The pandemic has struck unexpectedly in spring, causing billions of people to change the way they used to live. All industries suffered from the uncertainty that followed the decision of the states to close their borders and introduce major lockdowns. However, education was probably among the industries that were hit the most.
Fortunately, since the field is evolving along with technologies, major disruptions to the academic processes were avoided. Students all over the world finished the 2019/2020 academic year mostly thanks to distance learning. Colleges and universities had to create new platforms or strengthen the existing ones to accommodate thousands of students.
Such a situation triggered lots of processes in Education that will become more evident next year. This field decided to prepare itself for the most unexpected scenarios like no other. Here is what the paper writing service EssayPro team thinks of the innovations in Education in 2021. This includes both utilization of modern technologies and major shifts in traditional classroom instruction.
Internet of Things (IoT)
Even though we are quite used to having smart devices all around us and controlling them remotely, education is only starting to use these technologies. The Internet of Things has the potential to change our perception of chalk, blackboard, and pen. With the use of a smartphone, we all will have an opportunity to control the learning environment around us and translate it to others.
Needless to say, devices like interactive displays will also make a difference in the classroom of the future. Be it a traditional one or a remote.
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Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence together with machine learning as its subfield has great potential in the sphere of education. Even though most AI innovations are yet to be discovered, some of its algorithms have already helped lots of students to get through difficult assignments and comprehend complex notions.
Moreover, AI products can indeed change the way we see education. It is expected to become more customized and oriented at meeting individual learning needs. Students with disabilities can hope for a more personalized learning environment, while those who feel stuck with a topic can work on it as long as it all becomes clear.
Blockchain
Blockchain technologies have not been recognized as something worthy of attention for quite a long time. Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency that uses these algorithms, is one of the best examples of blockchain in action. However, the scope of its application is not limited by the financial sector.
Blockchain can be used in education to ensure more reliable cybersecurity. For example, this can be a reasonable alternative to a paper copy of a diploma. Employers will get a link with the credentials of their potential candidates and can be sure of their credibility. MIT and other universities already provide virtual credentials to graduates.
Robotics
Robots are likely to change laboratory work, research, and experimenting in the near future. Combined with AI, these devices can perform the most difficult parts of the assignment that humans are unable to do. For example, they can work with dangerous viruses and substances with no limits.
Smart personal assistants like Siri can also be considered as robotic solutions. They recognize the voice of the device owner and perform their commands. Their opportunities are limited based on region, but they are still a great breakthrough for the field of education. Needless to say, countless bots that we are now used to are also shaping the learning process among many others.
Big Data
With the Covid-19 pandemic still raging, online learning is booming. It has made data collection and data processing even more important for education. Working with big data helps educators personalize learning, providing every student with a course in a suitable format.
It really matters whether data is collected and processed since it makes it possible to improve and adjust the learning environment. The analytics can help in shaping the learner’s performance by providing things they really need and collecting feedback from them.
Teachers can also evaluate their students’ knowledge using learning analytics. The assessment becomes more objective since educators can pay more attention to individual academic challenges and circumstances.
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3D Printing
3D printers have made it possible to print anything from a spare part for a device to a human heart for transplantation. They have changed modeling for students, making it more realistic and easier to complete.
At the same time, these technologies continue to grow. Today, 3D printers are available in the market. They will soon become the main equipment for the production of various things, changing the way students work on their projects and design stuff.
Gamification
In the era of online learning, making it exciting and interesting has become one of the major concerns for educators. Students easily get bored with the assignments that look like one another. To avoid this monotony, gamification has been introduced as the major educational trend.
Gamification helps students learn through experiences. Different games can improve students’ skills without them even noticing it. Thus, learning becomes not tedious but effective.
Video-Assisted Learning
The year 2021 can really benefit from video-assisted learning. Quite likely, we will still live under pandemic conditions, with education being far from the traditional one. Thus, video-assisted learning can help students recover the classroom atmosphere, participate in discussions, etc.
Skype and Zoom made it possible to continue studying without any disruptions. Video-assisted learning promises to develop current technologies to make learning smooth and comprehensible. After all, this can hugely reduce teachers’ workload and improve students’ outcomes.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
The best thing about technologies is that they look for ways to make education more efficient. VR and AR have largely contributed to it. They helped experimental learning to develop, enabling students to see the things they actually do not.
For example, there is no need to wait for the processes that used to take years. Virtual reality allows for programming the outcome to continue research. There is no need for a surgeon to wait for a living patient to train; they can train using simulations powered by VR or AR. There are lots of examples of how these technologies can be used, and 2021 is the best year to make the most of them.
Here are technological trends that will shape Education in 2021. Yet, there is a possibility that the current situation will give a rise to new technologies we can’t even predict.
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