The Future Of Education is Here
As the world we live in changes to embrace tech futures, how and what we teach in our education system will also be reshaped to keep up to date with the growing demands of the 21st century.
The Future Of Education is Here
As the world we live in changes to embrace tech futures, how and what we teach in our education system will also be reshaped to keep up to date with the growing demands of the 21st century.
1. Connectedness, collaboration and co-creation
The concept of a teacher standing in front of a room full of students who listen and respond to direction is increasingly a thing of the past. While not an entirely new approach, student learning spaces will supercede the typical classroom that we know today. This will see students become partners or co-creators of their own learning. “Experiences that allow collaboration, communication and teamwork for all students often happen beyond classroom walls.
2. Anywhere, anytime learning
As we ride the wave of the digital era, it is becoming easier to get connected with a global reach. A world of information is at your fingertips with the click of a button or a simple voice command, and, as technology continues to advance, students need to grow their learning with it. Technology is no longer a motivating factor when it comes to learning – it is a must. It’s something that needs to be incorporated in the future of education to ensure students are equipped with the skills to cope in a world dependent on technology. While some argue that technology in our classrooms creates lazy, disconnected students, McLaughlin believes this is a myth. She says technology has created endless boundaries of where learning can occur, with whom and why.
3. Customisation for a learner-first approach
Alongside our changing notions of what constitutes a classroom, our ideas about the way teaching is delivered must also be reshaped. “Most professions treat each individual’s case differently – each patient of a doctor has individualised treatment plans. Education should be no different,” McLaughlin says. She says the old ‘one model of teaching and learning fits all’ is outdated and has no place in the agenda for future education. Teachers will become facilitators of learning and students will have more control of their own learning journey. “In the past, all children did the same work regardless of ability or skills. We now know that this contributes to disengagement, misbehaviour and poor outcomes,” she says.
