Momentous Institute: Customizing Learning Through Technology

If you’ve ever completed a personality assessment or participated in a leadership workshop, you know that people carefully consider the different ways individuals receive and communicate information. And for good reason. When working on a team, it’s not about what we say but rather what others hear that dictates the success of the group.

The same is true in the classroom. Some students respond well to visual cues, others to auditory cues and some may learn best by reading a book. Similarly, extroverted students may have no trouble speaking up in class while those who are more reserved may excel in smaller groups or in writing exercises.

Technology opens new possibilities for engaging all types of students. The Momentous School, a program of the Momentous Institute is using apps and custom learning software to help cater to their students’ learnings styles (read more on this initiative here). Over the past year we have built a high density Wi-Fi network inside the school to support the dynamic content delivery of these education apps. Additionally, we have introduced the school to a vast network of companies in ed-tech to arm the teachers with new learning tools.

For example, Momentous is using a new app called “TodaysMeet” to facilitate class discussions online. Students will read an assignment or watch a video and then join the class conversation using their tablets to share their thoughts and feelings about it. This approach provides students who struggle to be vocal during class discussions an alternative means to participate.

Another app called “Explain Everything” is an interactive whiteboard that allows students to import pictures, express ideas and visualize their work. Using the app, students record the steps they take to solve a problem. They can then play the recording for their teachers and parents to review their thought process and receive feedback.

What we’re seeing so far is that these solutions improve the learning process and enhance learning outcomes for students, both inside and outside of the classroom. The tablets allow teachers to adapt education materials for each student, making school a better experience for everyone.

We look forward to exploring more ways to individualize the learning process through technology, and we’ll keep you posted along the way.