As one year ends and a new year begins, you will inevitably hear many predictions for 2012. From the economy to sports, technology to celebrities, people love to make predictions about all kinds of topics with the turn of each new year and eLearning is no different. Our first article of the new year will explore some of the predictions made for the world of eLearning in 2012.
In a National Public Radio Network based MindShift article, author Tina Barseghian outlined the trends in teaching and learning that she sees as being highly influential in the upcoming year. She categorized these trends as collaborative, tech-powered, and blended. In the collaborative category, Barseghian talked about how Web 2.0 has influenced and will continue to influence the nature of education. She believes we will see more and more educational ministries establishing networking tools for educators and guidelines being developed for the use of various social media such as Facebook and YouTube in schools. Under the tech-powered category, the author talks about how many schools technology to a much greater extent than they were in previous years to grab students attention. Students are learning to create video games, produce podcasts, and record music. Teachers are using Skype, Wii, and other formats to deliver and enhance instruction. Barseghian says we should watch for huge growth in the number of investments in the education market by high-tech companies and venture capitalists in the future. In her last category, blended, Barseghian speaks to the fairly recent occurrence of combining high-tech learning with traditional modes of instruction. She predicts more and more schools will turn to a blended learning model in the coming year in attempt to save money on books and other supplementary resources. If you would like to read Ms. Barseghian’s article in its entirety, you may click here http://mindshift.kqed.org/2011/12/three-trends-that-define-the-future-of-teaching-and-learning-2/ .
Christopher Dawson of ZDNet Education makes a few interesting predictions regarding the future of eLearning in 2012 in his article, Top 5 Ed Tech Predictions for 2012. His first prediction is that school districts will increasingly employ analytic and business intelligence software to assist with data interpretation. He notes that at a recent educational technology conference there were many vendors showcasing the latest tools for data mining, aggregation, management, and analysis. Dawson also sees the BYOD (bring your own device) movement gaining momentum as more and more students are using their own laptops, tablet, or other tech devices as tools in the classroom. The recent release of India’s $45 Aakash tablet would make this prediction seem very likely. Dawson also predicts that we will begin to see schools replacing traditional libraries with media centers designed to access all types of information formats rather than the seemingly archaic books and microfiche. If you would like to read Mr. Dawson’s full article, you may click on the linked article title above.
By its nature, technology changes and progresses at an extremely rapid pace. This make predicting the future of eLearning even just one year in advance almost futile, but still interesting nonetheless. Do you have any predictions for the realm of eLearning for 2012? If so, feel free to share your thoughts in a comment below.