Featured article by Sebastian Miller, Independent Technology Author
Technology has affected our lives one way or the other. It has also improved many sectors. However, education remains one the key sectors that have and would benefit more as technology continues to grow. With cheap broadband, improved infrastructure, among others, there is a high possibility that education will become more accessible and simpler for students and teachers. We have already experienced these changes in the last couple of years. Now you can do your math assignment or find help with ease, something that was a bit difficult in the past. Here is how technology is changing education and what we can expect in the future.
1.  The use of Virtual Reality in schools will likely increase
Virtual reality is not a new topic in the tech world. It’s one of the tech advancements that have the potentials to transform education massively in the future.
Samsung, Google, and other tech heavyweights have already started investing heavily in VR projects. So we can expect more improvements in this technology in the future.
Virtual reality has had a tremendous impact in the gaming world. It has also proven itself as an impressive learning tool that can make teaching fun and engaging. Instead of teaching students the history of ancient Rome from a textbook, they can just put on the VR headset and experience Rome for themselves.
However, accessibility is one of the things that will make widespread acceptance and use of this VR technology possible. Many schools and students will adopt it to foster effective teaching and learning. With a mobile device and an app, one can make use of this technology. And since the number of teenagers who have access to a mobile device is dubbed to increase in the future, it won’t take long before every student has it on their device.
There will also be more innovations like the virtual science lab that is currently available. This lab allows students to perform experiments using harmful chemicals and flames without having contact with any of them. But the result remains the same as a real-life experiment conducted with the same materials. Such innovations will also give rise to discoveries because students and aspiring scientists will be able to experiment with ease.
2.  Artificial intelligence
AI is one tech innovation that will have more impact on education in the future. It will not only make learning effective for students but help teachers to perform their duties efficiently. Artificial intelligence such as Professor Einstein (a robot) is already making waves in the educational sector.
The robot helps science students by lecturing and helping them to understand science subjects. It has the potential to make complex science subjects look so easy for students, too. In addition to that, the robot has the capacity to make learning fun and engaging. It does not only provide answers to questions but uses a funny facial expression that makes learning less of a chore for students.
Chatbots and grading assistants are already helping teachers with their complex administrative work. The latter assist teachers to grade their students’ work, allowing them to focus more energy on teaching their students.
3.  Improved way of storing and delivering contents
There is a call by environmentalists to reduce human activities that contribute to global warming. And that includes the reduction of tree felling. Schools depend heavily on paper for writing, which in turn leads to tree felling, which doesn’t support the agenda of environment-conscious governments. But this will likely change in the future. And it will happen will the help of technology.
In other words, technology will change how teachers and students receive and send information. There will be a shift from the traditional system of using pen and paper to digital. Cloud services which provide a smooth, safe and cost-effective way of storing information will continue to gain relevance. It will become the best option for teachers and students to store data of any size. The advantage of storing and delivering contents digitally besides preservation of trees or reduction of paper waste is that there will be no need for re-printing. And it would be easier to update documents whenever one pleases.
Conclusion
The future of education will see a significant shift towards visual learning techniques, enabled by advancements in technology. Online platforms and interactive tools will allow students to engage with educational content in a more visual and immersive way, enhancing their learning experience. Students will have access to a wide range of visual aids, including diagrams, infographics, and videos, to support their learning. These visual tools will help students to better understand complex concepts and retain information.
According to the weekly essay, education will experience massive changes in the future because of tech advancements. Teachers will have access to technology that will enable them to teach effectively. Students will also have access to technology that would make learning more effective too. The only thing that is of great concern is for teachers and students to embrace educational tech tools and learn how to use them. If that can happen, then the world can expect a massive transformation of education in the future.
