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Originally Posted On: https://ascenticretail.com/7-reasons-to-add-touch-screens-to-your-school/

Does your school implement interactive learning? If it does, you’re on the right track: studies show that this is a powerful education technique. One of the best ways to create a digitalized schooling experience is to use touch screens. Even a single interactive display makes learning far more engaging. Flexible classrooms could use more than one display to boost the learning process.

Not convinced that your school needs an interactive touchscreen display? Here are seven key benefits that this technology can provide.

1. Bolster Active Learning

If you use touch screens for more than showing videos, they can be a huge contributor to active learning.

For example, interactive touch screens are great at enabling collaboration. Multi-touch displays allow students to interact with on-screen content as a team. This makes it much easier to brainstorm, analyze things, or work through an experiment.

An interactive screen can also help with classroom demonstrations. You can add video clips, pull content from the internet, annotate slides, and much more. Students are great at using tech creatively, so give them the tools and let them loose.

Finally, this technology brings STEM subjects to life. Instead of telling students about a scientific study, you can show it on the display. Students can conduct experiments and share their findings via screencasting.

2. Enhance Classroom Management

Struggling to keep your classes running smoothly? Make your lessons more dynamic with interactive touch screen displays.

For starters, interactive displays allow for use of can’t-miss aids like visual timers. These help students manage time when taking tests or waiting for their turn to talk. You also have apps that show the level of noise and will “shush” the class if necessary.

A touch screen can serve as the central feature in the classroom. This makes the class more cohesive, which is a big help with managing it. Take advantage of this display by letting students use it as much as they want.

3. Bring Greater Inclusivity

You can use touch screens to offer more learning opportunities to students. This is a big step toward creating an inclusive classroom.

For example, visual and auditory learners will get a lot out of video presentations. Kinaesthetic learners can get up and move. As for students who learn best by reading, they can save on-screen notes and look at the files later.

School technology is also a great equalizer for students with special needs. Interactive screens integrate very well with assistive tech. Examples include text-to-speech software, captions, and text highlighters.

If a student struggles to hold a pen, they can use a finger—or even a tennis ball—to write on the screen. Early learners can trace shapes and letters. Advanced learners will have an easier time collaborating with classmates on complex lessons.

4. Improve Learning Outcomes

On top of being fun, interactive displays just work. They help students learn more, learn better, and apply that knowledge more effectively.

There’s plenty of research that proves active learning is great for students. For instance, this Harvard study compares active learning with traditional lectures. Most students think they get more out of lectures, but the study proves the opposite.

We also know that active learning and interactive displays go hand in hand. Using charts, graphs, and videos can do wonders for reinforcing information. Plus, as technology solutions get better, the potential for interactive learning keeps increasing.

5. Boost Engagement and Enthusiasm

Using a touch display in a classroom helps students pay more attention. On top of that, they’re more positive about the learning process.

This is true at every level of education. Even in early childhood, using interactive devices increases motivation and participation. It also improves the students’ attention span, allowing them to engage in activities for a longer time.

Why does tech teaching make younger students more motivated? Most experts agree that the key lies in students performing the activities together. They discuss correct answers, help their partners, and interact more in general.

The same applies to primary-age and older students. Plenty of studies show that interactive tech improves learning by boosting excitement for the lessons.

6. Develop Critical Skills

Present and future jobs demand all kinds of important life skills. These include greater adaptability, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

Using tech tools can be a great way to prepare students for the future. They make it easier to observe, analyze, and suss out solutions to complex dilemmas. As noted above, touch screens help students work in teams and collaborate better.

With automation replacing many jobs, today’s students will need social-emotional skills as well. Using a touch screen display with classmates helps students develop these skills. It also improves their self-awareness and self-management.

7. Deliver Effective Feedback

Most students need feedback to know they’re doing well. Using upgraded technology can make the feedback process much easier.

One of the first people to realize this was Eric Mazur, a Harvard physics professor. In his Intro to Physics class, he noticed his students were floundering. They were book-smart, but they struggled to apply that knowledge.

Mazur solved this by having students tackle the problems in groups. This gave the students access to all the feedback they needed. On top of understanding the subject, their problem-solving skills increased as well.

Though Mazur didn’t use interactive tech in his class, he easily could have. Touch screens are great at maximizing feedback, as they provide an immediate response. The ongoing and consistent input makes it easy to turn feedback into learning.

More on Touch Screens in Schools

Whether your teachers are fans of educational technology or not, they’ll likely warm up to touch screens very quickly.

As for why that’s the case, the above benefits should give you a good idea. Interactive displays help students learn more, get motivated, and stay engaged. This is why so many schools already use them and their popularity only keeps increasing.

Looking for an interactive display for your classroom? If so, our touch screen solutions are the perfect combination of performance and affordability! Contact us right here—we’ll get back to you soon.