Globalisation and rapid advancements in the tech world have transformed the world of education and have altered the ways in which schools impart education to students. In a report named Schools of the Future by the World Economic Forum, the key elements of a refined educational framework are the following: 

What are the biggest emerging future trends in education for 2023? And what is coming around the corner in the world of education after the fourth industrial revolution? Can shifting the learning content improve the personalised learning experience of students? 

The article covers the details about the latest trending learning projects and platforms that are likely to grow in popularity in the near future. Read on to know more about it.  

However, you may need assistance when crafting a postgraduate assignment on the current trends and issues in education. If you feel stuck anywhere, ask The Academic Papers UK for the best assignment writing service to boost your academic grades.

8 Best Technology Trends in Education 2023 – Reshaping the Educational Landscape

1. EdTech

A report by EdSurge shows that the most well-funded education research products in the US, from 2014 to 2018 were post-secondary education products. The facts show that the demand for tech-based immersive learning products is too high, and they are transforming the future of online learning in educational institutes.

Even the global ed-tech investments summed up to a total of $10 billion in 2020 alone, accelerating up from $500 million in 2010.

2. eLearning

In 2021, when COVID-19 was widespread globally, eLearning was the biggest education trend that aided teachers and students alike. Per the findings of the Research Institute of America, eLearning increases the retention rates of students by 25% to 60%. 

It is also very convenient for the teachers to keep a large number of students engaged virtually in educational content. It costs less than the traditional learning procedures and results in better performance by students, too. No wonder the e-learning industry is expected to cross $1 trillion by 2028, per a new research report by Global Market Insights Inc.

3. Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR & AR)

Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) technologies are also playing a substantial role in revolutionising eLearning for students. You can use augmented and virtual reality (VR) to create immersive scenarios and simulations that make the students learn real-life skills in a controlled environment. 

The industry is growing at a fast pace, changing trends in the education world. Statista says that the global VR market size is projected to amount to 22 billion US dollars by 2025, rising from a sum of below 12 billion US dollars in 2022. And the AR market is expected to be projected to cross $50 billion by 2027.

4. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Among the most popular trends in higher education in 2023, AI and ML have already left their mark on the pages of history. With AI-powered learning resources and tools, students can easily get course recommendations for their studies and get real-time feedback, too. 

Similarly, machine learning algorithms can help learners identify knowledge gaps and shape the learning experiences in a way that directly addresses the needs of the students. Especially, the learning process in the early years of young children can be improved a lot by the inclusion of AI-generated multimedia-rich content. 

As of now, per the reports of Statista, the global AI market is valued at 142.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. These figures are likely to grow further and become the top trends in education. 

5. Micro-Learning and Mobile Learning 

Mobile learning and microlearning are the two recent trends in education that have already gained their space in the edtech world. Microlearning focuses on breaking down educational content into smaller, easily digestible chunks. Mobile learning is more fixed on accessing the content on the go while using their tablets or smartphones.

As the attention span of learners worldwide is shrinking, and the learning process is becoming more and more mobile, these trends are more likely to grow in future. In 2020 alone, 90% of companies used electronic learning as a training tool. 

6. Gamification

You may not be expecting it, but gamification in education is nothing new. It is customary in the educational world to offer prizes to the students for reading books, getting good grades, or behaving like a good student. 

In this age, the process has been upgraded, and most educational tools have been turned into games. Minecraft Education Edition is the most common example of the said process. The gamification helps in child development and improves their problem-solving skills. 

Game-based learning involves the usage of game design principles to make the learning process more engaging for the students. This method is particularly effective if you want to teach soft skills and complex concepts to the students in an easy and effective manner. Children usually retain more of what they learn through games than what they learn in traditional classrooms. 

7. Tech-Enabled Immersive Learning

The biggest of all the emerging trends in education is XR (Extended Learning), which is an umbrella term for AR, VR, and any other combination of related tech tools with learning environments. 

Even disabled students can use VR to view the things that they cannot access physically. It has particularly proven the best for autistic students. One of the teachers at Prior’s Court School, located in Berkshire, southern England, expressed it in these words: 

“They like what is familiar, they like their routine. So the VR sets allow them to experience new realities and probably help them transition when they have to face a new place.”

Further, here is an interactive Labster’s VR laboratory that STEM students can use to run experiments. No million-dollar lab is required to do the same procedures now. 

8. Accessible Education

Per the report of the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, about 258 million children around the globe do not even have any access to schools. Although the number has decreased from that of 2000, there is still a long way to go. You will probably be surprised to know that even in North America and Europe; there are millions of children who are devoid of early literacy year’s education. 

Open Educational Resources (OER) and other Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) charge nothing for providing education to students. Such systems have altered the trends in early childhood education around the globe. 

Conclusion 

There you have it: 8 emerging and the most interesting current trends in education 2023. From AI-powered learning platforms to eLearning, all these emerging trends in education are poised to change the landscape of global learning. 

Hopefully, the edtech revolution that awaits us shall prove the best for students learning. Furthermore, it will be interesting to see what well-funded start-ups take the lead in shaking up the entire education sector. 

Still, if you are stuck with writing an assignment on the trends in educational technology, you can avail the best assignment help online to ensure your 100% success.

STEAM is both an acronym and an educational approach.  As an acronym, STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths.  As an educational approach, STEAM is about facilitating learning experiences across these five subject areas, which promote collaboration, enquiry-based learning and fun!

Since the late 1990s there has been an increasing global focus on the need to better prepare students for the 21st century workforce by equipping them with the skills and knowledge in STEAM subjects.  After all, the most in-demand jobs globally fall into one or more of these five subject areas.

According to the Rhode Island School of Design, which adds the arts to the original STEM framework, “The goal (of STEAM) is to foster the true innovation that comes with combining the mind of a scientist or technologist with that of an artist or designer.”  All technology begins and ends with some form of art.  In fact, the arts and sciences are a natural match when students have sufficient time for project development, reflection and revision.  For example, arts are used in website and user interface design, advertising and the design of literally any product imaginable.

Many schools around the world, my own included, have made inroads in teaching STEAM through various initiatives, including (but not limited to):

• using Computing & ICT to permeate across the whole school curriculum, thereby linking these five disciplines
• after-school makerspace clubs or programs
• holistic, thematic curricula such as the IPC or PYP, where projects using STEAM practices are embedded
• BYOD initiatives (bring your own device)
• staff training to encourage hands-on exploration within each of these disciplines
• robotics programs

The STEAM approach is intended to be holistic, bringing these five disciplines together.  The key to STEAM’s success though, is to ensure that an enquiry-based learning model is followed:

“Studies comparing learning outcomes for students taught via project-based learning versus traditional instruction show that when implemented well, problem-based learning (PBL) increases long-term retention of content, helps students perform as well or as better than traditional learners in high-stakes tests, improves problem-solving and collaboration skills, and improves students’ attitudes towards learning.” (Vega, 2012)

Introducing littleBits…

For this reason, I’ve been happy to get my hands on the littleBits STEAM set below:

littleBits are small, simple, intuitive blocks that make working with electronics a matter of snapping small magnets together with no experience required. The littleBits STEAM Student set is the easiest and fastest way to create imaginative electronic devices and solutions to everyday challenges.  Thanks to this colour coding system, no prior knowledge of electronics or circuitry is required, making the kit open to learners of all ages.

I had a go at creating an art machine using the STEAM Student Set, and I was pleased with the results:

Activities like this are a great example of what STEAM learning is all about.  It’s clear that children need to be engaged in learning, and learn in ways that can hold their attention, much the same way that social media, and internet sites like Youtube do.  Making learning fun and meaningful is the necessary challenge all educators must take on.

In order to further facilitate teaching and learning of STEAM, we are currently building a website, Classroom Flipped, to bring together an online suite of web apps, videos and sites, which have been mapped to our school curriculum. The name, Classroom Flipped, comes from the educational approach known as flipped learning, whereby students interact with educational content outside the classroom to better support their learning inside the classroom.  The website includes a section specifically for STEAM, with links to the best resources on the Web, including relevant high quality, age-appropriate educational videos, games, articles and interactive quizzes.

STEAM is not just about using digital technologies though; STEAM activities can be as simple as just using a piece of paper.  For example, below is one of the activities we gave our staff was to do when introducing what STEAM is all about:

STEAM Challenge

• Build the highest possible tower you can that holds a book at least 16 cm above the ground for a minimum of  3 seconds (the book must rest on top of the tower)
• The tower must  be free-standing, which means no taping or holding to the floor.

Time: 20 minutes (including testing)

Materials: 10 sheets of newspaper and
50 cm of tape,

Group Size: Maximum of 4 people

Success Criteria – The tallest tower wins as long as….

• Tower is free-standing
• Tower is able to hold the weight of a book for a minimum of 3 seconds
• Book must be resting a minimum of 16cm above the ground
• Tower is constructed solely of newspaper and masking tape

Concluding thoughts…

By engaging students around the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) through practical projects, we can spark an interest and lifelong love of the arts and sciences in children from an early age.  The littleBits STEAM set is a great place to start, but activities can just be as simple as using paper!  The important point is that it is only by teaching relevant, in-demand skills, that we will better prepare our students to become innovators in an changing world.

During our Technology Week this year, one of the activities involved students using our school’s 3D Printer Pens to improve their knowledge and understanding of 3D shapes.  This follows on from last year’s lessons with the 3D Printer Pens in which students created their own 3D Glasses.

Students have great fun using the 3D Printer Pens, and they are particularly useful for facilitating the interdisciplinary curriculum, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Maths (STEAM).  Although I give shapes here as one example, there are endless hands-on activities that can be made possible by getting students to use the 3D Printer Pens.  Once students have learnt to properly use these pens, which can take as little as 10-minutes, the teacher simply plays a facilitator role, providing guidance and helping to foster students’ critical thinking and problem solving skills.