Future Trends of Education: Navigating the Networked Landscape
- Boon Yih Mah
- Jun 15, 2024
- 10 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
We must stay abreast of the constant shifts and developments in today's fast-paced and ever-changing world. As educators, our fundamental role and responsibility is to guide and support our students in acquiring and mastering the essential skills and knowledge that will equip them for success in an ever-evolving society. We must remain well-informed about the most recent developments and advancements in education. Keeping up with trends and innovations helps us improve our teaching methods and prepare students for the future.
A. Educational Trends
a. Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
Bloom's digital taxonomy is a revised framework of Bloom (1956) that emphasises higher-order thinking skills in education. It emphasises creating, evaluating, analysing, applying, understanding, and remembering (memorising and recalling facts). This taxonomy encourages educators to focus on developing students' critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, fostering deeper learning and understanding of the subject matter.
b. The 21st Century Teaching and Learning
Technology has greatly impacted our lives, including learning, collaboration, communication, and instruction. This has led to enhancing skills, adjusting teaching methods, and restructuring classrooms for collaborative work. The four Cs—critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity—are essential for 21st-century teaching and learning, empowering students and promoting active engagement.
c. Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), also known as a course management system (CMS) or learning management system (LMS), is a digital platform that delivers educational materials and tools to students online. Through web-based interfaces, it offers resources like learning materials, tutorials, assignments, messages, and quizzes. VLEs also include modules for student progress tracking, collaborative activities, communication tools, and assessment features. There are different types of VLEs available, including:
Off-the-shelf VLEs like Blackboard are pre-built, ready-to-use platforms with standardised features and functionalities.
Open-source VLEs such as Moodle are customisable platforms tailored to specific educational needs and preferences.
Bespoke VLEs designed for education involve customising and developing modules to meet the unique requirements of educational institutions and their students.
These custom-made VLEs are tailored according to the specific needs and goals of the clients.
B. Current Trends
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) are designed to assess education systems globally. Frey (2007), an Executive Director and Senior Futurist, highlighted several trends, including:
The Shift from Teaching to Learning
School leaders, educators, and learners are embracing the Four Cs of 21st-century skills: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.
This approach transforms students into active participants in their education, with teachers serving as guides.
The Explosion of Information
In today's world, information proliferates through the internet and various social media platforms.
The NMC/CoSN Horizon Report 2017 (Higher Education Edition)
It predicts six key trends that will expedite the adoption of higher education practices.
a. Short-term Trends
Collaborative learning involves students engaging in group activities such as discussions, participation, and knowledge sharing.
Students play a crucial role in problem-solving, while the teacher serves as a guide.
The advantages of short-term trends are:
Increased motivation
Promotion of critical thinking
Improvement of attitude towards learning
Promotion of student autonomy
b. Mid-term Trends
The mid-term plan for higher educational technology adoption focuses on measuring learning and redesigning learning spaces.
This includes assessing academic readiness, learning progress, and skill acquisition.
Institutions must also measure soft skills like creativity and collaboration using data mining software.
This shift will move us from traditional lecture-based lessons to hands-on, group, and problem-solving activities.
The mid-term plan involves redesigning the learning space and implementing blended and collaborative learning.
Redesigning the learning space involves reconfiguring or rearranging the furniture to support various learning methods.
Traditional classroom setups will be replaced with group settings, and static facilities will become more flexible and mobile.
Classroom layout positively impacts student engagement and performance, leading schools to explore budget-friendly ideas for enhancing learning.
b. Long-term Trends
The long-term plan for implementing higher educational technology focuses on promoting cultures of innovation, integrating entrepreneurship, and using deeper learning approaches to engage students in critical thinking and problem-solving.
This shift encourages students to become creators through research, investigation, and storytelling, facilitated by educational technology and mobile devices.
C. Emerging Technologies
Emerging technologies are crucial for enhancing education and fostering creative thinking in schools. ICT significantly impacts education by adapting technology to meet the needs of teachers and students. In the NMC Horizon Report: 2016 Higher Education Edition, seven emerging technologies are outlined:
Consumer technology
Consumer technologies like robotics, 3D videos, drones, and tablet computing suit consumer use and school projects.
Internet technology
This includes aspects of connectivity, such as cloud computing and interconnected devices.
Connectivity is vital in education, and its absence can hinder learning.
Social media technologies
This category includes various social media platforms with specific uses, user categories, and content types.
Learning technologies
Tools and resources used for information dissemination and collaboration are adaptable based on teachers' and students' needs.
Digital strategies
Strategies to identify devices and applications used in teaching and learning, both inside and outside the classroom, include bringing your device (BYOD) policies.
Flipped classroom
This is a pedagogical strategy in which students watch a video at home before discussing it in class, encouraging collaboration and presentation creation.
Visualisation technologies
It enables teachers and students to analyse and reproduce data through infographics and visual analysis.
D. Open World
According to Bonk (2009), the world is open for learning in a globalised setting where technological change affects users, educational institutions, and economies. Bonk highlights ten learning technology trends that open up education worldwide, condensed into the acronym "WE-ALL-LEARN."
Web searching and e-books
Digital books and web documents, such as e-books, offer easy access to education.
Examples include Google Books, Open Library, and Wikibooks.
E-learning and blended learning
E-learning provides diverse learning opportunities through online platforms like Open Learning, iTunes University, MIT OpenCourseWare, and Khan Academy.
Open-source and free software
The movement for free and open-source software enables global education through platforms like Moodle and Sakai.
Leveraged resources and open courseware (OCW)
Open courseware (OCW) is a movement initiated by MIT that provides free access to universities' resources, course content, and materials.
Examples of OCW are online education databases, open culture, and Peer-to-peer Universities.
Learning object repositories and portals
Educational resources can be accessed through online portals suitable for all ages, educational levels,
and languages, such as Curriki and OpenStax CNX.
Learner engagement in the Open Information Community has shifted from merely consuming information to actively creating, remixing, and sharing content on platforms like YouTube, TeacherTube, and SlideShare.
Electronic collaboration and interaction
Global collaboration involves learning from peers and sharing resources with users and experts worldwide through projects such as the GLOBE Project and iEARN (International Education and Resource Network).
Alternative reality living
Utilising alternative reality, simulation, and games to develop skills for real-life situations through platforms like Second Life and Global Kids.
Real-time mobility and portability
Mobile learning via handheld devices such as mobile phones, iPads, and tablets facilitates collaborative learning from any location.
For example, apps for iPods, iPhones, iPads, and networks for educational podcasts facilitate this.
Networks of personalised learning
In our interconnected society, we share and seek out information with like-minded individuals, facilitating communication and collaboration, such as Hellolingo.
E. 20th vs. 21st Century Learning
a. 20th Century Learning
Traditional classrooms centred around the teacher as the primary information source, employing chalkboard lectures.
The focus was on rote memorisation and comprehension, aligning with Bloom's taxonomy's initial levels.
Classrooms were designed with rows of desks and chairs facing the blackboard.
20th-century education was teacher-centric, emphasising textbook-driven knowledge and understanding.
The approach was individualistic, with assessments based on summative exams, constraining student exploration.
b. 21st Century Learning
Entering the 21st century, students can now be more engaged in learning to understand subjects better, outperforming less involved peers.
Educators must develop methods to ensure active student engagement, fostering skills for self-directed learning.
Support for these methods requires reforms.
Active learning involves engaging students in discussions, presentations, and problem-solving to enhance content analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
Approaches like collaborative learning, problem-based learning, and simulations promote active learning, improving student performance.
Active learning enhances student performance by engaging them directly in the learning process.
Learning in the 21st century necessitates a paradigm shift by educators from traditional teaching to roles where students are more engaged in the learning process.
The shift is driven by:
The swift evolution of information
Need to equip students with soft and technical skills for information retrieval
Learning that is formal, informal, or community-derived
The necessity for students to develop competencies for the modern workforce
Educational institutions must embrace and integrate technology to meet these needs.
Teachers receive training to adeptly use technology, enhancing their pedagogical methods.
Student-centred learning is paramount and supported by technology.
F. Cooperative vs. Collaborative Learning
Cooperative learning is a pedagogical approach beyond individual knowledge acquisition by fostering community and shared responsibility among students. This method encourages academic achievement and enhances social skills, such as communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution. The teacher's role in cooperative learning is crucial as they guide and facilitate the group dynamics, ensuring that each student contributes meaningfully to the collective goal.
On the other hand, collaborative learning promotes a more interactive and participatory learning environment where students construct knowledge together. Students develop critical thinking skills by engaging in discussions, debates, and joint problem-solving activities and learn to appreciate diverse perspectives. This approach challenges traditional notions of education by prioritising collaboration over competition, preparing students for the complexities of the modern world where teamwork and cooperation are essential.
G. Blended Learning
Blended learning combines digital and face-to-face activities. Teachers face challenges in understanding technology use and implementation strategies. Successful outcomes of blended learning include improved student performance. Seven steps for successful implementation:
Have a plan with clear objectives and outcomes
Set targets sequentially
Involve staff and students
Establish clear learning goals
Utilise appropriate teaching resources
Optimise the system
Emphasise active student learning and collaboration
Monitor, refine, and repeat
Horn and Staker (2011), leading researchers on blended learning, have identified six main blended learning models. Each model is described in the following:
Face-to-Face Driver
Teachers deliver content in face-to-face classes and create online resources for students to study at home or in a virtual learning environment (VLE) or learning management system (LMS).
Rotation
Students rotate between face-to-face tuition and online study, commonly used in elementary schools.
Flex
Materials are delivered online with self-guided learning, supplemented by face-to-face teaching as needed.
Online Lab
Teachers interact with students online, offering all course materials and teaching in a physical classroom or computer lab.
Self-blend
Students take online classes at their own pace while attending face-to-face classes.
Online Driver
Students work online from a remote location and attend face-to-face classes at school.
H. New Instructional Models
Learning is an ongoing journey that includes understanding behaviourist, cognitivist, and constructivist theories. These theories, developed before the digital age, focus on learning. In today's fast-changing world, knowledge becomes outdated quickly, highlighting the importance of continuous learning from various sources beyond traditional education. Students must adapt to changing trends by acquiring new knowledge and skills as they explore diverse career paths.
a. Connectivism
In 2005, George Siemens introduced connectivism, a learning theory aligned with current trends in technology and networks (Siemens, 2004).
Connectivism highlights:
chaos, self-organisation, social networks
networks, small worlds, weak ties, decentralisation
learning in hazy environments beyond learner control
the importance of seeking new knowledge
learner-driven learning.
Connectivism emphasises:
rapidly changing information
the need for current connections
knowledge as a process
learning in non-human devices
developing meta-skills for information evaluation and management
success through learning, knowledge management, and social networks.
Knowledge is interconnected and applicable in real-world scenarios.
Teachers facilitate group activities and discussions to promote interaction and knowledge sharing.
Connectivism in education leverages technology to share and connect people and ideas through mobile phones, email, social media, and Wikis.
b. “Push” and “Pull” Learning
Numerous learning trends can be utilised in education, each with varying effectiveness depending on the subject, content, methodology, and audience. These trends are diverse, and applying them all simultaneously is impossible.
Push learning is a learning trend where others impose learning upon us. This method involves creating a lesson for students by designing something that caters to most students' needs and then delivering it to them. Often, students are required to follow the information provided by their teachers. Push learning involves compulsion, assuming the content design is good and sufficient for students to comprehend. This approach is particularly suitable when tracking the completion of assignments or activities without formal testing, as commonly seen in e-learning. It simplifies content creation by focusing solely on the information.
When pushing content to learners, it assumes that all information is equally relevant and meets their learning requirements. Push learning is a documented learning process recognised as a formal learning method based on the required curriculum for students. Let's explore the advantages of push learning:
It can cater to a large number of students.
The content and requirements are regularly updated.
It can achieve the subject matter objectives.
It can incorporate various training methods, making it suitable for students.
Pull learning, or self-directed learning, occurs when the learner decides what and when to learn. The learner sets their own goals and objectives and chooses the methods and resources for learning. This type of learning can be formal or informal, depending on the learner's needs. Individuals who engage in self-directed learning are typically highly motivated and disciplined and value how they learn. The benefits of pull learning include:
1. Cost-effective and time-efficient
2. Personalised and flexible, allowing learners to study at their own pace and time
3. Reduces pressure and resistance to learning
4. Encourages students to share their knowledge with others in the class
To Sum Up...
To shape the future of education, educators, students, parents, and society must embrace upcoming trends. Evolving technologies, like the ten openers in WE-ALL-LEARN, empower individuals to create and share content globally. The 21st-century educational landscape requires educators to shift to methods fostering student engagement and active learning. Institutions now have access to various technological tools, offering diverse educational activities and resources.
New teaching models emphasise adapting to provide optimal learning experiences, especially in blended learning environments. Connectivism highlights technology's impact on learning, contrasting with traditional theories like behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Concepts such as push and pull learning guide educators in using various strategies to promote pull-based learning effectively.
References
Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain. David McKay Co Inc.
Bonk, C. J. (2009). The World Is Open: How Web Technology Is Revolutionizing Education. Jossey-Bass.
Frey, T. (2007). The Future of Education. Futurist Speaker.
Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2011). The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning. Innosight Institute.
NMC Horizon Report: 2016 Higher Education Edition. (2016). New Media Consortium.
Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2.
Let's Recall...
Why must educators stay updated on educational trends, and how does this impact student learning?
How do 20th and 21st-century learning differ, and how do these differences prepare students for modern challenges?
How do push and pull learning strategies affect student engagement, and when is each most effective?
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