The world is now realizing how important technology is in education and life in general. Technology is what allowed the world to keep going and learning institutions that already had a solid online education program were able to stay afloat during times of disruption. There are many ways that technology has transformed and will continue to transform the world of education in the future and change what it means to be a student and a teacher. Let’s take a look at a few ways technology is transforming the world of education.
Remote Education and Formation
Remote education is not only revolutionizing how classes are taught but how teachers are formed as well. Education is one of those fields that is perfectly suited for remote learning, and we will also need more teachers who can master remote learning and the challenges it poses.
Many schools had to improvise their remote learning programs and teachers had to learn on the fly. There will be a need for teachers and administrators that understand the true differences between each format.
They will have to be able to find ways to accommodate all students, even those who may not be as technologically inclined, or those coming from difficult households. They will also have to make sure that they’re engaged and are able to adapt learning, material, and curriculum, depending on different learning styles.
This is why those with a formation on distance learning will be privileged and will be in great demand. What makes online programs so attractive to working teachers is that it allows them to add some feathers to their cap without leaving their position. A teacher who’d like to be better equipped to teach online classes or simply be more well-rounded could find an MA education distance learning program from Exeter University and get their formation while working. This opens the door to so many opportunities and could increase the number of teachers with advanced credentials in the future.
Gamification and Game-Based Learning
Educators have realized that some students perform better when being taught through a gaming format. This is why we’re seeing more gamification and game-based learning in curriculums and material as well.
Some schools are introducing games as a way for advanced students to keep furthering their skills on their own while they teach other students who may be falling behind. This allows teachers to be more efficient and attend to those who are the most in need while advanced students avoid stagnation.
Game-based learning has been shown to increase engagement in students. Gamification, on the other hand, is when principles that are found in games are integrated into conventional learning activities. It could be in the form of a leader board with scores for students who reach certain objectives, for instance. Students may be able to reach “levels” when completing certain assignments or mastering new concepts. Or badges could be given for exceptional work or behavior. The possibilities in this field are endless.
AI and Machine Learning
There is also a lot of potential for AI and machine learning in education. The US Navy introduced an AI-powered tutoring system that was introduced in an entry-level IT program in a school in California. The one-on-one tutoring program oversees the progress of students, gives personalized advice, and personalized tests and assessments among other things.
According to their data, students who used this program were able to significantly improve their results. Not only that, but those who used the program recorded higher results than students that didn’t. This could give us a glimpse into the classroom of the future.
We could see a time where the classroom will be filled with students each with individualized programs tailor-made to complement their skills and learning styles. Each would have a personal tutor guiding them through their program and assessing their programs in real-time without any need for outside assistance. Teachers could become more like administrators than active teachers and could also focus on students that prefer the direct and personal approach of traditional learning.
Collaborative Tools
Most of the advancements that were made in education would be impossible without advanced collaborative tools. Students can now collaborate no matter where they are, whether it’s in the city or halfway across the globe. This greatly facilitates the exchange of information and allows students to work on joint projects in real-time.
AR and VR
Augmented and virtual reality in education are still in their infancy, but the technology could have great applications in learning. Virtual reality can be used to teach real-life scenarios and make distance learning more efficient. This could mean less need for lab work for people working in fields such as bioscience, healthcare, or engineering, for instance.
Engineering is one of the fields where AR and VR are being used the most at the moment. Fields like architecture are also using technology to help students see the implication of different design choices in real life. Civil engineering is using VR and AR to help create projects that would be viable and see how they would react to different environmental conditions.
Another field where AR and VR technology could make a world of difference in policing. Virtual reality could be used in bias training and teach police officers how to react in crises. It could also allow them to respond to threats better, improve their reaction times, and improve their defensive driving skills as well.
One police department in Ontario, Canada has started using VR to train its officers on how to intervene in people dealing with mental illness. An alarming number of violent incidents during interventions involves mental illness, and this initiative could greatly reduce the chances of these incidents occurring. Virtual and augmented reality could also be used in things such as bomb defusing, and hostage or standoff scenarios, among others.
Technology is essential to education, and the field has done a lot to integrate new technologies to give students a better experience. It’s also what allows it to continue thriving even when amid global disruption.
Image by Hatice EROL from Pixabay
