E-tools For Better Learning Informative Essay Example

Nowadays learning is easier than it was in the past. Chalks and blackboards have been replaced with smart boards and E-tools. In E-tools for education are included gadgets, applications, and other technology which can be used via Internet connection. All of E-tools have their good and bad sides. Some of E-tools are: MS Teams, Kahoot and Merlin. All of these E-tools have their benefits for teachers and students in education.

MS Teams is an application, made by Microsoft, which was launched worldwide in 2017, can be used in  several ways. Firstly, professors can chat with students in group or one-on-one. Secondly, there can be video calls which are very good, because video call can be held online lessons. This is not only a benefit of video calls. During video call users can share screen and upload documents or presentations from his computer. In the video call can be involved to 250 people, and in webinar thousands of people are bitten. Thirdly, this E-tool is good because professors can set assignments to their students which students need to complete and send it to professors. Fourthly, the application includes a OneNote classroom notebook in which students can write essential terms. Fifthly, in application is option Grade Sync. This service, which can be enabled by SDS admin,  provides teachers to write grades automatically from Teams back to the grade book in the SIS. MS Teams grew at a gradual pace until COVID-19 pandemic. 

Kahoot is E-tool based on quiz games, which was an idea by Professor Alf Inge Wang at Department of Computer Science at Norwegian University and has benefits too. Firstly, Kahoot offers great engagement by students. They enjoy because Kahoot has great game play and unique quiz games. Secondly, students can measure they knowledge with their friends in class. On this platform student can chose their nickname and play quiz with name of their chose or they can press button automatically create nickname. This is a good way to see own knowledge and knowledge of other students in the class. Thirdly, Kahoot can be opened on internet or in application. Fourthly, Kahoot has been effective in reducing frustration and the stress about the fear of formative assessment in traditional way. Fifthly, if teachers do not have time to create their quiz, on Kahoot are shared quizzes which they can use. Fact from May 2017 which shows the popularity of this application is that Kahoot has 50 million monthly active users. 

Merlin is E-tool for learning, based on the system of open code updated and adjusted for students, which also has benefits. Teachers and students are applying with electronic identity provided by the university. Firstly, this system allows teachers, students and universities conducting courses which are in order of lectures. Connecting system Merlin and system ISVU allows universities to opening all colleagues from system ISVU and enrollment teachers and students. Secondly, virtual surroundings for E-learning Merlin consists of: system for E-learning Merlin, system for webinars and e-portfolio system. It is related to the ISVU system. Thirdly, new video-conference is established for maintenance webinars, edu-Meet. It is based on communication via web browser in real time. Main pros is that additional softwares are not needed. Main role of edu-Meet is maintenance online lessons, where recording is not needed. Users can use edu-Meet trough e-colleagues on the system Merlin parallel with system for webinars.

To sum up, all of this E-tools have their benefits. Benefits of MS Teams are: group chat and one-on-one chat, video call trough which can be held online lessons, during video call can be shared presentation or screen. Classroom notebook OneNote in which students can write essential terms is also positive thing. MS Teams is good for professors because they can set assignments, moreover teachers can write grades automatically from Teams to grade book in the SIS. Kahoot`s benefits are: great engagement by students, student can measure his own knowledge with knowledge of their friends in class. Further, Kahoot has option to be opened via internet and application, Kahoot is good in reducing level of frustration and stress. One more good thing in Kahoot is that teachers can use quizzes which are shared if they do not time to make their own. Merlin also has benefits which are: conducting courses which are in order of lectures, virtual surrounding consists 3 systems (system for E-learning Merlin, system for webinars ad e-portfolio system), and edu-Meet which is based on video-conference. In my opinion the best of this three E-tools for education is MS Teams, because it has the most services which can help students and their teachers in education.