Top Five E-Learning Tools You Must Know

By: Audrey Fatima C. Francisco

Teacher I - Bataan National High School

Date posted: August 6, 2020

There's a wide array of available technology on the web to be utilized on the web when the opening of classes kicks in. The growth in technology has given the people so much opportunity and enables us to maximize knowledge acquisition effectively.

Take a look at the emerging technologies you can use when the classes resume:

1. Google Meet. Powered by the largest search engine, Google Meet is a fast-rising technology that can be used as an online classroom. This application is free and can be used through mobile or personal computers. Sixty minutes on the line is a plus and can cater as much as 100 participants. To use this application, Google meet requires a working Gmail address. One of the advantages that Google meet also has is that it can be directly accessed through the web.

2. Zoom. Contrary to Google meet, Zoom shall be installed in your gadget for you to use it. It can also cater to 100 persons in an online meeting. One major advantage that Zoom has is that the whole meeting can be recorded and can later be used as online learning material that can be accessed by students anytime.

3. Microsoft Team. Launched by the tech giant Microsoft (MS), MS Teams has slowly created a name in the industry since the user experience is like a one-stop-shop application. MS Teams, aside from that it can be used as an online classroom, is a unified collaboration tool where you can also do file sharing, conversation, and file storage all at once. It can also be highlighted that MS teams are fully integrated with O365.

4. Messenger Room. This might be one of the easiest ways to access the students during the pandemic, since the majority, if not all, are on Facebook. Through this app, an offshoot of Facebook, online classes can also be held with 50 persons maximum inside the room. Unlike the earlier applications, the Messenger room doesn't have a chat function, which can work both an advantage and disadvantage, most especially that feedback is important during classroom sessions.

5. Edmodo. Edmodo is an online classroom where teachers are enabled to share content, draft quizzes, assignments, manage files, and announcements. Same with the four applications mentioned above, you can join Edmodo when the facilitator invites you. However, given with all its features, this tool is suitable only for asynchronous learning. While this application works for any mobile device, face-to-face through online communication is possible.

Summing it up, the growth of e-learning has made education reachable through our fingertips, however, the emerging technology available right now requires us the obligation to learn more and to be more responsible for using it.