Technology is evolving at breakneck speed, and these developments are having incredible impacts on basically every sector, with industries from business to healthcare making use of technology to improve our lives.
Education, in particular, is growing and evolving thanks to technological advancements. In recent years, we’ve seen a dramatic shift to online education, with an incredible number of higher education institutions offering remote degrees, including some of the world’s leading universities.
This is just one of many trends that have shaped the education landscape recently, including hybrid learning, an emphasis on soft as well as hard skills, globalisation, and ongoing education throughout your career.
So what’s next for the future of education? Let’s take a look.
Trends That Will Shape the Future of Education
Education has come a long way, with bags of heavy books being replaced with tailored courses accessed through tablets. Shifts in policies and learning approaches, supported by developments in technology, are seeing a number of trends which are shaping the future of education.
Metaverse for Education
Just a few short years ago, it would have been impossible to imagine university-level education conducted in a virtual space. This all changed with the arrival of the metaverse.
The metaverse is a virtual environment where people can communicate with one another from their own virtual world. To enter the virtual space and interact face-to-face, all you need is virtual headgear and the internet.
In the future, it’s likely that the metaverse will be used extensively in education. This will be a groundbreaking initiative that offers an exciting alternative to face-to-face classes. With the metaverse, conducting highly engaging classes in virtual space will be accessible and convenient for everyone, regardless of their geographical location.
Furthermore, the metaverse will offer the opportunity to take learning to a new level. Through this new virtual environment, the teacher and students experience a life-like 3D environment, making learning more exciting and impactful.
In essence, students will no longer need to imagine the topics they’re studying, as they will see them first-hand through the metaverse.
The Generalisation of the Hybrid Format
Advances in technology in recent decades have already seen many educational institutions moving away from the traditional classroom setting. In fact, these developments have led to a plethora of new models and ways of making learning easier and more engaging. As part of this, we’re seeing a large-scale shift to hybrid learning that is set to continue into the future.
In essence, hybrid learning combines online and in-person methods of teaching. However, it goes beyond this. Hybrid learning is a comprehensive strategy that combines a mix of approaches to achieve an optimal learning experience.
Hybrid learning offers a range of benefits, including:
- A flexible and versatile learning environment
- Opportunities for real-time communication
- Students have the freedom to learn from anywhere
- Students can make use of education resources according to their needs
Deep Focus on Soft Skills
In the past, education focused on developing hard skills, particularly at the post-secondary level. Students were almost exclusively taught how to master technical abilities, whether it was coding, numerical analysis, or how to speak a foreign language.
However, employers are increasingly recognising the importance of soft skills. Soft skills are, in essence, all about how we work and interact with others. Skills such as communication, creativity, problem-solving, adaptability, and critical thinking are essential for advancing your career in just about any field.
In turn, educational institutions are responding to this by integrating an emphasis on soft skills into their programmes. They’re recognising that soft skills are just as important for graduates as the job-specific abilities they learn throughout their degree. In the future, we’ll see universities place a high degree of focus on soft skills, with programs developed around a balance between both types of skills.
Peer-to-Peer Learning
Another trend we’re set to see in the future is peer-to-peer learning. This methodology is less structured than formal learning approaches, and occurs when students learn through interactions with their peers.
This will not only support students who are struggling, but improve learning outcomes for the entire cohort as they reinforce what they’re learning through teaching others.
Like many other areas of education, technology is driving a range of developments in peer-to-peer learning. Not only do advances such as the metaverse, AI, and virtual reality provide additional learning resources, but it also improves communication and offers new opportunities for peer interaction.
High Degree of Personalisation
Traditional classroom environments that offer a one-size-fits-all approach do not accommodate all students. For example, while some students thrive through experiential learning techniques, others respond best to visual or aural learning approaches.
In the future, institutions will recognise that everyone is different and each individual has their own unique learning style. They will offer a personalised learning environment where they can learn and improve in their own way and at their own speed.
This student-led methodology will have a particular focus on areas where students tend to get stuck. Through personalised learning, they’ll be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses in order to optimise their learning experience.
Here are some of the key reasons why personalised learning is set to be a major trend in the future:
- It allows students to study at their own pace
- It uses technology-based observations to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses
- It offers students a variety of learning styles
- It encourages greater engagement
Get Ready for the Future of Education
As advances in technology shape our lives in unprecedented ways, the future of education is sure to be filled with dramatic and largely positive changes.
Developments such as hybrid learning, embracing the metaverse, greater personalisation, peer-to-peer learning, and a deep focus on soft skills will improve learning outcomes while making it easier than ever for students to access high-quality learning.
