The way of teaching has changed a lot over the years. Internet, computers and tablets have won over the enormous pile of textbooks, pens and pencils. And Miro, Socrative and Kahoot! have become indispensable in the classroom. It makes lessons a lot more fun and attractive. And it motivates pupils to actively engage with the subject matter.
Today's kids are entering the most advanced world ever! Why? Because in this world, everything is getting more and more digitised. From primary and secondary education to universities. In this world, it’s all about learning and experimenting. Education is becoming more and more flexible and informal. And there's no longer a one-size-fits-all approach. But which trends will play a decisive role in education in the coming years?
These trends in education are worth keeping an eye on
1. Distance education
Education has outgrown the traditional classroom. Because of the pandemic, schools were launched from 2020 to 2030 in just a few days. And whether you were a beginner or somewhat more advanced, it was the only way to keep education going. The flexibility, creativity and commitment of every one was impressive.
Distance education and online learning are expected to grow significantly. According to Forbes, about 15% per year! It offers young people the opportunity to learn certain subjects and skills that they do not have in their curriculum.
2. Lifelong learning
Today's education has been designed for a completely different world. The world of the past. The world of our grandparents. Here, young people were expected to choose one subject, one job. But ‘a job for life’ is now a thing of the past. Because of the bizarre speed of technological developments, certain skills can quickly become outdated. Lifelong learning is therefore not a bad idea at all.
3. Extended Reality (XR)
Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) fall under the term Extended Reality. These technologies will quickly find their place within education in the coming years. Various studies have already shown that the learning opportunities are much more fun, exciting and effective with the previously mentioned technologies. Imagine a history lesson. Young people can now absorb so much more material and information. They can literally (almost) wander around the pyramids in Egypt.
4. Artificial Intelligence in the classroom
We may not realise it, but we all use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our daily lives. How about the automatic spell check on your phone? Or speech and text recognition? And self-driving cars? These are all applications of AI.
AI is also used in education. And this will only increase in the coming years. In education, AI is used, for example, to map out the learning process of a student. It makes analyses and predictions. It can give feedback and show where a student might need extra guidance. In this way, teachers have a better understanding of the learning process and the development of their class.
5. Micro- and nano-leaning
Distance education and lifelong learning won’t disappear any time soon. What did disappear in recent years? The attention span of young people and young adults. Two to three years ago, the attention span was estimated at around 18 to 20 minutes. Now it’s less than 10 minutes! 🤯
But the world is flexible and likes a challenge. Micro- and nano-learning have emerged from this trend. Learning new things must now be delivered in bite-sized packages.
Micro-learning delivers information (often in a simple way) within 15 minutes with specific learning objectives. Nano-learning is a compact form of micro-learning. Small pieces of knowledge are transferred within 2 to 3 minutes. It’s often used to teach one specific skill within the learning objective of the micro-learning. Now, we see a lot of micro and nano-learning in higher education and in the business world. But in primary and secondary education, it will find its place soon.
Prepared for the future
The changes of recent years have been enormous. But certainly not without opportunities. Education must grow along with the coming trends and developments. And young people need to be well prepared for the future. The digital adventure does require a certain amount of effort, not only from educational institutions but also from management, teachers and students. After all, digital education does not work if you just do it a little bit. But where to start?
In a world where everything is getting more and more digitised, a touchscreen is indispensable. It makes learning and teaching even more fun. It increases interaction with your students, and the lessons in the classroom really come to life!