In the last two decades, there has been a lot of emphasis on digital literacy and digital citizenship. This is because the world has reached the digital revolution and every industry is being influenced by technological innovations. The education industry isn’t left out of the party. Schools are starting to view tech innovations as the pathways to a better education system for students. Some tech tools are already taking the lead in this revolution and they are going to become more useful in the years to come. These are three tech innovations taking the lead:
Gaming and Education (Gamification)
The edtech industry has finally found a way to make gaming a key instrument in education. Since gaming is popular among young learners, gamification allows them to learn useful and practical things. When the trend was about to start many years ago, many people opposed it claiming that games weren’t ideal instruments for dispensing school work. Now, this tech is gaining ground and it is only going to become more popular in the next few years.
By using games to instruct students, educators take away almost all the anxiety and pressure that typically comes with learning difficult subjects. It motivates students and teaches them to explore rather than memorize topics. Some popular gamification tools are Kahoot, Habitica/Habit, Do It Now, SuperBetter and EpicWin.
Virtual Reality and Learning
Virtual reality is one of the few emerging technologies that is going to change the world. Across industries, this technology is already making waves and it is going to increase in popularity as time passes. Thanks to virtual reality, students can enjoy an immersive experience while learning an otherwise boring subject or something difficult to explain. For example, Star Tracker, Star Chart VR, or Astronomy VR can be used for astronomy classes. Since students can’t travel to space, these tools bring space to them and allow them to study the stars.
Sharecare VR, an app for medical students, allows learners to virtually stand inside a beating human heart during classes. There are many other VR tools making waves in the education industry and software engineers have been benefiting from adding edtech skills to their resumes.
Artificial Intelligence in Education
Artificial intelligence doesn’t just make things easier for students. It makes things easier for teachers as well. Administrative duties like grading, creating curriculums, assessing schoolwork, getting valuable feedback, and enhancing personalized teaching are made easy. Schools around the world are already using AI tools for automation and teaching. Some of the most reliable AI tools that are currently being used in schools are Duolingo, Thinkster Math, SmartEd, Brainly, and Front Row.
None-tech Innovations of the Future
While the modern innovations that are impacting the education industry are tech-related, tech isn’t the only thing that will shape the future of education. Teaching styles and emphasis on certain subjects will also become more popular with time because they teach life and survival skills. Among these disciplines are:
Safety and Security Courses
Schools used to be safe spaces for students across the globe. They could learn and interact with their peers comfortably without fear. These days, gun violence and the prevalence of school shootings have made schools unsafe, especially in the United States. According to reports from CNN, more than 56 school shootings were reported in the United States as of November 2019. School curriculums are now being adjusted to include safety and security courses. Software is also being used to identify and eliminate possible threats. It is clear that technology still has a role to play.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Have you ever heard of SEL? It is an acronym for social and emotional learning. This new branch of education focuses on teaching learners how to manage their feelings. This includes all forms of emotions including empathy. SEL helps students stay focused on their academics and promotes a good relationship with others. Research has shown that students with SEL in their curriculums do 11 percent better academically than those without it.
Bottom Line
These five innovative tools and methods of teaching are rapidly increasing in popularity in developed nations. However, developing nations are still lagging when it comes to technological innovations. There is the problem of accessibility. How many schools in developing nations have access to artificial intelligence, gamification, and virtual reality devices? It’s going to take decades for these countries to reach the edtech advancements in the developed world.
This article was written by Ufuoma Nora Ogono
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Featured Image Credits: Pixabay
