Top 10 Current Educational Technology Trends In 2020/2021

 eLearning. ...
 Video-Assisted Learning. ...
 Blockchain Technology. ...
 Big Data Will Get Bigger. ...
 Artificial Intelligence (AI) ...
 Learning Analytics. ...
 Gamification. ...
 Immersive Learning With VR And AR.

In order to prepare future graduates for work, universities must align

their teaching and processes with technological advancements.  

In the new millennium, technology began to infiltrate the education process,

and both students and teachers started to utilize technology in basic ways
(otherwise known as Education 2.0). 

As this technology advanced, including the mass infiltration of a more user-

generated internet, Education 3.0 was formed.  

Students now had their own access to information, the option to learn virtually,
and platforms to easily connect with faculty and other students. 

Education was no longer centered upon a back and forth between

students and teachers, but instead took on a more networked approach, with
students having their own direct connection to a variety of different information
sources. 

This encouraged the development of a more personalized way of

learning where the student’s independence and unique approach to study was
celebrated. 

However, we’re now on the cusp of a new phase; Education 4.0.  

What is Education 4.0? 

Education 4.0 is a desired approach to learning that aligns itself with the
emerging fourth industrial revolution.  

This industrial revolution focuses on smart technology, artificial intelligence,

and robotics; all of which now impact our everyday lives.  
For universities to continue to produce successful graduates, they
must prepare their students for a world where these cyber-physical systems
are prevalent across all industries. 

This means teaching students about this technology as part of the curriculum,
changing the approach to learning altogether, and utilizing this technology to
better improve the university experience. 

Preparing students for evolving industries  

Cyber-physical systems are steadily becoming more integrated into various

industries, inevitably affecting the skills requirements for employees.  

Research by McKinsey Digital revealed that due to the fourth industrial

revolution 60% of all occupations could potentially have at least a third of their
activities automated. 

The topic of how artificial intelligence might affect jobs in the future was

explored in our previous blog: How will Artificial Intelligence Influence the
Global Higher Education Sector? 

However, there is much more to consider than the potential disruption to

the hard skills required for various job roles.  

The fourth industrial revolution will also impact the soft skills that students will

need in the future. 

In 2016, the World Economic Forum produced a report exploring these

changes. They predicted that by 2020, “more than a third of the desired core
skill sets of most occupations will be comprised of skills that are not yet
considered crucial to the job today.” 

Some of the soft skills they claim will soon become indispensable include
complex problem solving, social skills, and process skills. 

Technology also allows us to be constantly connected, and as a

result, job roles are steadily becoming more flexible and adaptable.  

Education 4.0 is about evolving with the times, and for higher education
institutions, this means understanding what is required of their future
graduates.  

A new approach to learning  

By aligning teaching and learning methods with the skills needed in the future,
universities can be sure they are successfully preparing their students for
the fourth industrial revolution. 

One method of doing so is by encouraging accelerated remote learning, which

is the idea that students will learn theoretical knowledge remotely using digital
means, whilst ensuring any practical skills are still learnt face-to-face.  

This is a more flexible way of learning that requires accountability and good
time management; skills that will be relied on due to the rise in the freelance
economy. 

The move towards this way of working will also require students to learn how
to adapt quickly to new situations they may face in their evolving careers.  

Project-based learning highlights the importance of studying a wide set of

skills that can then be applied to each scenario, as opposed to sticking to a
set of skills directly linked to a specific job role.  

Learning practices such as SCALE-UP are increasing in popularity, with

institutions such as North Carolina State University utilizing the practice.  

A SCALE-UP way of learning has students sit at round tables scattered

across the room, allowing the teacher to freely walk through the space and
approach students if necessary.  

With this way of learning students are also “working out problems on laptops
and whiteboards, answering real-time quiz questions, and helping each other
learn.” 

The approach to exams and assessments will also change, moving away from
the traditional method of absorbing and relaying a vast amount of information;
skills not as necessary in the future.  

We may see students assessed instead “by analyzing their learning journey

through practical and experiential learning-based projects or field works.” 

Of course, the biggest change we are likely to see as part of Education 4.0 is

a deeper fusion of technology into the teaching process.  

The ultimate purpose of utilizing this technology and adopting new

methods is to place students at the center of the education process, “shifting
the focus from teaching to learning.” 
Adapting to new realities  

Higher education institutions are moving towards a more personalized way of

learning.  

By utilizing data and tracking student performance, universities will be able

to identify struggling students and provide optimized learning strategies to suit
their needs.  

The various ways data is being used by universities is explored in more detail
in our white paper: Your A-Z Guide to Data in Higher Education. 

Education 4.0 embraces this advance in analytics and uses it to treat each
student as an individual, understanding that everyone’s learning needs and
desired outcomes will be different. 

There have also been talks of entirely customizable degrees, whereby a

student doesn’t have to pick just one or two subjects to study, but
instead can select modules from multiple programs.  

There are some, however, who aren’t yet convinced by this approach

and view this move away from the traditional degree
structure as problematic.  

For example, Oxford Professor of Higher

Education, Simon Marginson, believes that, “as long as they retain fixed
curricula, flexibility makes other institutions look of lower quality.” 

Yet the new approach to program structure is likely to create more versatile,
well-rounded students who can adapt themselves to various career options;
something that will be extremely valuable in the future.  

Regardless, in order to produce graduates who are prepared to take on the

future state of employment, universities must evolve, and accept that changes
to some traditional processes are inevitable. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Educational Technology Trends In 2020-2021

Big Data, Machine Learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT) were the

biggest educational technology trends of 2019. However, distance

learning has become the one trend that rules them all. The COVID-19

pandemic has drastically changed the way we teach and learn. Students

now have to get used to distance learning via digital platforms due to

social distancing. Even though some schools are reopening, this trend

may continue until 2021. The latest EdTech trends in 2020, and further

into 2021 are being revolutionized with a strong focus on connectivity,

versatility, and student-centered learning. Let’s take a look at the latest

top 10 trends in educational technology.

What Is Educational Technology And Why Should It Matter?

Many people can recognize that EdTech is devoting technology to

promote education. It’s true, but not sufficient. The Association for

Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) has defined

EdTech as “facilitating learning and improving performance by creating,

using, and managing appropriate technological processes and

resources.” On the other hand, educators who actually use EdTech have

a much simpler definition of the term. They say that it is a concept of

transforming traditional book teaching and learning to digital form. For

them, the main difference lies in the way knowledge is delivered (thanks

to technology innovation) to make teaching more effective.

In short, EdTech is simply the is a process of integrating technology into

education to build better teaching/learning experiences that result in

higher learning outcomes.

For example, several hospitals are training their new nurses with online

safety courses by using animation.

Why Should It Matter?

There are lots of reasons why educators shifted to EdTech, replacing the

traditional paper-and-pen teaching method. Particularly, we list some

common advantages of EdTech that you can easily see here:

Innovative Teaching Methods

Technology is an innovation of humans, so when an educator can apply

technology to teaching, it is also innovative. EdTech allows teachers to

provide multimedia to address diverse learning styles, such as

animation, live video, etc. Besides, EdTech enables teachers to create

online courses where students can learn in their own space and at their

own pace.
Improve Collaborative Teaching

Technology has made it possible for everyone to stay connected.

Students and teachers connect, discuss, share their opinions, and act

upon situations collaboratively.

For example, eLearning is an educational tool that features collaboration

by enabling students to share and discuss. Instead of being in a

classroom and listening to teachers speak for 30 minutes, eLearning

students can join an online group/platform and learn together by

interacting with their peers. In this case, teachers are more accessible

and act as mentors to help students develop themselves. This

collaborative learning approach has bridged the gap between teachers

and students and also helps students strengthen their interpersonal

skills.

Teaching And Learning Process

Firstly, EdTech benefits how teachers teach, both online and offline. Not

always having to go to a specific class at a specific time, students can

learn whenever and wherever. Secondly, EdTech changes the way

students approach learning. EdTech makes learning more fun and

exciting for students. When we feel engaged in learning, we learn better,

remember better, and also apply knowledge better to real life. Lastly,

technology makes education smarter, more effective, thus, satisfying

learners’ needs more. True educators bring valuable knowledge to

learners, both in theory and in real life. But smart educators are those

who can create teaching from what learners want to learn.

To sum up, EdTech doesn’t mean teachers have to become IT experts.

But it’s true that teachers can do these fascinating things only with

technology, and that’s why we need EdTech in life.

Top 10 Current Educational Technology Trends In 2020/2021

If you are an innovative educator, following the trends in education is

probably not something new but rather essential. Even with this list,

however, it is still up to you to choose the most suitable "trendy" aid for

your teaching and training. Here we select the 10 latest educational

technology trends that are must-know when diving into this industry.

1. eLearning

Distance learning became the top 2020 educational technology trend

overnight because of the rapid spread of COVID-19 and school closures.

This led to a rising demand for online educational platforms. eLearning

is education or training delivered electronically. It can be slide-based

online activities, or it can also be an online course that helps a business

train employees in necessary skills.

With eLearning, educational content is delivered to learners through

computers, laptops, tablets, or smartphones. Not only saving time but

opening many doors for interactive learning. Rather than being in a

passive experience, learners can choose what they need to learn quickly

and easily, wherever they are. They also learn through interacting

directly with on-screen information through, for instance, dragging

content from one place to the next. Moreover, the decision-making

scenarios in eLearning also encourage learners to make their own

choices on what they will learn next.

In eLearning, learners just soak in knowledge through reading or

viewing content, it changes the way education is delivered. Also, many

eLearning courses include animation, podcasts, and videos that create a

multimodal and practical learning experience.

The last point is, although eLearning has been around for a long time, it

is staying green and continuously developing. Educators are using the

advantages of technology to make learning more effective. That’s why

more and more online and blended learning courses are produced

nowadays.

Variety is the outstanding feature of online learning platforms. You can

teach your students in real time (synchronous) via live stream or group

meetings using Zoom or Microsoft Teams, or you can use recorded

(asynchronous) methodologies with a wide range of media and digital

functions available to enrich lessons. A good online learning platform

can also be combined with a Learning Management System (LMS) so

you can keep track of your students’ learning outcomes.

2. Video-Assisted Learning

In recent years, video-assisted learning has become more and more

popular as classroom displays. The “video day” is no longer a television

on a trolley being wheeled into a class. With the internet and digital

devices, every day can be a “video day.”

This trend is also booming in distance learning conditions, which

students learn through computer screens. Videos, especially animated

videos, are extremely beneficial to enrich lessons and make content

comprehensible. It improves students’ outcomes and reduces teachers’

workload.
3. Blockchain Technology

The Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) from blockchain brings so

many benefits to education, especially data storage. Every time new

data is added, it adds another “block” to the system, so the storage is

technically limitless. Simultaneously, the data will be encrypted and

distributed across multiple computers in the system. It makes

transacting data decentralized and transparent.

Blockchain technology is used in Massive Open Online Courses

(MOOCs) and ePortfolios to verify skills and knowledge. The DLT

systems will answer the problems of authentication, scale, and cost for

eLearning agencies. Moreover, it can help student applicants publish

their accomplishments during the job-seeking phase.

4. Big Data Will Get Bigger

To cater to learners’ needs, the learning experience needs to be

personalized. And with COVID-19 and online learning booming, we now

have bigger data than ever before. Instructional Designers have relevant

information about learners’ experiences to customize and present the

course in a suitable format. Some information you should look for is the
course’s topic, learner enrollment, learner performance (time per course,

completion, test result), and learner feedback (rating, survey).

5. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI now is the "in thing" in the US EdTech market. People have predicted

that through 2021, AI could become the primary trend and grow by

more than 45%. So why is the trend booming in one of the world’s

largest markets for EdTech? First and foremost, AI can automate basic

activities in education, like grading. It’s now possible for teachers to

automate grading of the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions.

Thus, automated grading of students’ writing may not be far behind.

Furthermore, both learners and educators could benefit from AI. For

example, students could get help from AI tutors when teachers are too

busy to take care of everyone. Also, AI-driven programs can give both

learners and educators helpful feedback. That’s why some schools use

AI systems to monitor student progress and to alert teachers when

there might be an issue with students’ performances. Therefore, it’s not

too far fetched that AI is a powerful assistant for in-class teaching.

Meanwhile, why don’t you help your learners get more out of the

educational experience via AI?

6. Learning Analytics

The current landscape of learning analytics has dramatically expanded,

especially for higher education. Learning analytics allows educators to

measure and report student learning just by the web. From that, it’s

possible for them to better understand and optimize learning.

When teachers read insights from students’ learning processes, they can

improve the knowledge and skill acquisition of their students

accordingly. For instance, teachers are able to see what type of

information (text, images, infographics, or videos) that students enjoy

most and use it more in their following lessons. Also, teachers are able

to notice what pieces of knowledge weren’t effectively delivered and

enhance them next time. Moreover, learning analytics helps educators

identify blocks of students who may have academic or behavioral

challenges. From that, teachers could develop a way to help students

reach their full potential.

7. Gamification

If you are looking for a way to turn learning into a more fun and

engaging process, gamification is the most suitable educational

technology trend. There is no reason for students not to be actively

involved in classroom games. Students can learn and practice while they

are joining in on exciting game activities. Gaming elements help create a

funny and positive learning environment for learners.

The adoption of gamification is most popular in the K-12 education

sector. It’s because kids are quickly engaged in gaming videos or

getting higher scores in a game. However, it doesn’t mean that higher

education or corporate training doesn't need fun elements to improve

the engagement level of learners.

8. Immersive Learning With VR And AR

The class learning experience has undergone a tremendous change

since Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) came to

education. The rise in demand for experiential learning pushes forward

the development of learning with VR and AR.

Learning has become much more interactive than traditional methods.

While VR provides a constructed reality, AR gives an enhanced view of a

real image. Thus, they help explain complex concepts that plain images

or even a lab’s hands-on experiments couldn’t show students. For

example, VR is pretty helpful when you are attending a medical training

course. In detail, VR creates a chance for students to experience real-

world surgeries in a low-risk environment.

9. STEAM

STEAM-based programs are the new EdTech improvement over the

STEM programs. This new trend of EdTech applies meaningful Science,

Technology, Engineering, Art (the new element), and Math content to

solve real-world problems through hands-on learning activities and

creative design.

Concerning the advantages of STEAM, the first thing is that it helps

students become increasingly curious about the world around them.

Moreover, it also creates a safe environment for the learners to express

and experience their ideas while thinking outside the box. The comfort

of hands-on learning also helps students collaborate better with others.

10. Social Media In Learning

Have you ever thought that social media would be a part of the learning

process? When every student, both young and mature, spends so much

time on social media, why don’t we turn it into a powerful tool to

enhance learning?
It’s how the idea to use social media for teaching came about. Many

educational institutes have started using social media as a

communication tool in which students can interact with others easily.

Students can share study materials, discuss with others in a group, or

easily comment on someone else’s post. Even an animated learning

video could go viral on social media. And TedEd is the typical example

of this trend! This organization creates lessons worth sharing and posts

them on YouTube where people can easily access, find, and share the

educational videos with their friends.

Social media is here to stay and build a culture of collaboration and

sharing, leading to an improved learning experience.

Conclusion

In the end, we know that there is a lot to digest when we talk about

educational technology trends. However, keep in mind that technology

has seeped into education and renewed its whole teaching and learning

process. Especially eLearning, an educational tool that not only increases

the accessibility and convenience of education but also changes the

learning behaviors and learners’ desires for learning.

But here is good news, you don’t need to go alone on this EdTech ship

because you have us who will join you in bringing forth the true value of

learning, inspiring learners, and making education more relevant and

empowering.

[Link]

[Link]