by Ufuoma Nora Ogono,
(a full-time freelance writer with over 4 years of experience in the
industry. Over the years, she has produced high-quality content for Smartereum.com,
Hemecine.com, and many other reputable websites).
Teachers are the glue that holds the entire education system together irrespective of location. These people are in charge of the leaders of tomorrow and they don't get enough credit for their work. In the 21st century, the responsibility of teachers has increased significantly. The load they have to carry to ensure that students are educated is incredible.
Teachers have to keep updating their skills to ensure that they remain relevant in their field and satisfy the ever-changing needs of students. In the coming years, some trends and approaches to education will stand out more than others. Here are the six most prominent ones:
1. Thinking-based Learning
Over the years, there have been several debates about how effective memorizing content is in the education industry. In the past, many teachers used to teach students that the best way to learn is to cram facts. These days, teachers teach students to contextualize, analyze, and debate on the information they receive. They use critical thinking to convert all the data they receive into useful knowledge. This form of learning is said to be more effective long-term. When students convert the knowledge themselves instead of memorizing data, they hold on to the lesson forever.
2. Flipping the Script in the Classroom
Typically, students are taught by teachers in the classroom. Teachers, more or less spoonfeed the students with knowledge after which they assign home assignments. In a flipped classroom, the opposite happens. Students are assigned the majority of the work to do at home without assistance from their teachers. When they get to the classroom, they discuss their lessons. This method of learning optimizes the time and allows the teacher to create a more personalized learning experience for each student.
3. Collaborative Learning
This teaching technique is all about placing students in small groups and assigning topics that require group effort. Every member of the group is required to contribute to the overall success of the assignment. This method of learning promotes retention and increases attention. The grading system of collaborative learning is also based on group performance. So, it doesn't matter how smart one student is, if the group doesn't pass, that student doesn't pass either. Technological advancements have also made collaborative classrooms more effective. Software engineers have come up with amazing tools like Vyew, Wikispaces, and Twiddle for effective collaboration outside the classroom.
4. Design Thinking in Education
Another trend that will shape the future of learning is design thinking. Design thinking is an approach to education that involves solving problems like industrial designers. Rather than offering general topics to students, teachers can identify the problems of individual students accurately. They don't just identify problems; they also provide solutions and plan lessons that will attend to the needs of each student. Just like many other upcoming trends, this is a more personalized approach to teaching.
5. Digitization of Education
The year 2020 has shown that the future of education is digital. A digital curriculum became more viable than a traditional one because of Covid-19. Many web development projects in the edtech industry have made the digitization of education work well. Teachers have been working with web designers and developers to make online and blended learning successful. It's not perfect yet but it has come a long way. Maybe the next few decades will see the complete digitization of education on a global scale.
6. Problem-based Learning
As the name implies, problem-based learning is a teaching method that encourages students to acquire new knowledge through problem-solving. This method of learning leads to a more well-rounded understanding of concepts. It also teaches them to observe, analyze, and find new solutions to different problems beyond the classroom setting. It is an ongoing process that prompts students into asking critical questions that lead to even more questions. The more they solve these problems, the more knowledge they acquire.
Bottom Line
These six trends in education will change the future of learning as far as the eye can see. Since the industry is ever-evolving, however, things might change again in the years to come. One thing that will remain constant is that teaching will always be adjusted to meet the needs of students. Teachers will always look for newer and more innovative ways to dispense knowledge to students. Another constant is the technological applications in education. Edtech is another key variable that will shape the future of learning.