2020 brought global upheaval and among the most affected industries was the education sector. With the pandemic, there was a need to come up with new ways of learning. That is because most schools all over the globe had to shut down to keep students safe. On the flip side, this created a necessity for revolutionary ways to ensure that students could still access learning.
This necessity gave rise to several significant advancements. That is primarily in the form of digital solutions in the education sector. Good examples are the migration from physical to online learning, the use of learning apps, and hybrid learning. Moving forward, these and other trends are likely to continue helping students keep up with their academics. The need for digital solutions will remain constant as they will continue being the center of education this year.
Here are some learning trends that you should look forward to in 2021.
1. Augmented and Virtual Reality
VR and AR technology is coming into the classroom. For an immersive VR experience, you may need a pair of VR headsets. With this technology, it will be possible to view projected images and see a virtual or real-world. This technology also allows lecturers to use gesture controls when teaching. Therefore, you can share projects and graphs with your fellow students. You can even comfortably stream lessons from your institution.
On the other hand, you can access AR through your tablet or smartphone. This technology enables the projection of images, video, and sound via the device’s camera. The photos are then displayed on your screen. Unlike VR, AR technology layers these images on top of what is visible through the camera.
You can benefit from the incorporation of these technologies into your learning. For instance, your institution may use these technologies for virtual careers. With this, you can learn about a range of career opportunities that are out there. In turn, you get a firsthand experience of what it is like to be in a particular field of profession.
VR and AR technology can also improve your learning experience via high-tech training. High-tech training will help you pursue a career in areas such as medicine and architecture. You will be able to access real-life training, for instance, by enabling you to see 3D drawings of structures and the entire body anatomy.
2. Nanolearning
This is another learning trend that is likely to feature in 2021. The information age has brought about declining attention spans as well as increasing screen fatigue. Your brain is bombarded with notifications and alerts that distract you daily. All these lead to a physical inability to concentrate because of an increase in cortisol. The answer to this predicament is nanolearning.
This digital learning solution aims to provide you with smaller amounts of information over shorter periods. As a student, you are more likely to process and recall bite-sized information.
Nanolearning will thus offer you chunked content. This results in increased attention-span, productivity, as well as the ability to learn. This technology is useful as it identifies your needs, helping you set your learning objectives. It also helps choose the ideal learning modalities, be it apps or videos.
3. Online Learning
Online schooling was the most popular trend in 2020, and it looks like this will be the case this year as well. With the closing down of schools due to the pandemic, many students and institutions have experimented with online learning.
Students can search for write my research paper services online for assistance, and at the same time, attend lectures. The online learning platforms make it possible to submit assignments, have a virtual classroom, and engage with the lecturer via text.
With the current developments in education technology, it is now possible to teach large groups at a go. Online learning has also gained popularity for being cost-effective and flexible. With the concept of physical location scraped, you can now access learning more regardless of your geographical location.
4. Experiential Learning
Your engagement level as a student is likely to have been on a decline in recent times. It is easier for you to be distracted by your phone or lose concentration, especially in online learning. For this reason, the experiential learning approach has become popular among schools worldwide. Experiential learning immerses students in real-life situations. Thus, you get to enjoy firsthand experiences when you need to practice some decision-making, learning, among many others.
There are several experiential learning experiences to benefit you as a student. The first is collaborative exercises, which provides you and your classmates with debates or problems. You are then supposed to come up with solutions and ideas in teams. Another one is field-work, where your lecturer may ask you to collect data for a specific project. In this case, you can carry out surveys online and then present them in class.
Take Away
As you may have noticed, the learning trends are inclined to technology. Technology will play a significant role in improving the learning experience. Look out for the trends above and see ways to leverage them to take learning to the next level.