Educational innovation: 7 technology trends for 2020-2030

Educational innovation

Educational innovation: 7 technology trends for 2020-2030

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have played a prominent and sustained role in educational innovation. In the last decades, its impact is reflected, mainly, in the evolution of educational modalities, tools, and platforms.

In less than 20 years we have gone from face-to-face education developed mainly in the classroom, to multiple training options in digital spaces. Thus, the needs in the field of training and employment have also changed. To do this, it is only necessary to see the growth in the demand for teleworking and the new job profiles that derive from the digital economy.

ICTs are allies of educational innovation

Through educational innovation, strategies, approaches, and new tools are developed to respond to changing requests. If face-to-face training has limitations, technological tools serve as a platform to reduce learning differences and reinforce participation.

The combination of technology and educational innovation to respond to new ways of relating to each other is observed in mobile learning. In this way, technologies enable educational innovation. As a result, they enable a wider range of training options. Also, they allow a greater number of people to access them, even in complicated conditions like the one we currently find ourselves in.

Next, we will know how the technological tools that are trending serve as a lever to advance in training.

Educational innovation based on technological trends 2020-2030

The year 2020 was baptized by the United Nations as the “year of the technological leap”. This progress has been accelerated by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The need to incorporate immediate adaptations, such as teleworking and online education, became latent overnight.

Thus, applying educational innovation, too, has become a necessity to respond to the increased demand for educational services on digital platforms. Fortunately, there is a group of technologies that are expected to reach a degree of maturity that allows them to be integrated into day-to-day activities. 

According to reports from Gray Spain, Deloitte Insights and Gartner, these are the seven technological trends that will have an impact on education in the 2020 to 2030 decade:

1. Artificial intelligence (AI)

The incorporation of its applications in virtual learning platforms is increasing. In this way, algorithms and AI-based models make it possible to improve educational services.

Participants in the educational process are served by intelligent agents and chatbots with service 24 hours a day.

In addition, feedback and support to users no longer depend on a person or schedule limitations, but smart assistants support both academic and administrative processes.

2. Hyper-automation of processes

Artificial intelligence techniques, such as machine learning, are included in algorithms with the ability to learn. This allows intelligent agents to perform activities traditionally performed by humans.

These are not simple repetitive tasks, but more complex processes. They involve data analysis, monitoring and decision making in real time.

The hyper-automation of processes applied to educational innovation allows learning environments to be adaptive. Thus, they analyze the activities of users and their behavior, learning from them and adapting their behavior.

3. Cybersecurity

Although aspects of computer security have been studied for several decades, improvements are always required. For example, with the advancement of technologies, risks also evolve.

Cybersecurity in educational innovation is aimed at increasing data protection and privacy. Also, to prevent cyber attacks, avoid identity theft and illegal intrusion into learning environments.

4. Immersive technologies

The combination of the use of virtual reality augmented reality and mixed reality makes multisensory interaction possible. Incorporating as an educational innovation, the use of holograms and avatars creates a different experience in interaction.

Access to information through augmented reality enriches the educational experience. Thus, complementary data is provided immediately and access is given to more sources of information.

5. Edge computing

Educational innovation through this technology can be seen in the improvement of services, increasing, for example, speed. Also, known as edge computing or proximity computing that stores and processes data near the devices that generate it.

This approach to data management enables offloading to educational servers in the cloud. Another advantage is responding in less time to user requests, reducing latency.

6. 5G networks

It is a new mobile communications system characterized by high-speed and low-latency networks, together with greater bandwidth and the increase in the number of connected devices, which are a support for the advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT, acronym for English).

Educational innovation can take advantage of the combination of the IoT and 5G networks. In this way, learning environments are obtained with greater benefits in terms of user capacity, speed of access to resources (upload and download), and connectivity.

7. Gamification or gamification

The use of playful strategies has been historical in education, especially during the first levels of teaching. The educational innovation in this case is to make the game a motivating factor. Gamification is applicable both in adult training and to obtain better performance at work.

The mass use of digital devices allows combining gamification with training modalities such as e-learning and m-learning. Through challenges, games, and online competitions, playfulness is incorporated into the training process, increasing interaction and interest.

As can be seen, information and communication technologies have been a great ally to improve both access and educational methods worldwide. In conclusion, educational innovation allows institutions and training processes to maintain their evolution.