Teaching, arguably one of the last pillars of face-to-face interaction within a job role, has become more digital than many of us ever thought possible. From holding full lessons to one-on-one tutoring sessions, all of it is now taking place over the internet.
Sure, we all saw the digital classroom coming – but we saw it in colleges and universities, in online job training and in staff wellbeing training. We didn't see it in primary schools, in high schools, or in taking lessons through Zoom calls. The education sector has changed dramatically in the last twelve months, no matter which way you cut it.
Online is the new normal, it's time to face it head on. As such, then, what new technologies should we be watching out for, to bring teaching into the digital space?
Education Technologies we'll be using in 2021
We expect to see some of the following tech showing up in the teaching world, shortly.
Google Docs is the new chalkboard
It's a true story. We started to see it in 2020, but now the shift is almost complete. Google's Cloud storage systems allow you to upload lessons, worksheets, and any other documents, to an online platform where the students can upload changes and save their work. It's an all-in-one solution for the absence of your chalkboard... although, admittedly, it doesn't have the screen-sharing capabilities of Zoom.
Zoom class is Here to Stay
Having video classroom lessons is the new normal – and it's a trend that's not set to go anywhere. Kids have gotten used to setting up for morning and afternoon classes for a little blended learning. Arguably, they are more in tune with the digital workspace than we are, so a video classroom helps them meet their learning needs.
AI will play a bigger part
Starting small with automated processes, we are going to become ever more reliant on AI systems in the education sector. Our top tip for the coming year is to indulge in Power Automate, the Microsoft Office tool for automating small tasks on the day-to-day.
The system is a little complex, but have technical staff set it up to take registry in the morning, mark multiple choice tests, or even record analytical data on how your lessons are going. Synch your calendars and improve production through collaborative teaching – and all with a few shifts in data processing.
Games will become integral
If you are online all day, supposedly studying, your brain isn't going to be engaged that full time. Short browser games both entertains your students and keeps them engaged. Better yet, studies have shown that short bursts of gaming can improve your cognitive processing and help you concentrate better. We predict teaching via video game to grow in importance in the next few years.
Rounding up
In short, teaching is changing. We are moving on from the old methods of pen and paper, chalkboard and highlighter, to migrate to the digital world. There's no sense in fighting the tide... it's been coming for far too long. Let's try to source new ways to keep students entertained. The tech is out there... we just have to take advantage of it.
