3 technological developments in education; this is the future

Technological developments in education are moving at lightning speed. For instance, e-learning—the digital acquisition of knowledge—is now a familiar concept to many teachers and trainers. E-learning is an example of a technological development that has given education a massive boost.

And as with many technological developments, the function changes first, and the form follows later. Take the very first TV programs, for example; in the beginning, they were essentially just radio shows with some visual material added as an illustration. That is obviously very different now.

Or what about email? When email was first invented and used, people typed formal letters to each other just as they had previously done on paper or with a typewriter.

If we look at how rapidly short and concise emails fly around at all hours of the day now, a major transformation has taken place here as well. First the function (sending digital letters at high speed) and then the form (from formal letters to direct messages—often in colloquial language with emoticons).

It was no different with e-learning. Particularly in the early stages of e-learning, but also more recently during the first COVID lockdown, learning content was converted 1-to-1 from classroom to online without looking too closely at whether this was actually practical or effective. On one hand, it’s understandable—we were in a hurry and had no other choice. But on the other hand, it’s a shame; many students had a less-than-optimal learning experience because of it.

During these shifts, three major technological developments have taken place in education. We discuss these transformations in this blog and explain how you, too, can benefit from e-learning.

Three technological developments in education

1. Microlearning

The concept of microlearning involves breaking down lesson material into small chunks that can be watched, listened to, or read in just a few minutes. Microlearning is becoming increasingly popular because studies show that it leads to better learning outcomes than, for example, traditional lectures, presentations, or longer training formats. Microlearning also shares many similarities with how we use social media today (see point 3), which often makes it feel more natural and accessible, while also lowering the barrier to entry.

An interesting study from the University of Dresden shows that when they presented the same lesson material to two groups—one via traditional learning (longer duration and in a traditional format) and one via microlearning (in small, short chunks)—the students who received the material via microlearning answered questions 28% faster and achieved a 20% better result!

The ideal scenario is therefore to create videos, audio clips, or texts that take no more than 5 minutes. This makes microlearning extremely suitable for "mobile-first" learning (see point 2), as it consumes much less bandwidth than, for example, hour-long videos.

Want to create microlearning yourself? Here’s how!

2. Mobile first

Studies show that we spend an average of 3 to 5.5 hours a day on our phones. You might think, "That doesn't apply to me!" But you might be surprised ;-)

In the past (and still by some teachers), looking at your phone during class was seen as "bad" and "distracting." After all, the information came directly from the teacher, and you didn't need a phone for that.

Now that we are learning online more and more, it is essential when developing e-learning to make it "mobile-first." This means that the learning content is perfectly suited to be consumed in small chunks (think of TikTok or Instagram reels)—in other words, microlearning.

But learning via phone doesn't just fall under the heading of "educational trends." No, learning via mobile phone is also being encouraged in companies and organizations. Because hybrid working is becoming an increasingly major trend due to the pandemic, many companies are also offering their work processes in apps that can be used on phones. It’s ideal if your e-learning is available in this way as well.

However, it often turns out that if content is converted 1-to-1 from a classroom training, it does not meet the needs of the learner because it has not been designed according to the principles of microlearning and mobile-first.

A few things to keep in mind when you want to develop your e-learning "mobile-first":

• Use microlearning
• Ensure content is fully accessible on small screens
• Leverage the interactive capabilities of phones and tablets
• Keep in mind that learners may access materials using mobile data or public networks; it must be fast and have short loading times.

3. Social media
   

When discussing trends and developments in education, we cannot ignore the role of social media. We can learn a lot from social media, but the two most important lessons we can apply to the development of digital education are:

• ‍Algorithms are worth their weight in gold. An algorithm is an advanced technological development, used on social media among other places. It is a set of instructions that allows a computer to know what we find interesting. This information is gathered based on various metrics: how long we scroll, which content we click on, etc. This is also very valuable information when it comes to e-learning! What engages your learners, and where do they drop off? By mapping these figures and trends, you can personalize and optimize the learning outcome for every student. With Pluvo, you can create personal learning paths that automatically adapt to the learner's behavior or interests. Explore the possibilities of our learning management system for more information.‍

• The importance of social learning. You know that happy spark you feel when your social media post gets a like, someone shares it because they find it valuable, or leaves a nice comment. These are all forms of positive interaction. In e-learning, this positive interaction can also be stimulated by, for example, adding an active community to your course. It’s well worth it!

Educational trends in practice: need help?

If you keep the above trends in mind while developing your e-learning, you will make your courses progressive and future-proof!

Pluvo is the ideal platform for future-proof learning. Create a free account and discover the benefits.