Research & Surveys
“The best learning experiences are active learning experiences where every student is able to participate and feel that they are part of the learning process”

Interview to Kathryn McMath, Business Development Manager, International Sales - European Office at Turning Technologies, and one of the keynote speakers in the ELEARNIA 2016 conference. Recommendations for creating the best learning experiences, the use of clickers in any learning environment and the major trends for e-learning in 2016.

 

(Belfast @americalearning) Kathryn graduated from the University of Ulster with a First Class Masters in Spanish, French, International Business and Marketing after first completing a BA Joint Honours in Spanish and French Language and Literature at Queen’s University, Belfast. Prior to her role at Turning Technologies, she worked as a Sales Director for a leading technology company where she looked after sales, marketing, product development and international expansion. Kathryn is currently responsible for developing new business for Turning Technologies in European markets.

 

Turning Technologies provides assessment delivery and data collection solutions. The company has accomplished this with seamless integrations, innovative mobile apps, useful reporting capabilities and helpful implementation programmes – designed to meet the needs of educators and presenters worldwide.

 

To date, Turning Technologies has delivered over 20 million ResponseCard keypads to more than 100 countries.

 

What are your recommendations for creating the best learning experiences and a future where technology is integrated into any learning environment?

I believe the best learning experiences are active learning experiences where every student is able to participate and feel that they are part of the learning process. Active learning has been proven to generate increased retention of material and ultimately, better exam results.

The use of clickers in any learning environment allows for complete student participation; motivating and engaging the class.  As clickers are so easy to use and allow great versatility – Peer Instruction and Game Based Learning can both be carried out using student response systems – it is very easy to integrate clickers into any learning environment as an essential piece of technology.

 

 

What topics you will analyze during your conference in ELEARNIA 2016?

During eLearnia 2016, I will introduce Turning Technologies exciting new software, TurningPoint Cloud.  This new system has all the great benefits of our previous software, TurningPoint 5 along with the following fantastic new features:

  • Secure data via password protected accounts
  • Cloud storage
  • Excel Charts
  • New question options such as Word Cloud
  • A new attendance feature to easily mark class attendance
  • Self-Paced Polling using ResponseWare (voting using mobile devices)

 

What value provides the Turning´s API ‘clickers’ to the academic sector and particularly to the e-learning industry?

Turning Technologies solutions provide immeasurable value to the academic sector and the e-learning industry by motivating students, helping shy students, engaging students, promoting learning theories and generating better exam results.  Our solutions also make Professors’ roles easier by saving time on marking and LMS integration and by offering a way to include interactivity in a fun, easy fashion.  Feedback shows that students much prefer lectures where they use technology to traditional style lectures; our solutions bring learning to the next level.

 

What are the major trends for e-learning in 2016?

The major trends for e-learning in 2016 are:

  • the rise of Cloud based technology – a secure, functional way to store and share data and to assist learning processes
  • the increase of gamification – bringing game dynamics into non-gaming contexts in order to help students reach their goals.  It has been proven that gaming increases user engagement which in turn increases user retention
  • the rise and rise of mobile technology – our solutions offer software and Apps to allow students to engage with lecturers using smartphones and tablets

 

What are the main innovations applied to training technologies in 2016?

The main innovations applied to training technologies in 2016 are as above, Cloud based technology, gamification and mobile technology – all of these areas allow for innovative training sessions with trainers reaching their goals quicker and easier.

 

April 2016