Editors Note: An article from Alex R to The Prepper Journal. The 21st century is bringing significant change to how we both educate and how we comprehend and absorb data. A brave new world where not everything is a positive, we as preppers must be prepared for the changes and what they mean to ourselves, our families and even our survival.
What will education be like in the future? This question is quite common and while it is not known how education will be in the future, there are a few logical projections one can make based on the changing trends to date. These point towards a future that will bring new and better learning schemes to students while distancing the process from humanity. The expectation is that students will have better learning environments and learn at their comfort. Learning will happen regardless of distance to school or the presence of the physical structures. According to experts from CustomEssay, below are some of the future trends in education.
Back to Basics
While tried and true methods will always be a cornerstone of education, a resurgence of things like homeschooling as an alternative to the traditional education system is also gaining in popularity. Its main advantage is one of the advantages of cloud-based education, discussed below. Learning is at the students level, not the classes level. It can easily be slowed or accelerated as required to keep the student engaged. The parents own the responsibility of what is taught and others politics and political agendas are left outside of the classroom, what a concept. In reading below you will see that the trend towards individual paced learning flows through most of the future trends of education.
Cloud-based Education
Cloud-based education, is an idea that inspires long-distance learning as well as on-line studying. While, at its most basic level, the cloud is, after all, just another computer somewhere in a server-farm, its implementation of services is its advantage.
Cloud computing, which appears to have taken the world by storm has been influencing developments in many fields,, education included. It influences how companies and other institutions work based on its financial footprint. Renting virtual space on a server farm is less costly than purchasing, installing, managing and support another server PLUS it take advantage of Software as a Service (SaaS).
When it comes to schools, cloud-based education makes it possible for schools to access a wide variety of educational resources, as well as software, which makes it possible for the school to save on space, installation charges, and new hardware. When schools have libraries on-line and e-books accessible over the internet, it becomes easier for them to conduct on-line learning. Cloud-based education will indeed revolutionize the world of education and, in time, help to significantly reduce the need to attend a physical school. However, when it comes to the sciences and the laboratory work associated with them, well, the jury is still out. And then what about the arts? Painting, sculpture, music, drama? On-line school is a great step forward but not a complete step away from traditional education.
Personalized Learning Agorithms
Personalized learning algorithms are a good representation of future education technology. Every student behaves in a different manner and these differences in behavior affect their learning experiences. Learning systems are essential in the education setup because they will help to detect the learning experiences and behaviors of students. Having this information is beneficial to teachers and schools and will help them ensure that the application of the best teaching methods is possible. Learning will be tailored towards the special needs of the students and this means that teachers will be able to get the best out of them. With such education trends, it remains to be seen as to how much impact these new approaches will help.
Changes in the Culture of Innovation
When learning improves, other aspects of the world will improve as well. Today, people are working hard to ensure that they are ahead in the world and innovation is taking a different turn. Teachers are emphasizing the importance of independence and creativity. Innovation is the answer today and it is crucial that students understand how they can improve themselves and adapt to the world. In the years to come, technology will change education in different ways. Instead of working towards employment, students will be working towards becoming self-employed or creating more jobs. The world will become a better place when students start focusing on innovation.
Virtual Reality and the Immersive Learning Experience
Virtual reality took the world by storm in 2016 as institutions like Google and Samsung took charge of the narrative. Virtual reality is a clear representation of how technology will change education in the coming years. Today, the refining of the gaming world has sent a clear picture to other aspects like education of the potential impact VR can have. In schools, maybe sciences can be fun with VR. Students could see the effect of certain chemicals without coming into direct contact with them. In other instances, schools can also invest in 3D and 4D rooms to help make subjects like the art more appealing to students.
Editors Note: While a big fan of VR as a teaching tool, especially in getting children to enjoy learning, the jury on this one is definitely still out. In chemistry the physical smells, textures and feel of the items involved is every bit as important as the digitized results. Art, viewed as a video game is not art viewed. Viewing the real last supper is inspired as much by its present physical condition, the heat and dampness of the room, the smells and the structure of the building, as by any image. Anyone who has seen a Rembrandt painting and looked into the eyes, seen the brushstrokes, the texture of the canvas, knows this.
Students Database and Results Tracking
Well, data is essential to help build a student’s profile and to track the results of a student. With new and improved future technology trends, one can only assume that even the education sector will improve. Data is crucial when it comes to tracking a student’s results. The creation of a student database will mean that the collection of data specific to a student will be possible. Once this data is in the hands of the database manager, it will be easier to build a profile for the student who will track their results. Parents will also have an easier time when they are tracking the performance of their children.
Changes in the Role of Student Assessment
As technology continues to grow, it becomes easier to collect data sets applicable to students and their learning methods. Collection and compilation of data sets will continue to improve and make it easier for teachers to record the progress of students. Today, and future education trends will make it easier for schools to collect more concise data on all students and to simplify the assessment of students. The data collected will be made available to students as well and this will act as a challenge to them. It will be easier for students to gain control of their lives and to be independent in the way they approach things.
Class will be Available on-line via YouTube or Google Hangouts
This one scares me. Think YouTube or Google Hangouts whenever you ask yourself or encounter the question how will education change in the future. Think the politics of the “Masters of the Universe” technology guru’s who run these companies, who suppress free speech because it fits their agenda. And note that the lines between Republicans and Democrats on this are blurred, sometimes non-existent. Will there be a hands-off fairness approach to these tools. Lessons learned to date from these companies does not bode well for the future.
Today, parents and teachers alike are putting a lot of emphasis on classes being the physical structure and not the learning that happens inside. However, in the future, the physical structures will not be as important as they are today. Learning will happen everywhere. Students will learn from the comfort of their homes, as they are vacationing with their families, and while on road trips. The use of YouTube and Google Hangouts will grow in the education sector as teachers and students are trying to bridge the gap between them.
LCD Touch Boards
Companies like Hitachi, Mimio, and Panasonic are working hard to make sure new physical tools such as LCD touch boards are accessible to schools. These boards are like computer screens and one can do a lot with one. For example, students can collaborate on projects and work together on ideas. By working together, students can learn the aspects and importance of teamwork, of debate over ideas and collaboration.
Improved Data and Analytics
As technology advances, things like data analysis and analytics become easier, faster. Today, students’ weekly reports are accessible on-line in a lot of schools and coming in the future to all parents, making progress easy to access and address more quickly. Currently, there are many devices which can monitor a person’s activity and having these factored into the learning environment is advantageous. Even advances in facial recognition technology will be factored into the future learning process.
Conclusion
In conclusion, education will indeed take a different turn and will employ different tactics in the spirit of ensuring that learning happens efficiently. It remains to be seen what set of technologies schools will introduce in the future but this article provides you with a glimpse of what to expect. As the trends change, so will everything else including the assessment process as well as the kind of data schools will collect.
Be aware of how the world is changing around you.
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