Innovation is here to stay. Does it belong in the classroom or a training location?
Absolutely! Innovative technology and practices belong in both classrooms and training locations.
By using innovative technology, companies can save time and money in their learning and d evelopment departments, and they can create more efficient and effective trainings (Bailenson, 2020).
In the 1990’s when I was taking education courses in college, we were told that we would be preparing students for jobs that didn’t even exist yet. I didn’t understand then, how true that would turn out to be. I’d say it’s an assertion that still holds true today. The world around us is immersed in constantly evolving technology, and if we aren’t utilizing it in classrooms, we are shortchanging our students. They will not gain the technical skills needed to function in the 21st century workforce.
There are many innovative technologies and practices around today. Schools (or companies) couldn’t possibly use them all, but being able to identify and use technologies that suit the environment is important. Some of these technologies & practices include:
Technologies | Practices |
Augmented reality (AR) & virtual reality (VR) | Hybrid learning or e-learning |
Badging or micro-credentialing | Video-based learning |
Interactive e-books | Gamification |
Artificial intelligence (AI) | |
360 Videos and 3-D printers | |
Hyperdocs | |
Have you already employed these technologies?
When looking at the left side of the chart, I have utilized all of these practices. In the aftermath of the Covid-19 closures, I taught hybrid-classes, with some face-to-face students and a few asynchronous remote learners. In both situations, video-based learning and gamification were utilized. I have continued using video-based learning and gamification, even after the hybrid classes ceased.
Of the technologies listed on the right side, I have only used AI so far. I used AI to assist in grading assignments and assessments. It has also assisted me as I searched for appropriate videos for my courses by making suggestions based on past consumption. I have not used the others primarily due to lack of access to materials or lack of training. I can see how all of these would be helpful in engaging students in learning.
Technology to propose or promote while guiding technology integration?
Within the last six months, badging has come up several times. As I am working to develop a training program for teachers, this has been something that I’ve been interested in implementing, but I have not had time to really research it and flesh it out. I plan to learn more about this in the coming weeks. Prior to this unit, I didn’t realize that it was considered an innovative technology. It is definitely something I plan to promote for the teachers in my district, and I can see it being useful for students as well.
The interactive e-books were also very interesting to me. If I were still in the classroom, I would definitely want to use this with my students. As I develop trainings, I may utilize this technology, so the teachers can see that it is out there, and then offer training for them on how to create and use them. However, I will have to learn more about these first.
If there is teacher interest in AR, VR, and 3-D printing, I would definitely be interested in guiding teachers to integrate this technology into their instruction. We would have to purchase the technology for AR/VR, but we already have a 3-D printer. Sadly, it has not really been used for several years.
What else is out there?
I know that I have only scratched the surface on innovative technology in my studies for this course. Just doing a Google search for educational technology trends in 2022, many articles and blog posts show up. While there is some overlap with technologies already mentioned, there are also many others mentioned. These blog posts from Cult of Pedagogy and eLearning Industry both reinforced the technologies already discussed and they highlighted new technologies. It is exciting to see what is out there and imagine how it can be used to help students and prepare them for the future. I look forward to expanding my knowledge base as I continue learning.
References
Bailenson, J. (2020, September 18). Is VR the future of corporate training? Harvard Business Review. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from https://hbr.org/2020/09/is-vr-the-future-of-corporate-training
Bui, S. (2022, January 6). 6 educational technology trends that go all out in 2022. eLearning Industry. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from https://elearningindustry.com/educational-technology-trends-that-go-all-out-in-2022
Gonzalez, J. (2022, January 18). 6 Ed tech tools to try in 2022. Cult of Pedagogy. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/edtech2022/
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