Why digital learning is better than the conventional one? Here’s how students can take a leap

Digital examinations are way more reliable and less time consuming when compared to manual tests and this in turn boosts up the confidence of the candidate. For better understanding, let’s talk about how the digital tests are more beneficial in contrast to conventional manual tests.

Although technology has come across as a blessing to us with the internet becoming widely useful, Students are still mostly used to taking manual tests and the concept of digital tests have not kicked in as their habit. But the latter, if adapted to, can make the entire examination procedure quite smooth without much consumption of time. Digital examinations are way more reliable and less time consuming when compared to manual tests and this in turn boosts up the confidence of the candidate. For better understanding, let’s talk about how the digital tests are more beneficial in contrast to conventional manual tests.

Digital Learning vs conventional learning (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

○Unnecessary Time consumption

When writing a manual test, the particular student needs to fill up the personal details including the roll number, Name etc that can be prone to errors. Also, students have to fill OMR sheets that requires completely blackens the bubbles. This entire filling itself takes 15-20% of the total allotted time. In the case of digital tests, the personal details are prefilled as well as marking an option is just mouse clicks.

○Easier for Teachers

The job of a teacher or exam body becomes very tedious when it comes to manual tests. They would require weeks, sometimes months to scan all the OMR sheets or manually check for correct answers. This also makes them very prone to error and the entire process is again highly time-consuming. Advanced technology has today gifted us with many digital tools making any work much easier to perform. Even teachers or examination checkers make use of such digital tools such as mobile and web application in marking tests in a faster and accurate manner.

○Mode of examination

The process of taking tests through digital platforms is not only a user friendly process but also saves time and makes the entire procedure smooth. Now, the reason why manual tests are still widespread is because students are used to giving examinations on paper using a pen since childhood. Even if things started progressing in urban areas, where digital remedies have kicked in the mainstream, remote areas are still lagging behind. Although, the internet is widely being used, the lack of infrastructure in remote areas, such as no internet transmission mechanism, lack of computer centres, etc have denied the entry of mobile and web applications for students living in these areas.

○Now that we know of some of the reasons why digital tests are much more efficient than conventional ones, its also imperative to know why it is still taking time for students to switch to the digital mode.The reason for this gap is that students are still habitual to paper and pen study mode. So reading off a digital screen causes a lot of hindrance and it is a drag in the beginning.

○A solution to this is that more digital content (text) should be consumed by students so their brain can adapt to digital text and illustrations.

Other solutions

1) Students should start practising with smaller tests (~20 questions quiz) to build up confidence.

2) They should also solve at least 1 weekly Full-length test for the exam preparing for.

3) Instead of solving more and more tests, the focus should be on revisiting taken tests and analyse various aspects such as weak topics that need more attention. The average time to solve a question should also be lowered with each attempt (of the same difficulty) and more time should be devoted on very important topics.

(The author is Sanjay Jagarwal, Content Head, Madguy Labs. Views expressed are personal)