For years, we have witnessed a declining number of children enrolling in schools in Croatia, both due to a poor demographic picture and because parents have taken them abroad for work, allowing them the privilege of being educated in different, more modern educational systems that will prepare them more effectively for the global labor market.
However, just like in Croatia, the future and methods of education are very uncertain globally after the pandemic. To avoid reliving past bad experiences, technology has rapidly begun to take hold, and everyone is now preparing for faster and more drastic changes that can be applied in learning processes. Concurrently, EdTech platforms (from English education and technology) are devising new ways to facilitate and individualize learning processes as much as possible, enable the building of new skills that will be in demand in the future, and reduce social inequalities among students. According to global forecasts, the EdTech industry is expected to grow to over $230 billion. by 2028.
Video – the educational superstar
Mobile technology, cloud services, reality technology, artificial intelligence, microlearning… open up entirely new possibilities for improvements, making the learning process more accessible, interactive, and modern for students of all ages.
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Mobile technology, cloud services, virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, microlearning… open up entirely new possibilities for improvements in education. The learning process becomes more accessible and interactive
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Currently, the biggest star in e-learning is video content, which will dominate platforms in the future. According to some research, 68% of respondents prefer video over written content during learning. Video has a higher retention rate of information in memory, making it easier for students to follow and retain video information. According to Kalkine Media, although currently more than four billion people worldwide use smartphones, e-learning platforms are still not adequately adapted to mobile devices, which could also change rapidly in the future.
Difficulties with AR and VR
Augmented reality (AR) is a rapidly growing emerging technology that combines real-life interactions with 360-degree photography to expand and enhance existing educational materials. Experts believe that this technology offers significant advantages to the educational system and that AR will simply become a standard in education in the coming years. For example, architecture students can use AR to study objects in 3D dimensions, both as end-users and property managers. On the other hand, teachers can use this technology to transform tedious lessons into fun and interactive experiences that help students understand difficult material.
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Tracking shorter lessons, ‘bite-sized content’, i.e., the so-called microlearning or nanolearning, is proving to be a revolutionary method through which students can acquire certain skill sets exactly when and where they want
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virtual reality (VR), which uses 360-degree photography and real interaction to simulate the student’s environment. Experts estimate that by next year, the gross value of augmented reality in education will amount to $5.3 billion, while virtual reality will be worth $640 million. However, most schools, even in educationally developed countries, still face considerable difficulties in implementing these technologies, and we are just beginning in this regard.
Revolutionary nanolearning
Another trend that could take off next year is the so-called microlearning or nanolearning, a revolutionary method through which students can acquire certain skill sets by consuming shorter lessons, ‘bite-sized content’, which is very time-efficient and rich in media and content. Students can access short, easily digestible lesson content exactly when and where they want. The microlearning trend is actually a consequence of increasingly shorter human attention spans and patience, combined with a lack of time for learning. If a person who has decided to pursue additional education has, for example, 20 minutes before their children wake up in the morning or has a half-hour break at work, microlearning gives them access to precisely the right amount of material needed to continue their educational process.
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68% of respondents prefer video over written content during learning. Video has a higher retention rate of information in memory, making it easier for students to follow and retain video information
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Focused lessons that concentrate on one training or learning outcome can be beneficial for both the teacher and the student, eliminating wandering attention, wasting time, and unnecessary material. Individual training can also help students remember information more effectively, especially if supported by regular quizzes and practical exercises to engage with the material.
Adaptive learning
Another trend that has emerged this year is the so-called adaptive learning (adaptive learning), as a result of the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI). Much discussion has taken place regarding the impact of AI on education, but no one has yet publicly stated how this should look in the future and how exactly algorithms will replace teachers. However, what everyone agrees on is that AI will change the entire education system as we know it. Professors will no longer teach students in classrooms but will work on other tasks as intelligent computer systems provide students with the necessary information and expertise. In this way, the role of the teacher will shift from educator to more of a caregiver. AI will also change learning methods. It will provide students with a higher level of individual access, be programmed to meet students’ needs, and repeat more of the information that students struggle to master. This method will make learning more flexible and allow people to tailor their learning to their own pace.
Teachers will be able to adjust lessons more easily, and AI will also help them analyze student data and receive feedback on the effectiveness of the lesson delivered. In some schools, AI systems already track student progress and notify teachers of potential problems. However, broader application of this technology will still take some time. Every technology has its drawbacks. Artificial intelligence could lead to reduced productivity for teachers, who will have to invest their time in other areas.
Methods for greater flexibility
Changes in the educational system are not only related to technological advancements. For example, the method of asynchronous learning is currently very popular, allowing students greater flexibility and autonomy as not everyone has to learn the same material at the same time. Experts believe that greater autonomy also fosters motivation and satisfaction in learning. There is also the so-called DEI model, which stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and was created in response to social inequality, i.e., different access to knowledge. The pandemic has highlighted the digital divide and enormous inequality in access to technology. The American Center for Educational Statistics reported that seven percent of eighth-grade students from poorer families do not have internet access. Without reliable internet connectivity, these disparities will only grow in the future, which presents a strong argument for learning platforms to offer offline content.
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$5.3 billion is estimated to be the gross value of the application of augmented reality in education by next year, while virtual reality in education is expected to be worth $640 million
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Another aspect of education that is increasingly being discussed is social and emotional learning (SEL), which could also become a separate subject. Everywhere in the world, including Croatia, we are witnessing the strong impact of the pandemic on students’ emotional states, who have been isolated on one hand and have lost loved ones on the other, making mental health one of the pressing topics in the educational process. SEL is particularly beneficial for students who are in disadvantaged positions and did not have much support from their environment during the lockdown. Soft skills such as communication, listening, problem-solving, etc., are certainly good springboards for future student success, considering that these are also very important skills in the labor market today, especially among future managers. In the report ‘The Future of Jobs’ published by the World Economic Forum in 2020, the top 10 skills that will be in demand in the labor market in 2025 were listed as follows: analytical thinking and innovation, active and strategic learning, complex problem-solving, critical and analytical thinking, creativity, originality and engagement, leadership and social influence, use, monitoring and control of technology, technological design and programming, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility, and reasoning and ideation.
Innovation hubs
In the long term, university campuses will need to become centers of innovation, functioning as hubs of entrepreneurship, experimentation, and discovery, and embracing failure as part of the learning process. Universities around the world must establish partnerships so that teachers and students can access a greater number of materials, data, and technologies that would otherwise not be available locally.
However, despite all the trends that are just emerging but are spreading rapidly globally, the role of professors and various other educators will remain the most important element of the educational process that will put all new knowledge and skills into the right context. Without teachers, no technology will fulfill its true purpose.
