Think WiFi In Education Is A Distraction? Think Again

Speak to any educator today and they will tell you that maintaining the attention of a classroom is no easy feat. With mobile devices constantly at their side, students have endless distractions that teachers struggle to compete with. So wouldn’t the easy solution be a blanket ban on devices or restricted access to WiFi?

Absolutely not.

A new generation of educators is embracing the opportunities of a tech-savvy, WiFi-enabled student body to transform learning and to adapt to the demands of an increasingly plugged-in world. After all, if you can’t beat them, join them.

Walking around a classroom and seeing students furtively checking their Facebook and Twitter feeds may be dispiriting to an educator with a carefully prepared lesson plan. Yet what if these social media platforms were part of the lesson plan?

For sceptical educators, this use of social media doesn’t have to be taxing, but can supplement existing teaching and address some of the problems that a traditional classroom cannot. For example, students unwilling to speak up or ask questions can message their teacher to clarify a point in real time. More outgoing students can engage with a pre-assigned hashtag to jump in with thoughts and ideas.

WiFi-enabled classrooms also create exciting opportunities to engage students with their learning in a way that is relevant to them. Students can create social media pages for historical or literary figures, and think about how these figures might adapt to the online world. The 140-character limit on a Twitter post can be utilised to assess students’ ability to summarise key concepts, and Facebook groups can be used to monitor student participation in a collaborative project.

According to a study by the University of Glasgow, the use of social media in teaching increases student motivation and engagement and removes barriers to self-expression. Yet this kind of innovative teaching can only work with a reliable WiFi connection. 

Contact Redway Networks today to see how their Aerohive education WiFi system can enable educators to get ahead of the curve, and to join their students in making the most of high-quality educational WiFi. Or visit our Aerohive hub for more details: