Enhancing reading through technology

Being part of the twenty first century and the technology it offers deems an uncertain and sometimes scary future, but not necessarily for our youth as they are an integral part of the way technology is shaping our future.

                                                                                                             

Children nowadays are digital natives and for them the future isn’t moving at a fast enough pace. Technology is part of their everyday lives and many of them are adept at Internet research, cell phone browsing, social sharing, navigating through interactive books and multi media production.  Thus this dooming technology, as we sometimes perceive it, is providing valuable support in attaining reading and writing skills.

In literacy, instruction technology has both traditional and authentic uses, the traditional instruction implies skills reinforcement; for example, students who need additional practice in reading might work individually on computers that are equipped with reading-comprehension software.  Whereas the authentic instruction will be using technology to achieve a complex task; for example students who need to write an essay will need the internet for research and word processing tools to write and format text.

Considering assistive technology is no longer a subject to linger about, but one that is vital to help those that struggle with reading related issues such as; reading fluency, comprehension and decoding.

Assistive technology that assist with reading fall into several categories:

Audio books

The recording and presentation of text, referred to as audio books or books on tape, promotes students interest in reading as well as better their comprehension of text and some studies have shown this technology to have been used successfully by students who are visually impaired.

Paper based computer pen

This technology records and links audio to what a person writes using a pen and special paper. It basically assists the person to record audio whilst taking notes. The user will then be able to later listen to the recording when going through his/her notes.  This technology may be beneficial to those that struggle with reading in recognizing words as well as those that suffer from memory loss.

Screen readers or electronic text

Screen reading technology is programmed to read the text as presented on the screen of your computer. This digitized reading offers assistance in the pronunciation of words and supports as well as coaches the student as they are reading text. This helps in the decoding of text as well as promotes reading fluency.

Tape recordings

Tape recorders allow a student to listen to pre-recorded text or to capture spoken information.  The student can then later listen to the track in an environment that he/she feels safe to study in. This has proven to be valuable to students who struggle with attention deficits and reading.

Whether this technology is used to improve the skills of those you teach, the primary goal or objective should be to utilize digital natives to use their technology to address their own needs.  Although much is still in the grey as to the promise these technologies offer, and researchers still warrant a cautious approach, the reality is that this technology is available and should at some point be used to benefit the educational approach. 

Youth: A Catalyst For Educational Change

It is always interesting to notice how youth culture and behavior is shaping education. With the rise of the Internet we have seen an introduction of various new resources to class rooms as well as a variety of new study directions to accommodate the influx of youths who want to work in these fields. Here is a quick breakdown of five ways youth have become catalysts for change in education:

Change #1 – The introduction of technology in the classroom

The University of Johannesburg was one of the first South African universities to introduce compulsory tablets for all first year students. Many schools also include interactive white boards in the class room to enhance the classroom experience. Youth enjoy learning by means of technology and this encourages engagement and access to even more information.

Change #2 – The need for new ways to gain an education

Many universities and colleges choose to offer a variety of short online  courses  that students can take to earn credits toward a degree or just to enrich their skills or develop their existing skills.

Change #3 – Learning beyond the classroom

Many students enjoy taking their studies beyond the classroom, choosing to view lectures online in their own time, engaging in student forums or engaging with and sharing a variety of study materials. Institutions naturally have to make provision for this, allowing students to be able to supplement their studies with these kind of resources.

Change #4 – Enriched resources

Whether prescribed textbooks are available for tablet, or whether an institution chooses to engage students in a virtual space, many students prefer rich content. Youth have become accustomed to second screen experiences – they choose to tweet while they watch TV or Google matters of interest while watching the Discovery Channel. The need for rich resources has never been greater. Academic, literary and cultural references can be at hand when you refer to them and eliminate the fact that many students will forget to look up a reference in the library.

Change #5 – The type of courses on offer

The popularity of the Internet provides a variety of new opportunities and career paths. Many of those who are specialists in the field are young working people and this is but one example of how new technology and social advancements can shape the need for new departments in education… popular culture is no longer something you experience on MTV, but you can learn about it to ensure that you can include the best approaches in your marketing attempts. The rise in popularity of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Mxit among youth ensures that “best practices” are introduced in a syllabus as well.

Youth will always remain a dynamic part of our society and with the investment in youth and how they contribute to the future of South Africa, it is only natural that they play a role in how education is shaped.

Innovative Education Trends In 2014

Whether you are one of the first years who have to own a tablet for this year’s studies or whether you are a teacher looking for new ways to inspire your students, here are a few innovative trends in education for this year… and most of them is about increasing access to information…

Online Collaborative Learning

We spend a lot of time online, sharing information. It only seems natural for learning to take the same course. Online independent learning can happen a lot easier because of the online skills that many students already have. This model is great for collaboration, allowing students to benefit from shared memory and shared resources. Just imagine study groups online, where you will be able to talk about articles, books and ideas that will help each other.

Online Resources and Textbooks

Many often consider online learning as a static learning process with little interaction. Many of the online resources that we will be seeing reenacts face-to-face learning experiences, so the classroom will physically be represented online with the help of video and audio mediums. Sharing digital resources is also a lot more efficient – you no longer have to wait for your textbook to arrive at your local bookstore (and chances are that you can access them on your smartphone or tablet).

Social Media for Learning

87% of Facebook and 85% of Twitter users in South Africa are accessing these platforms on their mobile phone and with South Africa having a mobile penetration well over 100%, social media is going to become important in providing students with access to information and encourage them to participate in conversation. Challenges still exist in proving the credibility of this medium, although we should be seeing a lot more interaction between educators, students and industry specialists on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

The Flipped Classroom

Many learning institutions have a structure where most of the time spent in class includes an educator delivering information to the students and then, by use of a textbook, it is up to the student to read the relevant chapters. The idea of the flipped classroom allows students to access information how they want to, allowing them to absorb the information in a way that is best suited to them. This might include watching videos, listening to podcasts, collaborating with peers online for example.

Regardless of what you are studying, remember that we offer loans for textbooks, study-related equipment, laptops and tablets to ensure that you have everything you need to help you during your studies! Contact us today to find out how we can assist you!

Celebrating 18 Years of Unlocking Potential

Since 1996, Eduloan has delivered financial solutions to South Africans looking to further their education, no matter the level of tuition. March 28, 2014 marks our 18^th birthday, allowing us to celebrate the more than 720 000 study loans to the value of over R3.7 billion that we have awarded to South Africans looking to further their education.

 Eduloan remains the leading education finance specialist offering loan solutions to students – whether it is school, college, technicon or university. We understand the real cost of education and because of this we extend loans to students who require funds for textbooks, accommodation, study-related equipment as well as laptops or tablets.

Fund and bursary management has also evolved through the introduction of our Eduxtras solution. We pioneered the smartcard solution – geared to help students manage their bursary funds while the bursar has peace of mind that the funds are being allocated and spent as intended. Funds are loaded into pockets for accommodation, books, study-related equipment, food and tuition (or customised pockets depending on what your bursar specified) and can only be spent on the intended purpose.

In the past 18 years we have also assisted employers by providing accessible education finance to their staff. Eduloan has a long standing partnership with government and institutions which allows government employees easier access to obtaining a loan.  Similiarlee Eduloan has applied the same model to corporates for their employees.

Dedicated to providing educational finance and bursary fund administration solutions, we pride ourselves on being the only financial company solely focused education.

We commit to innovate more solutions to unlock even more potential in South Africa.

Happy birthday Eduloan!

Post-Study Financial Freedom – Why Is It So Important?

Whether you are thinking about applying for a study loan, in the process of your loan application or whether you have already committed to a study loan, the monthly repayments would most definitely play a role in your budgeting and planning. At Eduloan we ensure that your study loan is paid off by the time you complete your studies, but why is this so important?

Lowering Your Debt To Income Ratio (making sure your debt is as small as possible in relation to your income and does not have a large effect on your budget)

When you start working, it is important to plan your budget according to your income (how much you earn). When your study loan is paid off, you have one less debt to worry about when you allocate money to your living costs.

Having some extra money available at the end of the month

It is always a good idea to save for emergencies. If your study loan is paid off by the time you complete your studies, you can start saving money for those emergencies, a new car, a house and other expenses.

Planning for the future

It is very important to set yourself financial goals. A study loan is often the first financial commitment that many young people make. After your studies, you might want to buy a car, a house, take out annuities, set money aside for retirement and preparing for your own children’s futures could be some of the goals that you might have to set yourself.

By paying off your study loan by the time you complete your studies, you free yourself from that financial commitment. You can calculate your budget with our budget calculator and then view our quick-reference table to see what your installments will be. Visit www.eduloan.co.za today and contact us to find out how you can benefit from our study loan options.

Planning (And Sticking) To Your Budget

Students are notorious for being broke or short of cash. But how can you budget that little money that you earn from your part-time and weekend baby-sitting jobs to ensure that you make it to the end of the month? This week we take a look at budgeting and how you can stick to it!

A budget is a plan that you put together to account for your income and expenses. This means that you plan your money so that your expenses do not exceed your income and that you can reach your financial goals – whether they include saving for a car or anything else. If you stick to your budget, this can be a very important tool to make sure that you get to the end of the month without having to worry about your pockets being empty at the end of the month.

Make a list of your income

Make a list of all the income you receive in a month. This includes pocket money and any other money you receive from odd part time jobs as well as from any bursars. You can also include your study loan amount, since you will have to deduct your expenses from this as well.

Plan your expenses

Make a list of all your expenses. Include your tuition fees, cost of textbooks, any study equipment you might require, your accommodation costs, the money you require for food as well as traveling expenses. You can also plan any expenses that might come about in the month like any birthday presents you might need to buy, maintenance costs on your car or even just holiday pocket money.

Split your expenses into categories

Take the list of your expenses and prioritise them. This is important because you might have to exclude something from your budget in the first month and make provision for it in the next month when you have less important things to budget for.

Once you have made your list of expenses and marked the most important ones, you can deduct your expenses from your income. Make sure that you are not in a negative balance. If you are in a negative balance, you will have to revise your expenses to ensure that you can pay for the most essential things.

Be realistic!

Try be as realistic as possible. If you are realistic, it will be much easier to stick to your budget. Check in on your spending every now and then throughout the month to make sure that you are well within budget.

You can visit our website to use our budget calculator. This will help you establish a basic budget. Remember that your budget might change from month-to-month and that you will have to keep your calendar in mind when you plan your budget.