TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Volume 1 Issue 1 Current and Future Trends in Ed Tech Winter 2013

NMC Horizon Report:

Technologies to Watch

ix different technologies were highlighted in the 2012 NMC New Horizons Report for K12 Education. The six technologies outlined in the report are paired off into 3 distinct time frame categories: Near-term, Mid-term, and Farterm Horizon. Below is a more in-depth look at each of these categories. The first category, Near-term Horizon, focuses on technology that is likely to be in the educational mainstream within the next 12 months. Two technologies that are expected to enter the mainstream within the next year are mobile devices and apps, as well as tablet computing. Mobile devices are now being seen as such a valuable tool; schools are now implementing BYOD or Bring Your Own Device programs. The amount of computing power in these mobile devices is what makes them so desirable. They are able to calculate and plot complex mathematical equations, taking digital notes to name a few. The real power is in the apps that work on these devices. With apps available for virtually every subject area and topic, the possibilities are almost endless. Whats more is that these devices are constantly connected to the Internet, adding even more possibilities to apps that support these continuous connections. Another Near-term Horizon technology is tablet computing. Tablets, such as the Apple iPad and Samsung Galaxy, harness all the power of mobile

devices, but also add the versatility of a laptop or desktop computer without the bulkiness. Another reason these tablets are becoming popular in education is because they are viewed as less-disruptive devices than their mobile counterparts, eliminating call and texting distractions. In addition, the amount of apps available for these tablets makes them feature-rich and useful on all sorts of assignments. Two Mid-term Horizon technologies, which are expected to enter the mainstream in two to three years, are game-based learning and personal learning environments. Game-based learning is certainly not new to schools, and has actually been around for several years in one form or another. These usually involved individual or small group gamming software. The push is to make these learning-based games largely collaborative, deeply engaging students into the material. The other Mid-term Horizon technology is (are) personal learning environments, or PLEs. The concept of personal learning environments is centered on the idea of an individual possessing a collection of tools and resources to support the individual s own learning. With the advent of mobile devices, the concept of PLEs has changed from browser and centralized server-based configurations to widely distributed and portable. The big idea is for students to have control over how they learn using tools that are personally relevant and meaningful. On the Far-term Horizon, expected to enter the mainstream four to five years from now, are

Augmented Reality and Natural User Interfaces. Augmented Reality (AR) is the idea of adding layers of information around a view or representation of the real world, allowing users to control and manipulate the information in real time. Lastly, Natural User Interfaces are also expected to enter the mainstream in the next four to five years. Natural User Interface technologies remove the need for

a key board and mouse to operate computers, and instead rely on things such as gestures, body motions, facial expressions, voice recognition, and other cues. The idea is that these gestures and cues allow devices to teach the user, rather than the user needing to learn the device. Natural User Interfaces are already being used in technology today, such as touchscreens on phones and tablets, gestures in gaming consoles, and voice recognition in the newest generations of Apple devices. Natural User Interfaces have also proven to be especially useful for students with disabilities.

NMC Technology Report: STEM + Education 2012-2017

imilar to the how the 2012 NMC New Horizons Report for K12 Education highlights six technologies to be on the lookout for over the next five years, the NMC Report for STEM + Education for 20122017 also showcases several technologies on the horizon. In addition, this report also shows a side-by-side comparison of technology trends and challenges between STEM education, higher education, and K-12 education. In most cases, the technologies mentioned are shared between multiple categories. The previous article focused on K12 education, and this article will focus on STEM education. NMC identified four technologies that are expected to be adopted in a year or less. These four technologies are

cloud computing, collaborative environments, mobile apps, and social networking. Technologies that are expected in two to three years in a STEM environment are augmented reality, learning analytics, massively open online course (MOOCs), and personal learning environments. STEM technologies expected in four to five years are collective intelligence, Internet of things, natural user interfaces, and wearable technology. It is interesting to compare these technology forecasts with the K-12 technology. Some of the K-12 technology is predicted to be at least one-to-two years behind STEM schools. This NMC report also identified three trends for all three categories. The three trends in the STEM

environment include the use of online, hybrid, and collaborative learning models, massively open online courses, and available resources and relationships available over the Internet that challenge teachers to revisit their roles as educators. Lastly, this STEM + Education report includes three topranked challenges with technology adoption for all three categories. The first challenge identified is economic pressure and competition to traditional higher education models. The second is the importance of digital media literacy, as it is becoming a key skill for every discipline. Lastly, current technology and practices do not provide sufficient support for personalized learning.

Challenge Based Learning

Quentins Commentary

hallenge based learning, or CBL, is the idea of making learning relevant to students. The report from the Implementation Project introduces how CBL fits into the tapestry of US education. They assert that there has never been a true response to the 1983 publication of A Nation at Risk until the advent of challenge based learning. Two studies conducted on CBL have set it apart as a fresh approach to education that is scalable to almost all grade levels. In addition, the introduction of CBL instruction methods does not require a complete re-invention or overhaul, and is also standard friendly. CBL provides the framework for students to tackle big, real-world problems, while staying manageable enough for students to care about the outcome. The following four generalizations were found during the CBL implementation study: Challenge based learning promotes and builds 21st Century Skills. Most teachers stated that 12 skill areas improved, including Leadership, Creativity, Media Literacy, Problem Solving, Critical, Thinking, Flexibility, and Adaptability. CBL engages students in their learning. Most students reported that they felt as though they learned more than what was expected of them, and that they worked harder than they normally do. CBL was a better use of teachers limited time. Challenge based learning is best used in a technology rich environment, whether that be a setting with shared computer access, students who have 24/7 access to a computer, and one-to-one computing environments.

he 2012 New Horizons report for K-12 is a very insightful piece that provides valuable information for technology professionals within the K-12 category. While at least half of the technologies mentioned in the report are commercially available as of this writing, there are several variables, finances being the primary variable, restricting widespread adoption. The STEM + Education 2012-1217 report provides insight into both the technology outlook for STEM environments and the comparison between the technology outlooks for higher and K-12 education. The most interesting piece is to see the side-by-side comparisons and how STEM is projected to adopt a lot of the same technology as K-12 (and even higher education in some instances), but only one to two years earlier. I also view challenge based learning as a very important step education should be taking, primarily because it prepares students for the 21 st Century. CBL allows students to view and solve real-world problems, making it not only relevant to students, but also providing opportunities to develop 21st Century Skills. Technology is also a very large part of the 21st Century, and is among the skills todays students should possess. In addition, the technology integrated into CBL provides that true, authentic connection to the outside world, again making it relevant to students. This is a very fascinating time in educational technology, primarily because there are so many different technical inventions and innovations on the horizon. Its important to remember, however, that instruction drives the technology, not the other way around.