As technology continues to disrupt industries, the education sector is also about to change. EduTech refers to the use of technology in the education industry in order to improve classroom experience and enhance educational outcomes (Frankenfield, 2018). Although the EduTech industry is still at the early phase of development, there is an increasing number of companies investing in innovative ways of education (Srivastava, 2018). For example, Microsoft has recently launched Artificial Intelligence-driven digital labs in collaboration with ten Indian educational institutions (Mete, 2019). In the near future, kids might not have the same learning experience as we used to have, and teachers might have to change their teaching methods or tools. There are four ways of how the education sector is transforming.
First, Augmented Reality (AR) in the education sector enables an immersive experience. Learning and teaching will no longer be limited by time and space. Instead, AR/VR-driven lectures will allow students to virtually experience through simulations, virtual field trips, real-life experiences. Teachers will also be able to effectively explain abstract and complex theories and concepts with the use of 3D models and digital modeling (ThinkMobiles, n.d.). For instance, in Portugal, the Polytechnic institute of Leiria is currently using AR in mathematics classes which have significantly increased student engagement and motivation (ThinkMobiles, n.d.).
Second, big data allows personalized learning. One of the limitations of traditional education used to be the lack of personalized content. However, in the near future, machine learning will be used to analyze students’ learning processes, interest and improvements in various aspects in detail (Das, 2019). By measuring progress and suggesting personalized study content, students will be able to reduce the time wasted on unnecessary content and focus more on customized learning materials (Chew, 2019). This customization of content and schedule is also expected to increase students’ participation, interests and educational outcomes.
Lastly, blockchain in the education sector might enhance security and reduce fraud as the use of blockchain can identify cheating and certificate or grade manipulation (Chew, 2019). In fact, starting in 2019, students from 18 Singaporean educational institutions will be receiving blockchain-based certificates (Chew, 2019). Additionally, blockchain will significantly reduce redundant administration procedures by instantly and automatically verifying credentials and certifications (Raval, n.d.).
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Mete, S., 2019. Edtech Battle Heating Up: GOOGL, MSFT, AMZN & AAPL to Watch. [Online]
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Dear Songri,
I really liked how you explain how all these emerging technologies may related to education and change it. However, I was wondering what the implications of that will be. In general, all of these technologies you mentioned have one thing in common: they enable distance and fully online learning and basically make physical universities obsolete. They can deliver the same knowledge (or even more knowledge due to personalized content creation) in a more convenient way. In the best case, at 0 marginal cost. However, what limits this “future outlook” of mine is the social aspect. The overall learning experience is heavily characterized by the social aspect and this may actually prevent the education industry from being disrupted by all these technologies.
Dear Songri,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the disruption of education. For me, it raises the question if teachers could be replaced in the long term. I have worked at a company, Symbaloo, which was trying to create personalized learning paths using machine learning and internet sources. In the test cases, teachers only had to help the students to open the program and that was all. If this way of learning will be applied on a bigger scale, teachers don’t need to be certified as much as they used to be. This would lower the threshold to become a teacher and lowers the teacher shortage. However, it does make learning a lot less social, which could result in children being more intelligent but behaving antisocial. What do you think about this potential scenario?
Source:
Symbaloo EDU. (n.d.). Symbaloo EDU. [online] Available at: https://symbalooedu.es/ [Accessed 9 Oct. 2019].
Hi Songri,
You make some very interesting points. I completely agree and think that technology can disrupt and improve the education industry quite a lot. Have you looked into current online learning platforms as well, such as Udemy and Coursera. These platforms offer courses on various topics, ranging from coding to psychology. My concern with these platforms, and any educational technology for that matter, is that employers do not yet regard the quality of these platforms as sufficient. Of course, this is a valid concern, as anyone can post a course on such platforms and make money with it. The content of these courses is not properly certified, and therefore employees do not trust that these courses offer a good enough quality.
What are your thoughts on this matter?
Hi Songri,
Interesting to read that there are so many new methods of using technology in the education sector.
I do notice that the educational environment is becoming more digital. Elementary and middle schools are replacing books with technical devices to support kids with studying. However, I think that some technologies might cause a negative effect, like distraction, which in turn decreases the performance. Moreover, you have mentioned that learning and teaching will no longer be limited by time and space. This could be beneficial for students who are highly self-motived, but not for other students that need extra support. Another disadvantage of the virtual experience might be that it reduces social interaction among students. Ultimately, I do think that technology enables great opportunities that enhances educational experiences.
Hi Songri, thank you for this post. I have been looking into the EduTech sector myself for a while, especially for schools. I would even say that “older” technologies like the recording and sharing of videos did not show their full disruption potential yet. When I have to study for a difficult exam, I find videos on almost any complex topics, explained in a very understandable way. The possible implication of this are huge. Teachers get simply outperformed in a way by subject experts that share their knowledge. Do you think our model of school is outdated in the face of new technologies? Because the other hand, school also has an enormous social aspect and teaches kids lessons, that is not easy to convey online.