How technology will transform higher ed in 2012
Each year, the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) gives the tech sector a peek at the next big thing in tech innovation, and CES 2012 puts the spotlight on higher education. This week's CES HigherEdTECH Summit 2012 showcases the innovations set to transform the college experience in 2012 and beyond.
The summit, which runs from Jan. 10 to 13, brings together innovators and policymakers in higher education. The four-day exhibition presents the latest in higher ed technology and imagines how these innovations could transform college learning as we know it by drawing on technology to tackle problems such as rising education costs and declining graduation rates.
In the spirit of the summit, OnlineDegrees.com has five predictions for how technology could transform higher education in the coming decade.
Five predictions for the dot-edu era
1. Interactive media tools will motivate students to take an active role in their learning
Interactive software tools include shared e-documents and e-readers and the interactive whiteboard, all of which encourage a more active experience with texts and other media than the traditional approach: reading or viewing.
Whiteboards such as the Eno interactive whiteboard by Steelcase Integrative Technologies, for example, allow users to mark up a projected document with a pen, modifying the digital original with real-time written input. Even more cutting-edge are haptic interfaces, which utilize tactile feedback technology to simulate experiences such as surgery for medical students, simulating the resistance one would experience in cutting through tissue, for example. Other applications include engineering testing, flight simulation and accessibility devices for visually-impaired students.
2. Real-time student performance assessment will enable a customized learning experience
Student assessment technology is behind the trend toward a personalized learning experience. Some tools, such as clickers, are already in wide use and allow instructors to quickly poll large groups of students to determine what topics need further explanation. Look for more technologies along these lines to make a splash in 2012.
"I think the thing we'll see in 2012 is the increasing use of learning analytics to better personalize the learning environment," Karen Cator, director of technology for the United States Department of Education, told CampusTechnology.com.
Interactive courseware seeks continual feedback from student users and modifies the lesson each step of the way to address specific areas of difficulty and validate new knowledge.
3. Instruction will follow a more collaborative model
Technology supports collaboration directly through applications such as real-time online discussion boards and document sharing. E-readers designed for the higher education market, for example, enable shared note-taking and discussion anchored directly in the text.
Technology is also indirectly reshaping the curriculum by making lectures accessible online. Many instructors are flipping classroom and homework activities: Students view lectures before coming to class and pursue collaborative projects in class.
4. The distinction between "campus" and "online" will fade
Online learning advocates spent the better part of a decade defending the format as a close approximation of the real thing -- a virtual classroom experience. Increasingly, schools are recognizing the ways in which the online experience can be superior to traditional lecture-based classroom learning. Blended learning is becoming the norm, as schools develop hybrid online and on-campus programs that draw on the best of both worlds.
Some technologies specifically capitalize on the classroom-to-online continuum. For example, Livescribe offers a paper-based computing platform that utilizes a smartpen to upload text and record audio as you take notes in class. Your class-created data is available in multiple digital formats for studying and analyzing, discussing, and sharing with classmates outside the classroom.
5. Technology will drive more active-learning or service-learning opportunities
As technology empowers a more student-centered curriculum, service- and active-learning opportunities are reshaping the college experience. Active learning challenges students to find personal relevance in the course material, applying their education to solve problems affecting them personally or their local community. Mobile technologies such as tablets and smartphones enable service learning projects. These devices empower students to leave their desks and approach the world as their classroom.
Online education made enormous strides in the last decade, going from enrollment of 1.6 million students in 2002 to 6.2 million in 2010. Now that online learning has solidified its place in higher education, we're looking forward to seeing what growth the next decade brings. Do you have predictions for how technology will change higher education in 2012 or beyond? If so, share them in the comments below.
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