Once with the technology development, the world around us has quickly changed. That is the reason why people think that technology will replace human intelligence. Some teachers consider that, in the near future, they will be running out of students because technology might take many tasks and abilities that students could have learnt.
Immanuel Kant used to say that we are defined by what we managed to accomplish in education. Education offers us tools- economical tools, social tools, technology tools and ethic tools- in order to improve our lives. Kant was of the opinion that education is essential, just as air or food. Taking into account all these aspects, we can be sure that education will never disappear; even it might take another form.
Year 2020 showed us that those different forms of education have been indispensable. From the time and place flexibility to the personalized classes, all these changes are the new education.
Where are we today?
Although there are signs that enrollment in higher education around the world is slowing down, it is estimated that the number of enrollments will be increasing from 214,1 millions in 2015 to 594,1 millions in 2040. As universities have become more accessible, the enrollments have been increasing. In average, it is expected that 36% of the young adults from OECD countries will graduate, at least once, a tertiary education, before they turn 30.
In Romania, in 2018, getting the tertiary education level for the group of ages 30-34 has decreased at 24,6% from 26,3% in 2017.
How does the future look?
Education has to prepare the new generation with the necessary skills in order to prosper in tomorrow’s world. It is considered that half of the jobs might be automated by 2055. Also, less than 5% of the jobs will be fully automated, but 60% of them might see how 30% out of their tasks will be automated.
In a world where information is at a click away, we do not have to learn by heart anything, any longer. In fact, most of the things that we learned at school might start to be useless in the digital area. However, we will need new skills that have to help us to manage these amazing tools that we posses. We need to know how to interpret the results of a search, to evaluate critically, to make ethical appreciations about the way of using technology, and also we need to think creatively in order to come up with solutions at more and more complex Global issues.
Moreover, students will spend more time interacting with stimulations. Digital experiences will be powered by a new series of new technologies- including VR/AR, and even basic services based on HTML and mobile apps.
New methods of learning
Beginning from these new skills, school’s curriculum will be modified. The biggest change is the shift from division into different subjects to ,phenomenon-based learning”. For example, a lesson about Vikings could include history, geography, and writing of stories or teamwork for building a boat. This method focuses on skills as communication, creativity, and critical thinking and also it prepares much better the students to apply their knowledge at the work place.
Due to all the changes that have been made, the concept of,, returned class” will be the next step to a more independent way of learning. This method requires students to read on their own the materials, and only then they can come with questions at their class. In this way, the mentoring will become fundamental for success of the students. Although the future of education seems to be far away, the teacher and the school are vital for academical performances.
How students attention is much more harder to catch in nowadays, from that particular reason, education in an informal environment, like a museum, it could be an useful method. This method might help students to choose theoretical concepts with personal problems. This mixture of experiences of learning exploits the strengths of both environments and offers authentic activities to the students.
It is said that ,many hands make light work”, beginning with these words of wisdom, we can develop a method of learning that focuses on teamwork. The concept of ,,cooperative learning” starts from teamwork improves attention and students involvement, and also the amount of knowledge that students can assimilate.
Design Thinking, is a technique based on solving some cases from real life through group analyze, brainstorming and presenting of some creative and innovative ideas. This method has the role prepare students for real life, developing their curiosity and analyzing abilities. Auto-visual materials are already used in addition to the old books. These could be movies or images. With the help of this method, the students not only that they will develop their ability of listening, but this auto-video methos will help them with a better understanding of the presented concepts. In essence, learning based on projects help students to gain knowledge and abilities through the projects developing which are responding to existential life issues.
The effect of the pandemic on education
The Covid 19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems in history, affecting nearly 1.6 billion students in more than 1900 countries on all continents. The ability to respond to closing the schools is changing dramatically once with the level of development: for example, in the second quarter of 2020, 86% of primary dropped out of schools in the countries with low human development-comported to only 20% in countries with very high human development.
The pandemic has changed the whole education for the ones from Z Generation. Being the first digital generation, they are expecting now, more virtual connection with their friends and with the curriculum. Most of the socialization is taking place at school, and the students are trying to fill this gap. Students are stopping from coming up with an idea or an opinion during video meets in order to avoid talking one to another.
The disadvantage is that the education is assisting at negative repercussions as well. The pandemic overreacts about social-economical issues, but the abyss in education is really deep. For the students with a lower budget, losing the access to schools and their libraries it means, losing their only chance of using a quite place for learning or a computer. Even if you have a computer at home, it might not be as useful as it school if they have to share it with their family.
Basically, it is a excellent period for teachers to test new methods of teaching and for the students to find their information online.. In the reality, many of the Educational Systems around the world are not prepared to support such hard times, they miss what they need for an effective lesson online.