Week #5 - EDUC5101G Post - Learning Trends and Digital Tools for the 21st Century

Learning Trends and Digital Tools for the 21^st Century

What I have found interesting over the past few years  is the transformation the educational system is going through – changes with the classroom itself, the role of the teacher, the role of the learner and how the learning takes place.  The students of today and tomorrow are approaching learning differently.  This transformation will have a direct impact on the digital tools that will work effectively for the 21^st century learner.  For this Blog, I will focus on three areas of change that will impact how we learn and the tools used.

Blended Learning.  This approach is used effectively now, but my prediction is that we will see even more going forward.  This approach offers flexibility whereby a variety of methodologies can be used in the design and delivery of the content. From a digital technology perspective, the learning could entail e-Learning, websites, blogs, wikis, video, webinars, virtual classes (synchronous and asynchronous), access to the Internet, etc.  Digital tools such as Adobe Connect and Blackboard used for the virtual learning experience; Captivate and Articulate Storyline for designing the eLearning courses; YouTube, PowToon,  Camtasia used for video creation; Blogger and WordPress used for creating blogs; Weebly used for creating websites;  and Google Chrome for browsing the internet – just to name a few.  The number of digital tools used for blended learning is limitless as the approach lends itself to different modalities.  The types of emerging technologies will change what we can do with blended learning which makes this approach versatile and flexible.  Over the past few years, we are seeing more of the blended learning approach because of the flexibility of the online format and a perceived improvement in the teaching and learning experience (Napier, 2011).

Collaboration.  Technology allows us to collaborate with people we have never met before or may never see again.  The ability to work together, take an idea to the next level or share ideas are valuable skills that students can take forward and apply in the workplace.  One reason social media has become popular is because it enables people to easily collaborate online (Rocco, 2013).Educators are using social media to connect with each other, share ideas and find the best teaching tools and practices.  Sites such as Classroom 2.0, Teacher Tube, PBS Teachers, Edmodo and Edutopia are just a few of the resources that are available to teachers today. As new resources are being developed, more tools will be available to teachers over the next decade to assist with enabling strong collaboration.  From the learner’s perspective, tools such as Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Hangouts, Dropbox, Voice Thread, Skype, Minecraft, etc., allow students to collaborate. Today’s learner and our future learner have a need to stay connected. Since there is so much information available to everyone online today with the internet, the access to that information lends itself to collaboration. With the file-sharing opportunities online, information is seen as something to be shared.

Student-Centred Learning and Personalized Learning.  I believe we will begin to see an approach to learning that is student-centred, much more than it is today.  The learning will become more personalized to each student.  Education does not have to be a teacher standing in front of a class, but rather it will be a future of customizable learning experiences structured by personal choice (Top Universities, 2014).   With personalized learning, the students’ learning experiences are customized to their individual needs and strengths – aimed to meet students where they are and allows them to advance to more challenging material whenever they are ready.  So what does this mean for the required digital tools?  Teachers, parents and peers must work collaboratively with technology and learning spaces.  Personalized learning challenges educators to think about what new resources may be needed to support learning, and how learners can access these (Ministry of Education, 2012).  Access to the massive amount of information on the Internet provides opportunities with the curriculum and enables the student to be in a position to direct their own learning.  Access and a strong skillset in effectively using a browser such as Google Chrome, is essential.  Learning management systems (such as Edmodo and Blackboard) enable a teacher and the student to connect learning goals with student portfolios, online assessments, and searchable resources in multiple formats.

In order for blended learning, collaboration and student-centred learning to be successful, digital technologies need to make it all happen.  The challenge going forward will be determining which digital technologies are the best fit for a given learning situation.  As technologies become more and more integrated into daily life, we will see a new kind of learner – one who builds their own learning environment, creates content using social media, and develops their own digital presence.

References:

Ministry of Education. (2012). Enabling eLearning/teaching. Future focused learning. Retrieved from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Teaching/Innovative-learning-environments/Future-focused-learning

Napier, N.P., Dekhane, S., & Smith, S. (2011). Transitioning to blended learning: Understanding student and faculty perceptions. Georgia Gwinnet College. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 15(1). Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ918216.pdf

Rocco, S. (2013). Our future will not look like our present. Evolving educators.  Retrieved from https://evolvingeducators.wordpress.com/2013/12/14/our-future-will-not-look-like-our-present/ 

Top Universities. (2014). Thoughts on the future of teaching and learning in higher education. Retrieved from http://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/university-news/thoughts-future-teaching-learning-higher-education