The world continues to evolve with the incorporation of technology in education since the pandemic. New trends are making their way replacing the older ones. The fields of business, health, and education are impacted by these trends. The education systems around the world faced severe consequences and challenges because of the pandemic and were affected the most. Even now, when most educational institutes are on the road to recovery, challenges and problems continue to rise. Schools, teachers, and students are unsure which educational trends they should follow in 2022. Nevertheless, to ensure students make up for the lost learning and time, the school management, teachers, students, and parents must join hands and keep up with the latest educational trends.
How should educational institutes incorporate technology and artificial intelligence in their classrooms? How do they confront the mental and emotional health of their students and what methods do they use to implement learning? These are some of the questions on the minds of most educators in 2022. However, following the top educational trends in 2022, educational institutes can impart the best learning to their students.
Top Educational Trends in 2022
1. Online or Hybrid Learning
Combining traditional, face-to-face learning with online learning is the norm in 2022. Hybrid or blended learning is a great way to make things flexible for students as they try to continue their studies after the pandemic. Besides, it is a great way to teach students even when they or the teachers are sick or can’t travel to school for any reason.
Schools can continue with Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom sessions for online classes. Moreover, there are several other online platforms like Udemy, Coursera, etc. that offer several online courses for students.
2. Emphasis on Soft Skills Training and Development
Training and developing students’ soft skills is one of the top educational trends in 2022. Schools and educational institutes are gradually realizing the importance of developing soft skills in students. The pandemic has drained the social energy out of most students and it is up to the educational institutes to bring the students back on the right track. Besides, soft skills are what most employers seek while hiring new employees. This is why students must be packed with strong skillset comprising critical thinking, time management, people management, creativity, and communication skills.
Schools and educational institutes must come up with ideas and ways to encourage and develop these crucial skills. Doing so will not only boost the growth and development of students. But the educational institutions will see their students getting more chances of employment and performing better in their careers.
3. Technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Technology has influenced the education sector in more ways than we can imagine, especially in recent times. Artificial intelligence has the potential to completely transform educational institutions. Moreover, it is a great means to make things easier and more dynamic for teachers and students alike. New and advanced technology continues to improve the learning processes for students and teaching methodologies for teachers and instructors. The incorporation of technology in the classroom has encouraged students to learn and observe things inside classrooms and even when they are outside the school premises.
At the same time, technology is escalating educational capabilities without increasing costs and expenses. Artificial intelligence and technology influence educational processes by automating the data entry processes, and facilitating online classes and learning management systems (LMS). The use of technology and artificial intelligence in the educational sector will only continue to increase with time.
4. Microlearning
Most of us had to sit through classes for long hours without having a slight idea about what the lectures were about. We even considered ourselves dumb sometimes for not understanding what the teacher was trying to say. We didn’t know there was a limit to how much our minds can comprehend at a time. Luckily, students, today are saved from the torture of a 2-hour class thanks to a relatively new concept called microlearning or bite-sized learning.
Microlearning is an effective concept and learning methodology because it breaks the learning content, be it lectures, videos, or articles into small chunks so that students can grasp things easily. Microlearning also allows the lessons to be repeated so that students can remember them. Moreover, the skills learned through microlearning or bite-sized learning can help you in the long run. When you step foot in your professional career.
5. Immersive Learning through Extended Reality (XR)
One of the benefits of incorporating artificial intelligence in classrooms is that it provides opportunities for immersive learning via extended (virtual or augmented) reality. Immersive learning is slowly becoming popular among students and teachers alike. Extended reality offers a dynamic and highly advanced approach to learning and implementing education. A number of educational institutions, especially higher education institutes such as colleges and universities have adopted extended reality to facilitate learning.
On the other hand, most students who use the virtual and augmented reality part of the metaverse say that XR has proved to be valuable for them to understand core concepts, etc. Extended reality (XR) or immersive learning allows you to completely immerse in the lesson without getting distracted or zoning out. This will provide students with a better understanding of lessons and topics.
6. Digital Citizenship
Digital citizenship is all about getting fluent in digital media. Most students are more familiar with the internet than teachers, school management, or parents. Nevertheless, this does not necessarily mean they are using the internet and technology in a healthier way. This is where digital citizenship comes in. Digital citizenship makes students responsibly use technology, and positively engage in the digital environment.
In addition to that, it teaches students and learners to avoid oversharing on social media, protect their privacy, report illegal activities and harassment, search for reliable resources online, etc. Educational institutions must realize the importance of teaching their students core digital skills by including digital citizenship in their curriculum. Digital citizenship education will empower students to make the right digital choices and know their duties, responsibilities, and rights in the digital society.
