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Education has always been about students receiving lessons in the classroom and putting what they’ve learned to use in the outside world. As technology advances, we are seeing a significant change in the way we learn.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant changes to the education sector as institutions had to embrace technology to deal with lockdown restrictions and minimize in-person contact. Generally, technology became a shining light and savior for many industries during the pandemic.
Fastforward to 2023 and the education sector is trying to make optimum use of technology. It’s important that teachers and students alike take note of rising educational trends and incorporate them as appropriate into their programs. Below are trends to be on the lookout for this year:
- Increased Focus On Mental and Emotional Wellbeing
If the pandemic taught us anything about the education sector, it’s about the need to focus on the mental and emotional well-being of students and teachers. Recent research has shown that anxiety and depression are on the rise among children aged 3 to 17 years in the last 5 years. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been an increase in mental health care for children and adolescents.
Things are bound to change in 2023 as schools are set to take mental health more seriously and improve mental health programs. This can include encouraging social time, having an open door policy, employing qualified counselors, encouraging students to make connections, hosting sports, and so on.
It’s worth mentioning that teachers are also struggling. The pandemic, adoption of remote learning, and rise in school shootings are having a heavy toll on educators. And statistics show that teachers are dealing with a lot of work-related stress and mental issues like depression. Teachers’ well-being will be taken more seriously than before as a decline in educators’ wellness will have a negative ripple effect on the educational industry.
- Remote, Online, and Hybrid Learning
COVID-19 forced schools to embrace technology and deliver lessons online or remotely. With the pandemic over and things returned to normal, many have realized the benefits and flexibility that remote, online, and hybrid learning offer.
Remote and online learning means location is no longer a barrier in education. As a result, rural residents, disabled people, and those seeking to upgrade their education while also working can have access to education. Hybrid learning offers the best of both worlds as students spend some time in the classroom and the remaining of their time receiving lessons online.
The increased accessibility of education due to remote and hybrid learning means there’s bound to be a more diverse group of students. And where students speak different languages, the need for accurate translating lessons arises. This can be achieved by using AI or educational translation services. Both can help with document translation, curriculum translation, and so on. The latter is particularly helpful when it comes to real-time translation between two parties.
- AI, VR, and AR
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality(VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) are set to be increasingly used in 2023. AI already has applications across several sectors and it can be implemented in schools in the form of virtual assistants that can plan lessons and help teachers and students manage their time efficiently. It can also be used in online and remote learning systems.
VR can bring about more immersive learning sessions by allowing users to step into a virtual world. Concepts that are otherwise difficult to explain may become easier to comprehend through VR. Also, learning through VR is potentially fun which can make students more eager to learn.
AR is different from VR in the sense that the latter requires a headset and involves computer-generated imagery over the real environment i.e what people are actually seeing.
- Soft Skills And STEM
Educational institutions all over the world are now prioritizing soft skills and making plans to integrate and develop them in their students. These ‘soft skills’ include leadership skills, interpersonal skills, communication skills, creative thinking, and so on.
Having these skills is important for the personal growth of students and their success in their future careers. People with the right soft skills are more likely to succeed in their careers as they are more adaptable and fine-tuned to perform at a high level.
The problem with soft skills is that they are difficult to quantify. Yet, they are so important. In recognition of their importance, schools are set to include them in their curriculum alongside hard skills like mathematics, computer programming, and engineering.
Well-rounded students are those that are proficient in hard skills while also possessing the right soft skills. Such people are bound to be valuable members of any organization they find themselves in.
