Educational technology was always one of the engines pushing civilization forward. It is interesting to note then that this field of work saw very small contributions coming in the opposite direction. Sure, every now and then the mechanical press or some other cool new invention kicked in and make acquiring knowledge simpler, faster, and more engaging.
But, speaking in general terms, education had a very hard time keeping up pace with its fruits.
This situation took a sharp U-turn with the arrival of the latest-gen digital tech that completely redefined all facets of our society and put it on a new much-faster-paced track. Education makes another area swept by this digital wave.
Let us take a look then what are the trends that are pushing education in this exciting new direction and what awaits us further down the road.
Easier access to information
Let us start this short discussion by reminding ourselves we are living in the ‘age of information.’ The fact that any person can access virtually any available information with no more than a couple of clicks and that the vast majority of mankind has the ability to do so (63% of the global population has access to the internet) is truly a game changer. The research projects and performing even the most basic background check on some facts once required countless hours. These days, the concerns like these are practically eliminated paving the way for technology to become the most essential factor in education.
A plethora of multimedia materials
When we say we are living in the ‘age of information we have to keep in mind that information doesn’t necessarily have to come in the written form. On the contrary, these days we can present the subjects at hand in the form of video, audio recordings, images, infographics, and even interactive games and make the learning process much more interesting and engaging as a result. What’s even better is that, since the tools for creating such materials are very streamlined and often free to use, the teachers don’t have to rely solely on existing assets but can create teaching materials using their own goals and creativity.
Alternative education options
By this, we mostly refer to online education that has, by now, proved to be capable of serving more students and offering a more individualized, data-backed, and strategic approach to educational methods. It is also important to mention that the offer of available online program management solutions is truly excellent and tailored around improving working leanness so the students have the ability to get the necessary certificates and fill in the knowledge gaps without having to go through the traditional educational technology system. All these perks are very in-tune with the philosophy of workplace mobility and lifelong learning.
Immersive learning experience
The success of learning to a large extent depends on students’ engagement. We have mentioned how the variety of different materials can go a long way in addressing this issue. However, thanks to the technologies like VR and AR, the students are capable of consuming these materials in a completely new and countless times more immersive manner. If we take into consideration that the technologies like IoT can make even the students’ environment alive and interactive we will see that learning can be easily turned into fun and engaging virtual exploration. And all these tools are evolving at a lightning pace.
Gaming as a learning infrastructure
The benefits of VR and IoT, however, don’t have to be strictly limited to virtual exploration and more immersive consumption of educational materials. Namely, numerous studies have shown that using gaming elements in teaching increases students’ participation, motivates them to explore and take risks, and improve the social component of the classes. Also, as we know from apps like Duolingo, using challenges and achievements to motivate users to keep playing is incredibly efficient. So, we can expect to see that gaming, and puzzle solving will become an important part of the education infrastructure.
AI-powered student analytics
Last but not least, we would like to point out that the efficiency of learning can be drastically improved by teachers’ ability to recognize their students’ unique needs, strengths, and weaknesses and, ultimately, tailor the process around these parameters. Thanks to the latest-gen AI and countless assessment tools, this job has never been easier. As a matter of fact, digital tech allows teachers to get to know the students in a much more comprehensive, detailed, and, why not, even intimate manner than ever before. Hard data, personality profiles, and behavior patterns are as important as a personal impression.
So, there you have it – the top six trends that are driving the evolution of educational technology and making sure that educational technology keeps up the pace with the rest of society. All these things are more than vital since whenever education lags behind the rest of the forces shaping the world the students going through the educational system have very low chances of fulfilling their future societal roles. With that in mind, we are happy to report that education has jumped on the digital bandwagon and speeds full steam ahead.
From what we can see now, this direction looks very bright.
