Does Education and Learning Need to Adapt To New Technologies? hipporeads Education, Technology Education is meant to build the thinkers of tomorrow, but if the current education system can’t adapt to the rapidly advancing technology of the time it may end up becoming obsolete. The ongoing COVID pandemic fast-tracked this conversation to the point where educators are now at a crossroads. Should they continue the push for offline/in-person learning or should they embrace the virtual classroom? The answer is obvious, and many educators have already begun adapting their curricula for virtual learning. So, let’s take a look at a few reasons why education and learning need to adapt to new technologies: Personalization Students today have unprecedented access to technology. With this access comes the ability to personalize and customize everything in their lives. If educators don’t start allowing such personalization and customization in the syllabus, they will find more and more students falling behind. It will soon be essential that individual learning experiences are tailored to the interests, academic needs, and time constraints of each student. Machine Learning and A.I. can play a huge part here. Staying Connected Students today are accustomed to staying connected virtually. If schools and educational institutions become virtual, creating the technological infrastructure to allow each student to stay connected with classmates and teachers is essential. The keys to creating a successful virtual learning environment will be virtual collaboration and communication using technology such as Lenovo Intel® Arc™ and Zoom.us. Access The internet has significantly increased access to information and knowledge. With a few strokes and clicks, students can find answers to just about anything. Availability of information is no longer a problem. This is whythe curriculum needs to be amended so that it doesn’t focus on teaching as much as it focuses on what to learn. Teachers and syllabus will need to act as a guide/roadmap for students rather than explainers. Testing Traditional testing methods will have no space in the virtual world. There is no longer a need for a grading system that showcases top performers. Instead, testing will have become a medium for understanding learning requirements and creating learning plans. The eventual goal of testing will be to ensure every person understands their role and job in society effectively. Educators will need to adapt accordingly. Technology is an extremely powerful tool that is going to transform education in the years to come. It will make it easier for educators to create new ways for students to collaborate virtually and design new learning materials. The ubiquity of smart devices will only facilitate this further. If educators and institutions do not make the best use of smart technology, they are at risk of becoming obsolete, just like the traditional education systems they support. While we can’t predict what the future of education will be, one thing is for sure, there will be no room for traditional education methods anywhere in the virtual learning environment of the future. As is the case with all industries that rely heavily on technology, adapt or die will become the new slogan amongst educators. Image credit: CDC via unsplash
