Topmost Edtech Trends for 2022

Edtech is the short form of education technology. It comprises software and hardware used to enhance and enable teaching and learning.

Today’s classrooms have evolved with huge developments in technology. The old, heavy, outsized desktop computers are gone. They have been replaced with sleek devices enabled with superior technology. Additionally, online learning programs make the experience very wholesome and rewarding. And, if you have a need to miss a class, a robot can take your place – recording lectures and taking down notes for you!

Gamification

The Google classroom

Thanks to technology, learning is now more fun. Classroom sessions are now gamified. Courses are planned in the virtual reality space. And an edtech robot in the classroom is the new thing. Thanks to edtech’s ability to innovate using IoT, digital classrooms are accessible for students from anywhere – whether they are at school, at home, on a bus or in the playground.

Here’s a quick review of some of the top trends in vogue currently in the edtech space.

Development of future-ready skills

Experts in edtech predict the growth of the skills economy over the information economy. Skills, in this context, refers to developing the ability to access, process and use information. Globally schools are gearing up to prepare students to be able to learn and deploy skills efficiently. This means equipping them with the ability to read, seek knowledge and information, and re-skill themselves continuously. This will be crucial to success in an increasingly competitive world. The focus therefore is on making children future-ready. This really translates to inspiring them to be life-long learners.

Micro and nano learning

Digital tools have made learning a self-driven activity. The enormous amount of quality educational content available online has made it possible for both K-12 and higher-education learners to easily seek and access knowledge. Learning today happens in small, impactful, modules. It is also sharply focused on specific topics rather than just dwelling on general themes. Going forward, micro and nano learning methods will play a huge role in equipping several successive generations with knowledge and skills.

E-learning

The pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 have opened up a huge opportunity spectrum in the e-learning space. According to a report published by the Research Institute of America, e-learning ensures higher retention rates. Specifically, retention rates have gone up anywhere between 25 % and 60 %. Also, importantly, e-learning is cost-effective when compared to conventional in-person classes. And, of course, e-learning has a disruptive impact: Educators can reach multiple student audiences at a given time, across geographies, through live classes; or, if the lessons are pre-recorded, they can be accessed at any time. This makes e-learning hugely scalable. It is a game changer. Observers believe the e-learning space to be worth US $ 1 trillion by 2027.

Digital assessment

Conventional methods of examination, evaluation and assessment have for long been known to be time-consuming. Without doubt, some of these methods have been prone to displaying bias. However, digital, technology-based, tools are changing how examinations, evaluations and assessments are conducted. For one, theoretical exams are making way for practical evaluations. Hands-on experiential education, on-field experiences and non-theoretical curriculum are soon becoming the norm. And digital assessment methods are taking over from their old-fashioned predecessors. This is making assessments quicker, sharper and free of any bias.

Tech-enabled immersive learning

The biggest trend sweeping the edtech space is in tech-enabled immersive learning. This is happening through extended reality (XR). This includes augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

These technologies are coming in handy to enhance the teaching and learning experience.

For instance, using AR, students can see three-dimensional depictions of the human body or of chemical elements or even of how the world of dinosaurs looked like. VR, on the other hand, can help save huge costs on physical equipment: Interactive VR laboratories help STEM students run experiments without their schools having to set up million-dollar labs. And Google Expeditions offer entire classes of students “field trips” to the Louvre or even to Mount Everest.

VR is also helping students and people with special needs. Children with an autism spectrum disorder can use VR to prepare themselves better for scenarios they are likely to encounter in the real world. And students with disabilities can “visit and see” facilities that they can’t physically access.

“Makerspaces” is another form of immersive learning that is becoming popular. This concept involves students using a physical area in their classroom or a community center or a library to deep dive into tech projects, like learning programming or building AI-enabled devices. “Makerspaces” involves doing things by hand, using technology.

Blockchain

Blockchain is another technology breakthrough that is helping the growth of edtech. It reduces costs by cutting down manpower and time. So it is becoming hugely popular.

It is now possible to set up a secure, transparent, decentralized learning ecosystem using blockchain. This means an edtech platform can seamlessly connect teachers, students and other related practitioners to relevant educational content, and to each other. Courses can be delivered to the right audiences automatically and their progress can be evaluated and measured in real-time. Students can collect their diplomas and certificates in a hassle-free way and have them verified and signed off in a seamless manner.

Gamification

For centuries now teachers have been using the idea of gaming to teach their students new concepts and ideas. The new age, digital term, for technology-based gamification is edutainment. It enables learning virtually through playing educational games. It makes the experience fun, it furthers the process of gaining knowledge seamlessly and it encourages multisensory engagement. This is an exciting space in edtech. It is predicted to grow by 30 % (up from about US $ 700 million in 2020) by 2027.

The Google classroom

Google has laid a strong foundation in the digital education space. Chromebooks are now the standard companions of student learners. They are low-cost, and are easy to use and maintain. The G Suite for Education complements the Chromebook. The suite of tools offered by Google includes Gmail, Google Sheets, Google Docs and Google Forms. Also on offer are Google Classroom and Google Assignments. The Google Classroom is an interactive digital space where teachers and students get to interact with each other, assign and turn in homework and engage in meaningful online conversations. Google Assignments helps teachers create and evaluate coursework seamlessly.

Conclusion

The era of brick-and-mortar classrooms is over. Edtech is reimagining and transforming the learning space.