21st Century Educational Technology Application Trends
Education technology has become a hot topic in the last two years. The Covid-19 pandemic has triggered how educational technology is increasingly being developed as a learning solution in the modern age.
Many people hope that technology will be able to solve various problems in education. However, alongside this desire, it turns out that many still stutter about the changes due to technological developments.
The development of educational technology will not always be able to be followed by the teacher, since the teacher’s main task is to teach, not to apply new technologies. But surviving the old way is not a solution either, because the way people learn today has changed.
Especially with the way the students learn. They are the generation of digital natives who are very receptive to change, especially when it comes to digital technologies. On the other hand, their digital environment is also very dynamic.
When education is unable to adapt to the needs of students, they receive information and other inputs poor in educational elements. Learning at school will receive only a very small part of their attention.
Then what about the trend of 21st-century educational technology applications? It is interesting to observe how the development of information technology devices and applications/software relates to the world of education.
The development of hardware and software (applications) is equally important as it supports and advances the current and future state of education. As educators, aspiring teachers, and even parents, understanding this development will help children learn effectively while having fun.
Today everyone wants to work, learn and even have fun whenever and wherever they want. They are always looking for clues that address their personal needs.
The following trends in the application of 21st-century educational technology and the conditions under which they emerge characterize a dramatically changing educational system:
Flexible learning environment
With increasingly sophisticated wireless communication technologies and wearable devices, learning environments can be located outside of classrooms and schools. Students can take notes, collect data, or research wherever they are and have quick and easy access to resources like writing labs and digital production labs.
The MOOC environment means students can complement (or even avoid) school-based learning, but replace it with quality learning delivered remotely. While this educational technology is more of a hands-on technology than a handheld technology, devices like the LiveScribe Echo provide instant access to supporting and often more contextual information.
Personalized Learning
Learning analytics has fueled the fast-growing trend toward Personalized Learning Systems (PLS), or computer-based learning management programs, that assess students’ learning needs using complex algorithms and datasets from all students, and provide tailored instruction—an experience that’s right for every student.
Learning in this way allows learning to proceed according to each student’s learning pace. It is also possible to provide contextual learning experiences according to the schemes arranged in the students’ prior thoughts. Both verbal and visual knowledge.
New learning model
The ubiquitous power of computers and internet access has enabled many integration strategies, such as BYOD and new instructional models such as MOOC and the flipped classroom model, where students engage with concepts through lectures that are stored in video or vodcast format and pre-downloaded be able to come to class and then spend class time on other, higher quality and more complex learning activities.
This learning model is known as the flipped classroom, and the originators of the term, Colorado chemistry teachers Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, also call it “reverse instruction”. This approach allows more time in the classroom to be devoted to more interesting (and often collaborative) activities that are usually supported by the teacher.
Embrace distance learning
As high-speed connections become more ubiquitous, especially in schools and at home, and handheld devices such as tablets can access online, more students are learning virtually and learning through virtual programs. The number of virtual schools operating worldwide has increased dramatically and some schools are now offering diplomas or even bachelor’s degrees in a fully virtual online system.
Although there are still many controversies such as funding and quality control at present, distance learning for middle-class students will ultimately be affected by how long higher education has pioneered distance learning.
More educational opportunities for students with disabilities
The trend of 21st-century educational technology applications is also impacting its use by students with disabilities. New technologies continue to make the most dramatic advances in opportunities for people with disabilities. Innovator Ray Kurzweil describes physical collaboration systems and intelligent programs that help people with sensory impairments and physical disabilities function effectively in learning situations. The use of Virtual Reality (VR) is also beneficial for people with low vision or low vision. The use of VR is now growing due to the development of augmented reality, motion-based computing, and other current trends.
With advances in technology, everyone has more opportunities to learn. Learn anything, anywhere, anytime, even the most important is anyone anytime. Happy learning the easy, cheap, and fun way.
