Last Updated on September 28, 2024 by Uncle Pat Ugwu
Technology is no doubt the biggest trend in education. The Covid-19 pandemic that caused global lockdown ignited technological solutions that empowered teaching and learning. This comprehensive article shows the 5 most innovative EdTech trends to watch in 2022 and beyond. Discover which learning tools are rapidly growing in popularity. We listed online teaching tips in the past.
During the 2020 lockdown, there was high adoption of technology in education. The adoption of technology extended to 2021, it will continue in 2022 but in a different dimension. For these few years, educators have learned a better way to teach with technology and new tech has also emerged.
Countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and others have found ways to strike the balance between technology and education by using meaningful tools to improve learning. Tech companies must therefore understand that innovative edtech trends are not about shiny tools but impactful learning experiences.
What is EdTech?
EdTech is a short form for Educational Technology. It is a method of using technology to enhance teaching and learning. Education experts have agreed that instructional technology has a lot of benefits to the education process in general.
There are basic technological tools every teacher should use, but more innovative technologies have continued to emerge.
Now, here are the 5 most innovative EdTech trends to watch in 2022 and beyond.
1. Artificial Intelligence
One of the 5 most innovative EdTech trends in 2022 is artificial intelligence and machine learning. These tools are now being to automate things like online learning, classroom management, student assessment, and personal data protection.
Just like in every other profession, many teachers fear that AI technology would take over their job or replace teachers. But here is how a senior director at global strategic outreach explained AI as a complementing tool.
Right now, artificial intelligence is so data driven, it only relies on what the inputs are to come up with an understanding of what the output should be. -Bryan Miller.
Artificial intelligence in education has had tremendous growth over the years, and it will continue to grow exponentially. It gives educators the opportunity to make better decisions using Big Data technology. Miller also says. “Artificial intelligence has grown within the past five years exponentially, and it’s going to continue to grow at an incredible rate.”
2. Asynchronous Learning
Another fundamental thing students enjoy in the world of education technology is freedom. Students are at the liberty of completing their lessons and assignment at their own chosen periods. This provides them the flexibility to attend to other things.
Asynchronous learning is a type of education that does not require the physical presence of learners in one geographical location. It uses technological resources to facilitate information sharing amongst the learners. The most common technology for this is Learning Management System (LMS). LMS mimics the traditional classroom in a virtual way.
Although asynchronous learning gives freedom and students like it. This method of learning requires the determination and discipline of an individual to achieve the required goal. It is, therefore, the duty of teachers to guide their students on how to get the best out of the provided materials. Check this post on synchronous vs asynchronous learning.
3. Cybersecurity
One of the biggest threats to kids and teens in the digital space is online predators. Learners get attacked by scammers, hackers, and sometimes bullies. They sometimes steal valuable data and which may compromise their learning experience. Unfortunately, this is a growing edtech trend, and it is a treat in basic or K-12 education.
With respect to these challenges, next-generation protection is being powered by AI and ML. An example is a two-factor authentication which is being implemented by online platforms. Users are required to cross-validate their identity before they gain access to an account or perform a transaction. It has been implemented by Google, Facebook, etc. School districts should also incorporate this technology in their LMS.
Teachers should constantly teach their students the importance of staying safe online to avoid these vulnerabilities. We wrote basic principles of child online safety and protection for teachers and parents.
2. Cloud Technology
The popularity of cloud technology began to rise due to an increase in remote learning. Even as schools reopened their classroom for physical class sessions, the cloud continues to play a vital role in the education industry. Supporting both teachers and students in digital classroom spaces.
Software as a Service (SaaS) tools helps teachers to upload their lecture materials to the cloud for their students. Students on the other hand use this service to receive lectures and collaborate on different projects from their remote places. This supports devices of different sizes.
Cloud technology handles universal access to information and also helps teachers to update their teaching resources with ease. And a host of other things as captured by Cloud Guru. Arguably, this is one of the innovative EdTech trends.
5. Multimedia
The use of text-based learning is fast reducing, multimedia has taken over all aspects of learning methods. It began with the use of simple drawings or images for illustration, then it progressed to the use of maps and other infographics.
Today, video conferencing and tutorial receives higher learning acceptance across the globe. There are a lot of educational lessons that are hosted on YouTube Channels and other video platforms. Many students prefer this type of teaching method because of its ability to do simulations, which help to understand difficult concepts.
Apart from recorded video, animation is also in use to teach in our today’s world. Children learning content are sometimes prepared with cartoons to captivate their interest.
There are other learners that prefer to listen to audio lessons. This may be because they will be combining learning with other things like driving or some other duties.
In all, education should be interactive to make learning interesting and engaging.
Final Thoughts
Innovative educational technological tools will continue to be on the rise. Tech leaders are beginning to produce more and more educational tools to help teachers.
Teachers should always receive training on innovative EdTech trends for future challenges. Government should equip schools with relevant technologies that will help the children in their careers.
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