homework on the platform, students can get response quickly and clearly. If they have some problems or questions on the homework, they can ask questions on the platform at first time. It will make learning more efficient.
A network platform of a course will encourage interaction between teachers and students, utilize spare time before and after classes, and in the end, lift the teaching effect of the courses.
Utilize App ‘Wechat’ in Courses
Concept
The app ‘Wechat’ is a new social network which is very popular nowadays, where people can communicate and share their lives with families and friends. It has a very good user experience.
By utilizing Wechat in college courses, teacher can get in touch with students online and much save time resources.
Example: Creative Design
The Wechat app can be used for three ways in classes.
The first one is establish a Wechat public platform.
A Wechat public platform is a place of me media, where both teacher and students can publish information of the courses on it and share with others. The course of Principle of Steel Structure and Design Practice in Tsinghua University, for example, has established a public platform on Wechat called “qingxiaohun” where teacher can not only publish the information but also some interesting knowledge of the course.
The second is to submit students homework on the friend circle.
Still by using a public platform, teacher can organize students’ homework. Wechat has made it really easy to share things on friend circle. By sharing the students’ homework on the friend circle, all the students can see and discuss about their homework, which may let them to make progress together. Also, other teachers who teach the same class even in different Universities can see these homework and evaluate or even vote for their love ones. It will make the standard of score much more fair to students.
The third is to answer questions.
Wechat has a function to establish a Wechat group, where people can communicate in this group and all the other people in this group can see and get into the talk. This is a very good way for teacher and teaching assistant to communicate with students. First, students can report their daily working condition on the Wechat group. Second, students can communicate with each other in the group which may let them grow together. Moreover, the teaching assistant can publish announcement in the group so that everyone can get the inform at the first time. Not only teacher and teaching assistant can answer questions of students in the group, but also the students themselves can answer questions about each other. they can also discuss and solve problems together in group online.
Summary of Utilize App ‘Wechat’ in Courses
Since Wechat is really popular in young people and have almost already be their necessities in their daily life, using Wechat to do something for class will make the app not only for communicate and entertainment but also in college studies.
It will utilize the spare time of students and improve the effect of classes just as a network platform will do. And moreover, since students will use their Wechat several times one day, turning it into an tool will let students be remind of their courses and homework everyday.
Conclusion
As we have discussed before, both the network platform and the Wechat app can be used in classes successfully, there have already had many succeeded examples in different courses.
So we can get to the conclusion that:
Using new technology like them in classes is very useful. they will
1.Improve the class effect and the teaching efficiency;
2.Encourage interaction of teachers and students and motivate students to participate in courses;
3.Save time and remind students to use their spare time as much as possible.
Acknowledgment
This research was financially supported by project Teaching Reform of Higher Education in Zhejiang Province: Exploration on Cultivating Comprehensive Ability of Civil Engineers in Teaching and key project of Teaching Reform in Architectural Engineering College of Zhejiang University in 2015: Teaching Method Exploration of Cultivating Comprehensive Ability of Civil Engineers.
References
[1] Y.X.Zhao, Z.Ma, H.J.Ding, Y.F.Duan, Y.C.Li, X.Y.Jiang. Exploration and Practice of Open Instructional Teaching Mode for Developing Innovative Civil Engineers. J.Kunming University. 14(2014) 252-257.
[2] Y.X.Zhao, Z.Ma, The Course Teaching Reform of Design of Reinforced Concrete Structure Based on the Remarkable Engineer Training Program. J.Kunming University. 14(2014) 140-144.
