The fifth-generation (5G) of wireless technology may become the worldwide standard by the end of 2020 — modern technological devices like the iPhone 12 feature 5G as a significant draw. Wireless technology improves vastly with each generation, and 5G follows the tradition as the successor to long-running 4G LTE (long-term evolution) technology.
According to a Polytechnic Mersing study, 5G aims to address the limitations of previous cellular standards and be a prospective key enabler for future Internet of Things (IoT). 5G can provide educators with an avenue of new possibilities, upgrading e-learning systems, and improving the future of lifelong learning.
The Impact of 5G Technology
5G technology may function 100 times faster than standard 4G LTE. Specifically, 4G cell towers support 2,000 devices per square kilometer compared to a million per square kilometer expected with 5G versions. Similarly, 4g spins off 100 megabits per second compared to 5G’s 10-gigabit performance. Through 5G, users can expect to experience fewer connectivity disruptions and enjoy rapid download speed that prevents laggy applications and choppy video quality.
With 5G, educators can look forward to using mixed-reality (AR and VR) and high-definition video content with improved reliability. Tech companies like Verizon continue to support 5G-supported education by implementing initiatives like the 5D EdTech Challenge that rewards the use of AR/VR experiences.
5G as the Future of Education
The latest generation of wireless technology can help enhance current platforms, including robotics, AR, and VR-enabled curriculum. While 4G powers modern digital devices with a degree of success, the technology seems slow and unsuitable for mixed reality programs. 5G will provide the solution to greater bandwidth required in smooth AR and VR processes.
Improving Distance Learning
Educators continue to see distance learning as a mainstay staple as society continues to cope with the new normal. Training facilities will require 5G to stream and deliver high-quality content and mixed reality content. There is a noticeable paradigm shift in the educational process, where students prefer interactive and virtual learning mediums.
According to reports, video tutorials have risen in popularity, with YouTube driving over a billion daily views in learning and education videos. Aside from video downloads, 5G enables learners and educators to manage teleconferences with seamless connectivity. As such, 5G can help educators eliminate the downtime on lags and glitches to focus on value-added instructions and reference materials.
Optimizing Immersive Lessons
5G will pave the way for smarter (and remote) classrooms that utilize VR and AR learning platforms. Researchers believe that mixed reality content can help students achieve active learning processes that improve their experience and retention rates.
AR technology can help train surgeons from a distance, through headsets and goggles with simulated views and telementoring. Surgeon goggles may also collect surgery data that improves procedures through the integration of machine-learning capabilities. Similarly, AR mobile language applications like Mondly provides users with an immersive learning experience that transforms the real world into a virtual classroom.
5G will provide the intensive bandwidth required to help educators and learners interact through augmented realities from anywhere and anytime to achieve realistic classroom experiences and beyond, via remote accessibility.
Upgrading Robotics
The increased use of IoT technology may gradually lead to mainstream robotics in classrooms as teaching aids. For example, the Finnish City of Tampere utilizes a social teaching robot called Elias that provides classroom support in math and language learning. Elias allows young learners to engage in natural conversations while adding a dimension of fun through dances and games.
According to research engineer Ana Galindo-Serrano, 5G will revolutionize robotic control with its improved latency and reliability. Galindo-Serrano adds that “the robots in 5G have a fluid, fast and perfectly synchronized behavior, which enables the completion of complex tasks.”
5G could serve as the bridge between augmented reality and real-life classrooms for all ages. Lifelong learning could reach new productivity levels with holographic trainers and concepts that emerge from textbooks and videos into immediate reality.
