During the global pandemic, the world had to adapt fast. Perhaps one of the areas that saw the most significant change was education. From pre-K to lifelong learning and everything in between, no area of education was untouched. Even though life is seemingly going back to normal in a post-pandemic world, the changes we saw take place in education are here to stay. Keep reading to learn about the top seven EdTech trends for 2021 you should know about.
#1. Lifelong Learning Is the New Normal
Lifelong learning refers to any learning activity done after formal, traditional education. It is all learning done while you are employed, retired, or not formally working.
If we learned one thing in 2021, it was that you can learn from anywhere in the world thanks to virtual learning. This is huge for adults who have been grappling with the thought of going back to school or taking a course or two here or there but who have been hesitant because of logistics. Thanks to online learning, you don’t have to worry about not living close to your university of choice, dealing with traffic to get to your class, or leaving your family at night to attend. Instead, you can attend classes hosted across the world from the comfort of your home office or living room. This brings us to trend number two.
#2. The Shift to Virtual Learning
Virtual, or E-learning, is scalable and allows educators to reach many students at the same time, no matter where they are located. These courses can also be offered on-demand to let students access them at times that fit their schedules. E-learning involved using electronic educational materials delivered via smartphones, video conferencing, VR simulators, and so forth.
The E-learning industry is expected to reach $375 billion by 2026, and instead of a trend, many in the education field see E-learning as a modern approach to the educational process.
#3. Subscription-Based Learning
From meal kits to movies and shows, there’s a subscription service for everything these days — and that includes education!
Subscription-based education allows students to have full access to all course materials while giving them the freedom to stop the course, return to previous course materials, or skip ahead to the next lesson whenever they choose. This gives lifelong learners the flexibility to study when they want, what they want, and at a pace they are comfortable with.
#4. Professional Development
Professional development has gone virtual. Employees and job-seekers no longer have to attend daylong face-to-face lectures at district offices of out-of-town conferences and seminars. Instead, professional learning can be done in the office, at home, or on the go with online seminars, events, and conferences.
#5. Immersive Learning
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in the classroom? It seems as if the future really is here! These two seemingly ‘technologies of the future make education more engaging by turning the student from a passive observer to an active participant. Why learn about the Great Wall of China from a textbook when you can take a virtual tour of the attraction? Immersive learning is also great for the corporate world and can help lifelong learners learn how to deal with difficult negotiations or customers. In fact, education is one of the top five largest sectors that will invest in VR, and VR in education is slated to become a $700 million industry by 2025.
#6. Game-Based Learning
Another EdTech trend for 2021 that adds high levels of engagement to learning is gamification or game-based learning. This process has several benefits, including making the learning process as clear as possible, allowing the student to try different approaches and formats, and apply different motivations. Game-based learning is highly engaging and has broad uses that allow basically any educational information to be turned into a playful way to retain information and test out different formats.
#7. AI-Enabled Approach
Analysts are predicting a dramatic increase in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education in the next five years — as much as $6 billion! AI-enabled education has wide uses, from interactive interfaces that help students receive feedback as they go through the learning process to voice assistant and chatbots and high levels of personalization based on the student’s unique learning styles and goals.
The days of education solely being linked to a traditional brick-and-mortar classroom are long gone, and today’s learning process leverages EdTech solutions from online classes to game-based learning and AI. Which trend are you most excited for?
