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When people mention EdTech it can sound like something futuristic, but in reality, integrating new technology into learning environments is nothing new. All that changes is the technology itself.

Whiteboards were once cutting edge. As were overhead projectors. Go back further and what is an abacus if not an engineered means of facilitating mathematical problem-solving?

Technology is always with us, assisting in our learning, and if you don’t notice it, that’s simply because it’s become so familiar. Something actually different recently, though, is the pace of development. Technological progress is on an exponential curve, and we’re currently in a phase of not just acceleration, but accelerating acceleration.

At a time like this, it’s worth taking stock of what’s advancing rapidly on the horizon and, crucially, how it helps both students and teachers.

1. Paperless and Synced

One thing you might remember about school is that there was a lot of paper. Stacks of essays. Endless photocopies and handouts. Shelves heaving with books in varying stages of decay.

While this all adds to the atmosphere, and evokes a certain lettered ambience, it’s also inefficient, chaotic and easy to lose track of, prone to the elements, and requires vast amounts of space. On top of that, there are heavy books and stacks of documents to be carried around, sometimes room to room, sometimes from home to school, by both teachers and students.

By comparison, modern tech enables perfectly-synced, paperless learning. It feels clean and fresh, is well-organised, easily accessible, and immediately frees up space and resources.

Perhaps the best thing though, is that everything is accessible everywhere. So no more bags of books weighing you down, or a significant reduction, at least.

In an age where learning might take place anywhere, with all participants not necessarily at the same location together, it’s essential that materials can be tapped into online, and that work can be delivered instantly and accessed remotely.

In a paperless learning environment, lightness and flexibility are enhanced.

2. Remote Access

Complemented by and tied in with the paperless learning environment, there will be an increase in flexible study arrangements, made possible by remote work applications, like learning languages online. 

Increasingly, it simply will not be necessary to have everyone gathered in the same place at the same time. This is taking shape already, across all manner of industries, and education is no exception, with undergraduates attending remote lectures, students taking language lessons online, and self-starting enthusiasts making use of high-quality, online resources. Students from Pasadena City College can access student discounts on some language platforms.

At its best, what this may come to represent is a true opening up of education. Ideally, anyone, anywhere, will be able to access training and guidance in the precise disciplines and skills that they require or want. Utilized correctly, remote access equates with democratisation and convenience.

3. Assisted Assessment

Don’t take this the wrong way. Teachers make ongoing assessments of their students, based on a multitude of factors, some explicit and quantifiable, others more nebulous and nuanced. This is part of the job, and no-one would want to remove the human factor from the evaluation process.

At the same time though, having tools and apps that can instantly mine data and find trends will be of great value to both teachers and students, providing additional information about what students are doing right, and where they can make changes and improve.

Additionally, having some degree of automation and assistance results in teachers having more time, some of which can be spent on the personal evaluation and guidance that AI can’t handle. Used in a balanced way, this kind of technological assistance is an example of how technology can liberate and enhance human strengths.

Expect data-driven insights and machine learning to play core roles in the near future, becoming a familiar component of efficient academic environments.

4. Educational VR

Is there much potential for using virtual reality tech in the classroom? Well, think about it like this: how about videos and audio equipment; are they useful?

The point being, if there’s value in using videos, then multiply that up and imagine what you can get from VR.

You might study history by taking an immersive tour of feudal Japan. Or learn about volcanoes by descending into one. Or get to grips with the solar system by landing on Mars.

How about a trainee surgeon watching an operation from the point of view of the expert surgeon? Or a military recruit getting a first taste of controlling a military vehicle in a hostile environment, without travelling under-prepared to a conflict zone?

VR is improving all the time, has applications in a wide range of fields, and looks set to greatly enhance learning and skill acquisition.

Similarly, look out for mixed reality and augmented reality. While we’re familiar with seeing groups of schoolchildren roaming museums and galleries on school excursions, what is likely to make inroads is AR. This means they’ll be taking in exhibits with a tablet in hand, pointing it at what they see, and receiving overlaid extras on screen, educating them further about what they’re looking at.

Perhaps at some point, they won’t hold the tablet at all, receiving information through glasses or goggles. Certainly, the technology exists, and additionally, there are already artists making use of AR to produce exhibits with a digital component.

If it’s starting to sound like we’ve accidentally ventured into the realm of science fiction, don’t worry: tech-assisted learning is not a new concept, it’s just getting a lot better, very quickly.