The
NMC Horizon Report > 2014 Higher Education Edition is a
collaborative effort between the NMC and the EDUCAUSE Learning
Initiative (ELI), an EDUCAUSE Program. This eleventh edition describes
annual findings from the NMC Horizon Project, an ongoing research
project designed to identify and describe emerging technologies likely
to have an impact on learning, teaching, and creative inquiry in
education. Six key trends, six significant challenges, and six emerging
technologies are identified across three adoption horizons over the next
one to five years, giving campus leaders and practitioners a valuable
guide for strategic technology planning. The report provides in-depth insight into how
the trends and challenges are accelerating and impeding the adoption of
educational technology, along with their implications for policy,
leadership and practice. View the report at
http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2014-nmc-horizon-report-he-EN-SC.pdf
Look through the report, read about the trends, challenges, and emerging technologies. Which trends and emerging technologies do you think has the most merit? Which do you think you might be using in the near future? Which challenge do you think will be hardest to overcome?
24 comments:
There are several emerging technologies that come with merit. In particular, from an education standpoint, I believe that the following technologies will be influential: flipped classroom, real-time translation, learning analytics, mobile learning, virtual laboratories, social networks, and augmented reality. These technological advances will enhance education across all ages and curriculum. Specifically, students with special needs and/or English language learners can now experience school in their least restrictive environment.
These technologies will facilitate learning and allow greater success for all students. Students are already overwhelmingly exposed to technology—they are learning to use these devices from a young age. This exposure has advanced their way of thinking—these students want to use technology and will become more engaged when they can use it in the classroom. In the near future, I predict that augmented reality, virtual classrooms, social media, and real-time translation will all be utilized in the classroom setting; some teachers have already begun tapping into these areas.
Although, these emerging technologies will be a huge advantage for educators and students nationwide, and even worldwide, there come a few challenges as well. Some of them major challenges may be the learning curve, generational differences in exposure and adoption, negative usage of these technologies, expenses, and unemployment from unnecessary jobs. I believe the two hardest challenges to overcome will be learning curves in adoption and overcoming the expenses.
I believe technology in the classroom is a crucial part of student learning. Kinesthetic, visual, and auditory learners are present in every classroom, allowing all students to learn in different ways. 3D printing, cloud computing, real-time translation, tablet computing, and flipped classroom are just some emerging technologies that can not only benefit students with disabilities but all students.
In my school, the math program is teach in is called School of One. During math, all students have their own computer and personalized portal. Their portal is updated daily based on their own individual skills. I think this program will emerge into more schools in the future, as each student has their own individualized curriculum that also aligns with the common core. I believe that the 3D printing will most benefit students in math when trying to understand abstract ideas and concepts.
The challenge that I think will be the hardest to overcome is the cost of these new technologies, as well as veteran teachers incorporating these into their classrooms. As great as all of this technology is, some schools don’t have the funds to provide these to their teachers. Also, veteran teachers still struggle to use the Smart Board and computers because they didn’t grow up with the technology that we use today. Some teachers might be frustrated with technology and decide against these new innovative teaching ways.
There are many trends and technology that are very influential to the classroom. Some that come to mind and that I think have the most merit are social networks, flipped classroom, Google glass, and 3D printing. As a science teacher, virtual laboratories would also be very beneficial to the students. These technologies help all types of student learners (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic). It gives the students a different perspective and a different way to look at school. It will create a more entertaining environment for the students as well as a keep the students engaged in the lesson. This includes children with special needs.
Some that I may be using in the near future are virtual laboratories. For me, a virtual lab is much less messy but gets the same point across to the students as going into an actual lab. It will also be beneficial to me, as a teacher, because I can get more material done in the time period. Students are also very more advanced with technology now so it can be more adaptable for them to encounter these technologies in the classroom.
The most difficult to overcome would probably be the cost of the technology. Many classrooms cannot afford SMART boards or computers in every classroom therefore, they cannot gain this advantage. Also, some teachers may not know how to use this technology and it may become frustrating for them. Technology may also have a negative connotation and teachers need to learn how to avoid those types of situations to make the students feel the positive effects of the technology.
The trends and emerging technologies that I believe have the most merit is the medicine that monitors the body, I believe this emerging technology has merit because this technology can save peoples lives. The medicine can tell if a person is taking their correct dosage of medication along with observing the body's reaction to the medicine that is being taken. In addition another emerging technology that I believe has merit and one I could see myself using which is The Pearson Project, The Pearson Project consists of giving teachers and professors access to make e-textbooks where you can add various sources from other places to the e-textbook. This emerging technology can be an essential tool in the classroom. The use of graphite for cell phones is another emerging technology that conducts heat and electricity. Graphite can also be bent, technologist are working on making cell phones and other electronics out of graphite. The creation of cellphones that can bend or roll is an amazing advance and I can foresee the use of graphite with electronics becoming very popular and a new technology I would be interested in using. An emerging technology that I can see being a challenge in our society is brain to brain interface. Brain to brain interface allows humans to have telepathic links with one another. Harvard has done a study where they were able to make a mouse's tail move. I can see this becoming a challenge in our society because many people will be skeptical and scared of what brain to brain interface will do.
There are several technologies labeled that look very far-fetched. However, society has come such long distances in the last few years with computers and cell phones, I believe it is possible for some of these technologies to really exist. One technology I might be able to use in class in the future is the 3-D printings. Teachers will be able to print out different things for the multiple subjects. They will allow for more creative thinking and higher levels of activity. Wearable computing can assist teachers and students in unique ways. This is a simple, easy device that allows virtual assistance and communication. It can be used in many activities, such as group work or collective activities. These are only two technological advances that can create such a different, interactive learning environment. It s possible to see a few of these in the near future, as 3-D technology has been appearing currently and many adults are taking computer science courses across the nation. There are also other countries that are more advance in technology than America, so it is very likely to see these devices come to life.
Along with an increase of technology comes some questions and concerns. As students are taking more online courses to minimize the amount of years and cost of college, many of them are missing out on the joy of going to school and interacting with other students. Some consider online courses not being rigorous enough. It is also reported that computer science majors have a growing unemployment percentage among other careers. Even though there is increasing demand, many students lack the skills required to succeed in such a field. With such a change in the way of life, we will always see many pros and cons to the use and effective of this change. Technology will greatly enhance life, but like many other things, there has to be a balance in the use of such devices.
I agree with G Gomez. Although online courses are quick and easy, students are missing the opportunity to sit in a real classroom and learn from their peers and teachers. Students do not get the real life experience that they need to be successful. Although technology is great and helps improve our education, there are sometimes downfalls that go along with these progressions.
Technology is an integral part of every classroom. Students today have to learn not only how use the technology of past and present, but also how to take that knowledge and use that to learn and understand the technology of the future. I believe that flipped classroom, 3D printing, and augmented reality will become very usable technologies for the classroom in the future.
Sometimes in math it’s hard for students to understand concepts that they don’t interact with in their everyday life. 3D printing would help create shapes and explain concepts better than any 2D shape and lecture ever could. The 3D printer will also get students more engaged if they can physically create something rather than just writing something down in their notebook or on their computer; their work becomes tangible.
I believe the two main challenges would be cost and resistance. Schools don’t always have the funds to bring it new technology that older generations may deem unnecessary. What people who are against this technology don’t understand is that this is the way of the world. In ten to fifteen years some of the technology that we use everyday will be obsolete. As educators we must try and explain to people who are hesitant and resistant to technology that if we don’t prepare our students with this technology, they will behind when newer technology emerges.
The trends and emerging technologies that I think have the most merit are the 3d printing and possibly the maps that can give us up to the minute information. I have heard of the 3d printing being used somewhat already and it seems to be the main thing on this report that is being used today. The biggest challenge I think facing us in the future is that technology is changing on a day to day bases, keeping up with it is very hard. Keeping teachers informed is even harder. Teachers need to be kept up to date on our technology can be used in their classroom so they will not fall behind.
One of the largest trends and challenges to education and technology is on-line classes. A student-teacher relationship cannot be established through a blog. The expansion of technology might be a convenient for individuals to receive an education but I believe that it is causing a negative effect on people. Students are not receiving the social aspect that education provides. Students should not only be interacting with their teacher but also they should interact with other students.
Flipped classrooms may be the most difficult to implement in a high school setting. In my classroom, the class is based on lectures with the students being required to read and complete assignments on their own for homework. In my opinion, motivating students to complete the video lesson on their own is difficult. The students have a difficult time completing the homework given to them after the lesson was taught to them. A disinterested student would not complete the lessons on his or her own time, which would cause the student to fall behind.
Technology is an extremely important part of present and future education. It is much easier to engage students who learn in different ways or are easily distracted through technology.
In my classroom I use the SMART Board everyday. My students also have access to laptops and iPads every day. Even though I teach Kindergarten, I believe that it is extremely important for all students to access technology, especially at this young age when they are just soaking everything in. At this age, I usually direct what they are to be doing(specific apps or websites). However, as the children get older, I can see technology as a great way to get students to research in the classroom and get information in other ways.
Also, as a special education teacher, assistive technology is very beneficial.It can help students succeed in a setting where otherwise they would have difficulty succeeding.
Technology is extremely important in today's classroom. It aids in teaching, learning, and creative inquiry. It is now known that all people learn in different ways (Gardner's multiple intelligences and learning styles). Technology in the classroom allows us as teachers to incorporate as many types of learning styles as possible, therefore helping as many students as possible. Technology allows us to help all types of learners, even ELL and special education students.
There are many trends in technology, and it is constantly being developed to become even better. I feel that it is very important to have technology in all classrooms. Personally, in the school that I work in, I wish I saw more use of technology. I read in a previous post that during math lessons, each student gets their own personal computer with portal. This is a great way for students to work at their own pace as well as receive individualized instruction. The teacher that I took over for this past year barely used any technology. When I began to use it the students were amazing, engaged in the learning, and overall excited. For example, the SMARTBoard allowed me to quickly show the students different things about China (the country we were studying), such as music and videos. They loved it too.
According to the article, the creative classroom needs technology and impacts learning in several areas: infrastructure, connectedness, content, assessment, leadership, organization, teaching practices, and learning practices. I agree with this, technology can be incorporated and is beneficial in so many ways in the classroom.
One downfall of technology is that it does not always work.
I would say that social media is the trend and emerging technology that has the most merit, mainly due to the fact that it is the “technology” that most in our society utilize on a daily basis (besides mobile devices). It is interesting to think about social media as an emerging technology but it is still young in the scheme of things and its definition is still evolving. For example, social media in the last year or so has moved to more visual storytelling (Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, Snap Chat, etc.) from when it first began. To tie it in with education, I think it is an important tool to bring into the classroom not because all of the students in the class are using Facebook, but it helps students understand the value of how to use social media as a tool, utility and resource for learning and their future careers as opposed to only using the platforms for entertainment.
If you asked me today which technology I will be using in the future, I would say 3D printing! I was very happy to see 3D printing mentioned in the important developments in educational technology section of the article and specifically the company, Maker Bot! At my job, we recently purchased a 3D printer (Maker Bot). Besides the only downfall of taking over 45 minutes to create an image, this will enable students to learn how to develop computer games and mobile apps. Additionally, it can help all grade levels by creating objects for lesson examples in subjects such as history or science.
I agree with what Lizzie started to say in her post about technology doesn’t always work. I also think it’s due to the rapid change in technology. For example, just when you understand how to use every feature your new iPhone can do, it’s time to start talking about the next one coming out! I think one of the biggest challenges to overcome (especially in education) is to not be passive users of technology. Embrace what it can do in the classroom. Technology is affecting every major in college. It is not going away and you don’t want to be left behind!
There are several different forms of technology that are being introduced to our progressively technological era. The newest trends to hit the market are the flipped classroom, google glass, and 3-D printing. All of these forms of technology all have their advantages and disadvantages. These different types of technology can help and enhance a student's education. These are also useful because they help to cater to every different modality.
I think that these different forms of technology are great because today's students are growing up during this technological era. Each individual form of technology is beneficial in some way or another for every different student. The google glass can be useful for the students who have impaired vision. The flipped classroom is beneficial because it can teach students how to be in charge of their own learning experience.
Although there are a lot of positives, there are also some negatives. The wearable technology can become a distraction. The other disadvantage of a flipped classroom is that technology is not reliable and the work could be done but the students won't have the opportunity to ask questions. And, the 3-D printing has the opportunity to take the creativity and talent away from someone who is very artistically inclined. And, of course, the cost of these form of technology are very expensive. If a school tries to implement these devices, they might not have the money to pay for them.
While each of the trends seems to have its own benefits, I think that Data-Driven Assessment has the most potential for usefulness since it can impact all of the others. By giving a detailed look into what educational tool or approach works for students, and which ones are not giving results, it allows adjustments to be made in realtime. In the past teachers may have had to wait for test results to see that material was not getting through to their students. Now they can be aware of how students are reacting to different forms of information and adjust their own approaches or tailor lessons to the needs of individuals. This will directly impact how social medial, hybrid education, and the other trends are implemented, but I believe that the original data collection/analysis/application are what will make the others much more useful.
Similarly, I view Learning Analytics as the most promising emerging technology. For full disclosure, I'm someone who has no problem going through lots of numbers and using (sometimes unnecessary) statistical analysis to try and find answers, so I'm probably a little biased. But taking advantage of any information we have access to in order to better help our students is such a valuable resource. If a computer can recognize important trends and help design a personalized plan based on what a student needs from an educational experience, I'm all for it. I get creeped out as much as the next guy by websites giving ads based on other things I've looked at, but that same concept can be central to getting results from learners who might otherwise stay disengaged.
I was going to say that the biggest challenge is going to be keeping education relevant in a changing world, but I'm switching over to the problem of raising the number of students being educated. All of the other issues, including staying current and adapting to new demands, seem like ones that might not have a clear answer but could be solved reasonably efficiently after some solid research and policy making. You still need infrastructure and access to education, though. It doesn't matter if new learning avenues are developed if there are no buildings for the learning to take place in, or if no one has a computer to access the information they need. The issue of no-to-low connectivity in an exponentially increasing digital world could trump everything else and threatens to leave entire chunks of the world population, even in developed countries, in the dust. Beyond physical limitations, there is a disturbing trend in this country toward a proudly defiant dismissal of any need for education. From a societal standpoint, the motivation needs to be in place for all people to want to learn and accept that it is the only way anyone will be successful going forward.
Technology is evolving at a rapid pace. So rapidly, that our world is being forced to adapt accordingly. Education is no different. As we continue to break down these technological barriers, the same walls should fall down in the classroom. The reality of the situation is that many schools cannot afford the technology we already do have. So newer technology seems like an even bigger stretch. However, newer technology will get cheaper and cheaper, so there are reasons to stay optimistic.
The technologies that I can see going into education are social media, 3-D printing, and google glass. We already have a Smart Board’s at the school I work at, and students of all ages are fascinated by them. 3-D printing has become a huge force. As it becomes cheaper and more readily available, students will be able to work closely with this and play a part in the creation process. Google is working on a lot of projects, from a car that drives itself, to an elevator to the moon by 2050. There really seems to be no limit. Wearing these technologies is going to make us even closer to them. These devices will be able to record and much more.
I believe flipping the classroom is a very important development. It is amazing that Salman Khan started his company just by tutoring his cousin. For some students, especially those on the Autism spectrum, being able to learn on a computer makes everything a lot easier. Some people learn better in person, others learn better from being able to slow down, pause, rewind and fast forward. A lot of online education programs like at MIT are free for students across the globe. With the rising cost of education, I think the online education initiative is a revolution in disguise.
A lot of people who are against these technological strides suggest that it is making us lazier. I smirk every time an older professor complains about how long it took to find research at a library when have access to a database. I am however, concerned that maybe the digital world is distancing humans from one another. At times it seems our cellphones and computers have become more stimulating that connecting with another people. Teachers are having a difficult time getting the attention of their students. ADD and ADHD diagnoses have sky rocketed, where 40 years ago these were a scarcity, could this be because our technologies are making the real world dull?
In todays' world of education, technology has become a major element in how learning takes place in the classroom. It provides students with multiple learning experiences that targets each of the different learning styles. From a very early age, children are being exposed and accustomed to the advancement of technology that it has almost become more of a way of life rather than something they learn how to use in school. I believe and have notice through my own experience that majority of students are able to take a difficult lesson and reposition it in ways that it becomes more practical and enjoyable through the means of technology. Technology devices such as SMARTboards, IPads, SMARTtables, and desktops have provided students with the opportunity to explore far more than what a textbook has to offer. It allows them to take a interesting subject matter and research it more to make it a relatable experience with them leads to easier memory processing.
The downfall of integrating technology into the class is it that some schools do not have the funds to buy certain technology or stay on top of its maintenance Also, teachers who have been in the classroom for many years without the help of technology may find it difficult to learn a whole new way of teaching after following the routine they had implemented for so long.
I feel that with the uprise of technology just in our daily lives, up to date technology being implemented in the classrooms can be very effective. Howard Gardner proves In his multiple intelligence theory that every student has a different learning style. I have personally used an IPAD in my current pre-k classroom and I find it to be extremely helpful in not only teaching lessons but once I pull out my IPAD my students know to be quiet because they know I am going to put on something on my IPAD. Having technology that most students either have or know about can help make any classroom innovative, which is an important part in engaging the students.
There are many new technologies coming out everyday to make our lives easier. In education, this rapidly growing area comes with many advantages and challenges.
The Integration of online, hybrid, and collaborative is a trend that I believe that hold significant merit. With today’s economy, most college students have to work at least one full job in order to get by. The advantage of online, hybrid and collaborative learning is that you can work at your own pace, work outside the classroom, incorporate outside sources, and communicate 24/7 with your instructors. It was found that these settings promote group problem solving, help to foster communication skills, while also managing to cover the course content. When I first read about the fostering communication skills aspect, I was skeptical. It is hard to find an individual who is not glued to their smartphones, either texting or playing angry birds. When you think about it, the individuals who are taking these types of classes are most likely doing it because it fits around their busy schedule. They are not necessarily easier or have less work, but the individual is able to learn the same information in a more flexible way.
An issue with this technology is the cost. Some schools do not have the funds for the necessary technologies/programs to run online courses. Another issue is the technology fluency of the professors. If they are unsure/incapable of using such technological platforms, the students will suffer and not fully benefit from a distance learning course.
As education is becoming more and more valuable these days I think the one new technology that I think was a good idea was the hybrid classes. As a full time graduate student taking 12 credits its hard keeping up with the work, I am not going to lie. I am so glad that I am taking 2 hybrid courses this semester because I feel like if I had to come every single night to this school it would drive me insane. I think the online classes are a way for students to be more independent and learn on their own. To be honest some of the professors I had as an undergraduate student didn’t teach me much. If those teachers had online courses I think it would have been more beneficial for me. I would be able to learn more and just enjoy the class as a whole. In the future I will be giving my students a lot more independent work so they could go on their own pace. I feel like forcing a student to have something in by the right time puts more pressure on them and add a lot more stress.
I agree with Elizabeth Gerner in that students are missing something when it comes to online classes. Schooling is not simply about "getting by" and passing the class. Students need to learn so much more than simply the content of that specific subject. It is so much more important for a student to be exposed to other students' beliefs and ideas in person than to try to learn independently at home. The use of technology has so many benefits today but people are losing touch with what real conversation and social interaction is all about. As this younger generation becomes more integrated with technology (texting, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) they will lose what it really means to truly know someone by actually having a conversation with them. Too many young people are obsessed with checking their phones and taking pictures while life and important people in their life are passing them by. Life is too short to simply live it on a device and miss what is most important, that being having true relationships with friends and family. That is what we need our kids to learn in order to make the world a better place.
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