Top 5 edtech challenges to face in 2018
Are schools ready for disruptive education technologies? Or will the students keep looking for dissertation help online? Well, that is a question many stakeholders in education sector keep asking. And with new challenges coming up every day, solutions need to be invented too.
The year 2017 saw an increase in deployment of technology in academia. Gamification of classrooms and game-based learning concepts are great examples. This year, a lot is already taking place, signaling even more proactive approaches to learning. In this post, you are going to discover pressing edtech challenges learners, teachers, business entrepreneurs, and schools must cope with in 2018.
But first things first…
A look at top edtech trends in 2018
Governments, developers, and policymakers have become one big entity in academia and there are all sorts of evidence to prove this. If you have been keenly following gamified learning and how it has enhanced engagement, concentration, focus as well as boosted learning outcomes in the last few years, you wouldn’t want to be left behind in even more exciting tech developments in education.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
You’ve got to give credit where it is due. Developers are committed to improving learning in many different and amazing ways. VR and AR have become the talk of the town in recent months. Think about a virtual world superimposing the physical one and you get an impressive result where learners are becoming more interested in the newfound ways of interacting with their surroundings. VR and AR are redefining space and time.
Mobile Content
Today, there are thousands of Apps that have brought to the fore, the mobility of learning content. You don’t have to be near a desktop or a PC to access learning content. Mobile learning brings everything right to your fingertips so that you can always access notes, lessons and share learning materials on the go, says Gina Fiore, the MyHomeworkDone.com digital strategist.
AI technology
Artificially Intelligence is not only an epitome of human creativity signaling a shift in modern thinking but also an intriguing disruptive algorithmic technology. For the layman, it is a case of machines doing things for humans and there is already a markedly impact in the education sector.
For example, year after year, there is an upsurge of students rolling in schools around the world making it impossible to use traditional database systems to manage learning institutions and track progress. AI is changing this by zeroing into BIG DATA to make it simpler, not to mention its tested capability of customizing student profiles and undertaking office assistant tasks in schools.
E-learning and Learning Management Systems
While it has been around for some time now, e-learning remains a significant pedagogical approach in academia in 2018 and even in the unforeseeable future. Students will still access e-content on the internet of things (IoT), via Smartphones and computers, something which is an improvement over hard copy learning materials in libraries and bookshops.
LMS is equally an impactful edtech trend bringing about collaboration among teachers, parents, policymakers, students, and investors.
Edtech Challenges
There are always challenges that these tech developments present to users. You may want to think about how a tech dummy is going to cope with AI but that is just a tip of the iceberg. Well, here are some challenges in education technology to think through:
The problem of many Edtech content vendors
The technology space is open to everyone but it presents even more difficult ordeals. It is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish fake from genuine content and learning vendors. Schools are losing billions of money to scrupulous developers every year.
The problem of limited Universal accessibility
Today, the internet is almost everywhere. However, there is no universal accessibility of edtech content in every part of the world. In some areas, there is a need for more training to bring teachers and learners up to speed with the latest developments. Limiting rollout of infrastructure such as fiber optic technology is making it even worse in accessing some areas.
Adaptability /Mentorship challenges
Every day, something new comes up and while some edtech devices and software remain relevant, switching to new ones is always subject to further training. The space of adaptability between developers and learners/teachers is hard to bridge.
Data Security Issues
You cannot rule out data leakage in technology. Be it bugs/computer virus or human mistakes that may lead to the compromised security of students’ info, it is a problem that will take time to root out.
Cost
Even as many schools around the world are already using or testing Edtech, with a good example being Harvard University, the cost of acquiring some of these things is not realizable for learning institutions that have limited funds. It is also true for Developers who are not able to invest enough money in creating these technologies.
Final Thoughts
Edtech is changing every day, which means it is not going to be easy running from it. It is a necessary evil because change is good when it positively transforms. However, its impact on mental health of students, a challenge that is become a huge concern, needs to be monitored and mitigated.
