What's next? What does the future hold for education?

The field of education is one that is continuously evolving, growing, changing, moving forward etc.,... Bottom line: It is very dynamic! When looking ahead to the future of education, we should continue to expect change. This is one of the things I love about my future career! I love learning new things and know that I will always be challenged to learn and grow as an educator in this field. I could not be more excited about the knowledge I will obtain in my teaching years and pass on to my students.

Education has been a dynamic field before the introduction of technology in the classroom. However, technology has expanded education and created a great deal of change in the classroom in a short period of time.  Allow me to use my K-12 education as an example. When I first started school, teachers used blackboards, then upgraded to white boards, and now it is rare to find a classroom that does not have an interactive Smart Board.  I should also mention that there was no access to computers in my early years classroom, which then gave way to having a few of the huge dinosaur (and very slow) computers in my middle years classroom (which we used for the sole purpose of improving our typing skills). Flash forward to classrooms today and you will find IPads, IPhones, IPods, netbooks and laptops available for students use. Does anyone else remember those awful overhead projection machines that were impossible to see around, or the sound of the TV stand wheels coming down the hallway to enter your class so you could watch a video? I’m not sad at all that those days are gone. 

It is clear that with technology education has already come very far. But what is next? What does the future hold for education? After reading the K-12 Horizon Report, I think it is safe to say that emerging technologies will continue to have a great impact on the education field. So what can we expect for the future? The K-12 Horizon Report names 6 technologies to watch for.

The first is Cloud Computing: “The emergence of very large “data farms” — specialized data centers that host thousands of servers — has created a surplus of computing resources that has come to be called the cloud. Growing out of research in grid computing, cloud computing transforms once-expensive resources like disk storage and processing cycles into a readily available, cheap commodity. Development platforms layered onto the cloud infrastructure enable thin client, web-based applications for image editing, word processing, social networking, and media creation” (Johnson, L.,Adams,S.,and Haywood,K., p.10).

The second is Mobiles. “It is no arbitrary decision that the statistical point of comparison is between new lives and mobiles; the next generation of students will inevitably be armed with smarter mobiles at younger ages. Perhaps even more important for education is that Gartner Research projects Internet-capable mobile devices will outnumber PCs by 2013. In Japan, over 75% of Internet users already use a mobile as their first choice for access. This shift in the means of connecting to the Internet is being enabled by the convergence of three trends: the growing number of Internet-capable mobile devices, increasingly flexible web content, and continued development of the networks that support connectivity” (Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K., p. 14).

The third is Game-Based Learning. “Developers and researchers are working in every area of game-based learning, including games that are goal-oriented; social game environments; non-digital games that are easy to construct and play; games developed expressly for education; and commercial games that lend themselves to refining team and group skills. Role-playing, collaborative problem solving, and other forms of simulated experiences are recognized for having broad applicability across a wide range of disciplines” (Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K., p. 18).

The fourth is Open Content. “The movement toward open content reflects a growing shift in the way academics in many parts of the world are conceptualizing education to a view that is more about the process of learning than the information conveyed in their courses. Information is everywhere; the challenge is to make effective use of it. Open content embraces not only the sharing of information, but the sharing of instructional practice and experiences as well. Part of the appeal of open content is that it is also a response to both the rising costs of traditionally published resources and the lack of educational resources in some regions. It presents a cost-effective alternative to textbooks and other materials” (Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K., p.22).

The fifth is Learning Analytics. “Learning analytics refers to the interpretation of a wide range of data produced by and gathered on behalf of students in order to assess academic progress, predict future performance, and spot potential issues. Data are collected from explicit student actions, such as completing assignments and taking exams, and from tacit actions, including online social interactions, extracurricular activities, posts on discussion forums, and other activities that are not directly assessed as part of the student’s educational progress. The goal of learning analytics is to enable teachers and schools to tailor educational opportunities to each student’s level of need and ability. Learning analytics promises to harness the power of advances in data mining, interpretation, and modeling to improve understandings of teaching and learning, and to tailor education to individual students more effectively” (Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K., p. 26).

The sixth is Personal Learning Environments. “Personal learning environments (PLEs) are often described as systems for enabling self-directed and group-based learning, designed around each user’s goals, with great capacity for flexibility and customization. PLEs are conceived as drawing on a variety of discrete tools, chosen by the learner, which can be connected or used in concert in a transparent way. While the concept of PLEs is still quite fluid, it does seem to be clear that a PLE is not simply a technology but an approach or process that is individualized by design, and thus different from person to person”(Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K., p. 30).

These six technologies to watch for are listed in order of expected chronological emergence. Some schools are already embracing cloud computing and mobiles. Schools are moving in the direction of having a “Bring your own device,” policy for their classrooms. I found reading the K-12 Horizon Report to be very beneficial. The more knowledge you have about upcoming changes, the more you can prepare yourself to be ready for them. If you are interested in reading this report and learning more about these six emerging technologies and the future of education, you can find it here: K-12 Horizon Report. Happy Reading! ~T

Johnson, L.,Adams,S.,andHaywood,K.,(2011).TheNMC Horizon Report: 2011 K-12 Edition.Austin,Texas:TheNew MediaConsortium.