Alexa in educational technology
Screen Time Reduction
Amazon A new era of technology is being ushered in by Alexa. One in which parents, teachers, and students can interact with technology through voice commands, enhancing learning, saving time, and giving access to vital information. Without ever opening their computers, students can use Alexa to schedule meetings with guidance counselors, obtain study materials, and keep track of upcoming events on their calendars.
Instructors can use Alexa to get ready for a lesson, and administrators can use it to get vital data like enrollment figures quickly.
Alexa in higher education
College students naturally use voice technology to communicate with instructors, the campus, and educational resources. By using Alexa to make it easier for them to find information, stay organized, and participate on campus, students all over the world are getting more out of their educational experience.
Alexa for learning companies and EdTechs
Alexa facilitates user engagement, expands the reach of EdTechs and learning companies, and enhances student learning. EdTechs are utilizing Alexa to improve user experience in a variety of ways, from assisting administrators and faculty in accessing critical data to developing a fresh method for students to review important ideas.
Using Alexa for the first time
You can use a variety of techniques to develop captivating Alexa experiences for your EdTech product or campus. From basic skill development to Alexa-enabled devices in common areas.
While at Lancaster University Alexa Picks Up New Skills
Alexa is being used by Lancaster University in the UK to help students get around campus and in their academic careers. They recently added Ask L.U., an Alexa skill that lets students check grades, schedule a free library pod, and get campus news by speaking. Discover how Alexa is improving on-campus and off-campus student life.
Education for Kids
While you may be familiar with iPad kids, are you familiar with Alexa kids? According to Amazon, households with children under the age of eight interact with Alexa twice as frequently as other users.
Impact on Learning
Music requests have increased 15% in the past year, mostly for children’s music. Roll on, Johnny Johnny, wheels on the bus Kids’ favorite songs include Yes Papa, Lakdi Ki Kathi, Baby Shark, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Folk talkies appear to be of interest to Alexa users as well. Stories by Akbar Birbal, Tenali Raman, Panchatantra, and others are highly well-known, particularly in Hindi. According to Amazon, Alexa users request these stories on average 34 times every hour.
“We regularly hear from parents about how Alexa has aided them in their role as parents. The ability to use basic voice commands to access a variety of helpful kid-friendly experiences makes Alexa a compelling addition for a small family. Although Alexa is a fantastic educational and entertainment tool for children, parents can also use it to help manage their own lives. “Alexa’s right there to help them, whether it’s asking for a bedtime story as part of their child’s daily routine or controlling smart home appliances with voice while juggling numerous tasks,” stated Dilip R S, Director and Country Manager for Alexa, Amazon India, in a press release.
According to a study done for Amazon by Kantar, children’s screen time has decreased and their learning has improved thanks to Alexa. Ninety-five percent of parents who actively used Alexa smart speakers at home concurred that having Alexa there helps their children interact with screens less and that it serves as a companion. Up to 90% of them said Alexa assisted their children in developing their independence, learning new skills, and maintaining mental activity.
Although children may be the target audience for Amazon’s marketing of Alexa, using the voice assistant is not always beneficial for them. The gadget may impede children’s development and normalize monitoring of them, according to a 2018 The Intercept article that cited critics and pediatricians among others. Thus, if you intend to allow your kids to use Alexa or a comparable device, be sure you are comfortable with the risks by doing your own research.
Learning Tools
Parents want their children to learn skills like speaking English (50%), having good morals and manners (45%), engaging in performing arts (such as dancing, singing, and playing an instrument) (36%), arts and crafts (32%), and engaging in physical and outdoor activities (32%), in order to help them make the most of their summer vacation. A majority of 66% expressed interest in purchasing a voice-activated smart speaker that can foster abilities such as curiosity, focus, and enhanced communication.
How to Benefit from Alexa Smart Speakers
Users of Alexa smart speakers made up a portion of the survey respondents. More than 95% of parents have reported that Alexa has reduced screen time and grown to be a true companion for their child.
Child Development: Why is the sky blue, Alexa?
Alexa helps keep kids engaged, enhance communication skills, and satisfy their curiosity about learning new things by providing them with a plethora of interactive games, music, trivia, and educational features. Parents frequently ask Alexa questions like, “Alexa, tell me a bedtime story,” “Alexa, what is the spelling of dinosaurs,” “Alexa, why is the sky blue?”, “Open Wild Planet,” and more.
Parents with young children have found Alexa to be an invaluable resource. Alexa is a fantastic source of entertainment and education, offering everything from interactive games and stories about Akbar and Birbal to questions about science, history, and general knowledge as well as word definitions. It should come as no surprise that children’s tunes like Baby Shark, Chandaniya, and Twinkle Twinkle dominate the list of the top five songs that users ask Alexa to play, according to Parag Gupta, Director and Country Manager for Amazon Devices India.
