Learning Transformed; Experts on 3 Trends Shaping The Future
By Megan Cho, ETG Staff Writer
In the pre-industrial economy, the goal was to maximize food and resources. In the industrial economy, it was to maximize consumption and profit. Now, in the knowledge economy, it is critical that we maximize human potential — creating the best, most effective versions of ourselves through new technology and pedagogy.
Our success in this new era depends largely on embracing the trends that enhance the way we learn. But what exactly are those trends and how can we best use them to maximize potential?
To get the latest and most relevant insights, we asked a selection of industry experts about the key trends that will transform the learning ecosystem.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning
AI has been a rising force within the tech world and the EdTech sector is no exception. From virtual tutors that can analyze a student’s needs to assistants that can eliminate hours of grading, an effective implementation of AI may revolutionize education processes.
Chris Jennings, Analytics Academy Team Lead at Google Analytics, sees it as promising in future classrooms:
“While personalization has always seemed to be on the horizon, machine learning may actually make it a reality, providing customized learning experiences based on individual preferences, goals, life situations, and other valuable user signals. This will rewrite many of the ways we interact with technology and provide much more human-seeming artificial intelligence. Our children may be learning with artificial agents and assistants that can answer all their questions or suggest new ways of looking at problems. The future may finally be here.”
Tommie Lo, Founder and CEO at Preface Holdings Limited sees AI as the key to student-centric learning.
“[With the assistance of Artificial Intelligence], the method of learning will be much more intelligent and efficient, transforming the classroom mass teaching approach to a learner-centred approach.”
2. Virtual Reality (VR)
Within the highly versatile realm of virtual reality, we have only begun to scratch the surface. As VR has proven its potential in multiple industries, the edtech sector is continuing to find new, innovative ways to transform learning, both inside and outside the classroom.
Milena Popova, Business Development Manager at Europeana states that:
“[Virtual and mixed reality technologies] have the capacity to create powerful immersive experiences and bring novelty in the way knowledge is gained — faster, without the constraints of time, geography and even physical touch, and all this in an authentic way.”
Giuseppe Fantigrossi, CEO of Play2Speak has grand visions of transforming various aspects of learning:
“Using VR allows us to go to places current technology is not doing very well. This is not only meant for language learning, but education in general: Want to know more about Einstein’s theory of relativity? Well, we will recreate Einstein and bring you back in time to have a full conversation with him!”
3. Non-traditional Education and The Democratization of Learning Resources
Learning used to take place only within the classroom, but with the development of MOOCs, coworking spaces, alternative education, and lifelong learning platforms, the definition of what it means to be a student is continually evolving. The coming years will only increase the amount of resources and alternative paths available, making learning accessible to anyone, anywhere.
Helen Scott, Head of Chemistry at William Perkin CofE High School, sees this ‘breakdown of classroom walls’ as having a large impact on the perception of learning itself:
“Flexible working, and therefore flexible learning, can have a huge impact on how we learn both in terms of where and when, and what we are learning. A large proportion of young people see learning as something done in a classroom or at a desk, rather than a process which can be carried out anywhere. I think that the flexibility in working and learning will therefore have a big impact on what is seen as ‘learning’ and ‘not learning’ time.”
Jan van der Crabben, CEO at Ancient History Encyclopedia, predicts an exponential rise in learning accessibility across the globe, following the success of prominent education technology platforms:
“I believe that we’re going to see an increasing shift to free resources. In several countries around the world we have already seen a decreasing reliance on printed textbooks, and I think that the next step will be that we will encounter the freemium business model (where the content or tool is free and you pay for optional add-ons) more frequently in educational tools and content providers. Prominent examples of this trend are Duolingo, Coursera or Newsela.
Making access to educational tools free helps democratise learning. When a student in the United States has access to the same content and tools as a student in India, we’re helping people across the globe to achieve a deeper level of learning. It also means that lifelong learners have access to the same resources as students in school and university, making it easier to access great learning tools and content.”
As we enter the era of the knowledge economy, driven by the wave of next-generation technological advances, we should not passively acknowledge, but rather proactively engage, with the trends shaping our future. From AI and VR to dramatic changes in learning models, these transformative shifts offer a crossroad between alienation and liberation of human value — it is up to us to choose which.
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