The Top 5 Education Trends In 2023
The modern classroom looks very different than how we spent our time in traditional classroom setups. Many education systems have embraced the available technology to make learning more interactive, current, and accessible. Bernard Marr, international best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a strategic business & technology advisor, shares an article on Forbes about the educational trends we should see in 2023 and beyond.
Artificial Intelligence. “Artificial Intelligence (AI), described as the most transformative technology of the 21st century, is reshaping every industry and field of human activity, including education. According to UNESCO, AI has the potential to help tackle some of the toughest challenges in education today, including addressing inequalities in the way schooling is provided around the world and improving access to knowledge globally. However, it also creates challenges of its own – with effort required to ensure that the rollout of this highly disruptive technology is done in a way that is fair and doesn’t itself contribute to those inequalities.”
Remote, Online, and Hybrid Learning. “The global Covid-19 pandemic forced schools, universities, and course providers to develop the capabilities to deliver education at a distance. But even before this, a revolution was taking place in the domain of online learning, with massive online open courses (MOOCs) exploding in popularity. In schools, remote and online learning means that educators can reach students no matter how isolated their communities are. This could mark a huge step forward in providing equality of access to education in a world where nearly 270 million children do not go to school due to living in remote or rural locations.”
Not Just College. “In 2023, high schools will increase resources dedicated to preparing students for future paths that lead to places other than traditional college courses. Vocational and technical courses teaching a diverse range of skill sets are likely to become more popular as schools work with employers to develop new solutions to problems caused by the skills gap… As the demands of the new labor market shift away from seeking purely college-educated graduates and towards developing a workforce with the necessary skills, we can expect to see this change in the future.”
Virtual and Augmented Reality. “Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are two forms of extended reality (XR) that are becoming increasingly important within education systems. VR allows users to step into a virtual world, and there are a vast and growing number of “experiences” that let us do everything from step back in time and experiencing history through our own eyes to training for difficult and dangerous tasks such as conducting repairs in hazardous environments. Augmented reality still requires a device (e.g., a phone, tabled, or a headset) but is different from VR, as it involves superimposing computer-generated images onto what the user is actually seeing. The advantage here is that it can provide real-time information – for example, warning a trainee in a manufacturing environment that a piece of machinery may be dangerous. This is possible thanks to computer vision algorithms that analyze the images captured by cameras in the headset. In schools, AR textbooks are becoming available that contain images, and models that “come alive” when looked at through a smartphone camera, enabling students to get a closer, more in-depth look at anything from ancient Roman architecture to the inner workings of the human body.”
Soft Skills and STEM. “Soft skills include communication skills, teamworking, creative thinking, interpersonal problem-solving, relationship management, and conflict resolution. They will become increasingly important in a world where AI takes on many of our routine and mundane technical responsibilities. According to HR experts, soft skills are increasingly important to company success but far harder to measure and assess than “hard skills” such as mathematics, engineering, and computer programming. In 2023 we will see STEM education placing a growing emphasis on these vital skills, as well as increased efforts when it comes to measuring and assessing organizational capabilities in this area.”
