Demystifying the future of learning

Technology is changing everything. Over the past two decades, we have seen a monumental change in the ways in which we communicate, work, play and learn. As we progress into the digital age, an understanding of and connection to technology is becoming mandatory.

"Technology needs to be incorporated in the future of education to ensure students are equipped with the skills to cope in a world dependent on technology.”

The factory-inspired, 19th century model of education was focused on packaging, or ‘bundling’ as many forms of learning into applicable skills as possible. This method functioned while the availability of teaching resources was and has remained extremely limited since its inception. We now move into a new era of ‘unbundling’, as expressed by CMO of 5ire, Utkarsh Amitabh in an article for World Economic Forum. This “great unbundling” will manifest with courses offering specific training in focused skills such as “soft skills, core skills, critical thinking or an opportunity to network” where we previously saw students offered access to all four.

Initial developments already at play take the form of online courses, ‘open’ universities and fast-track bootcamps in areas such as digital design and coding. The COVID-19 pandemic also saw a globalisation of communication tools such as Zoom and Google Meets, previously confined to high-powered office environments. These platforms revolutionised the education sector, ensuring that students from primary age until post graduate would have access to the classes, courses, lectures and seminars wherever they were in relation to their school or university. 

As we witness new course structures and intensive learning processes develop into the mainstream, the motivation is to engage students as quickly as possible, and for the shortest amount of time. In 2019, the Guardian reported that “the information age has changed the general attention span”, with reports in 2021 indicating that the average adult attention span was just 47 seconds (and decreasing). This is largely due to the influx of apps such as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok taking over our previously highly-accessed online channels such as YouTube (longer form videos), online magazines and newspapers and communication channels. Educators and employers are taking this into consideration at the advent of the new technological education age, but we have to consider what could be done to increase progression into a digital future while replenishing consciousness and real-time focus.

“Seeing a drawing of an atom printed on a page and being inside an atom are very different experiences.”

The future of education lies in visualisation through the use of immersive technologies. These tools, such as augmented and virtual reality, enable students and teachers to go beyond the existing classroom structures currently accessible in the physical world and online spaces such as Zoom. 

Augmented reality has been expanding reach globally for over ten years, with an estimated 2.4 billion users worldwide by the end of 2023. This is a particularly exciting tool for the education sector, as AR combines 25% digital reality with 75% existing reality, meaning that educators have a greater possibility to control and manipulate the information presented to their students. In this way, “classroom education can be extraordinary and more interactive, as AR can enable teachers to show virtual examples of concepts and add gaming elements to provide textbook material support.” In a world where younger people are becoming more and more accustomed to life in the virtual world (oftentimes ahead of the real world), augmented reality presents an opportunity to learn in real-time while expanding on the potential of the digital space. The gamification of AR also lends itself well to the new models of ‘learning from home’ now offered by most schools, courses and universities. This learning tool serves to engage students for longer periods of time while saving money on expensive training programmes and equipment.

Virtual reality experiences have been gaining popularity in the education sector as more accessible forms of the technology and less prohibitive costs become available. Students are offered opportunities to ‘travel’, connect and communicate either with VR headsets within existing classroom spaces or environments and are also able to have new learning experiences in immersive classrooms. These spaces are particularly important for younger students, as they create borderless locations within which students are able to learn and share without restrictions based on financial aspects, ability to travel, mobility or larger classroom sizes as is often the case in less wealthy schools. The immersive classroom model can be particularly effective in “transporting students beyond the classroom” without the need for expensive VR headsets, which some students also find difficult or uncomfortable to use. 

“Educational technology is evolving to include artificial intelligence.”

AI also plays a big role, and we are only now beginning to understand its potential in education. We already use AI-dependent software in much of the technology accessed in our daily lives: from voice recognition and assistance, automatic mapping software and credit card fraud programmes, but how is this relevant to the developments in education?

The impending use of AI agents in classrooms could help teachers save time, and gain access to a global database of information proven to have worked in classrooms around the world. Through using voice-activated technology to request visual cues or aids (for example, by requesting the display of an ancient map), teachers will be able to choose from a wide pool of existing knowledge in order to increase both comprehension and learning time within the classroom. AI also extends further into IA, or intelligence augmentation. This development could be particularly useful in classrooms as “IA centres ‘intelligence’ and ‘decision-making’ in humans but recognises that people sometimes are overburdened and benefit from assistive tools.” It is also important to note that both AI and IA will offer the possibility of greater regulation and consistency in teaching, learning and testing scenarios due to the omission of human error. Computers are able to create systematic patterns and models of reasoning that should ultimately level the playing field in education and standardise across the board.

“A fast-changing world also means a fast-changing job market. So, to remain employable in the near future, people will need to continuously develop new skills and adapt.”

As education models develop, so do the minds and skills of students. This ultimately leads to an ever-changing job market that is informed by each new development in the technological space. The traditional model of education, which is characterised by a box-ticking process of completing exams, gaining accolades and various certificates before entering the job market, has already been rendered obsolete. This is a new age of freelancers, which is focused on the gig economy amidst multiple startups and self-employed professionals. Young people entering the job market now will need to do so with a mindset of constant evolution and a desire for lifelong learning, contrary to previous, career-led trajectories.

Education now takes on a new meaning, as employers begin to take on the role of educators as they offer courses and pathway developments to their employees and contractors. As we introduce the future of education to our children, we also have to consider their potential access points into the world of work and the continued journey of learning throughout life. As we strive to find a balance between fast-paced technological advancements and authentic, long-lasting human connection, we can look to educational models that combine elements of both digital and physical reality to enhance this.

“Education is not just about job skills. It's also about critical thinking, creativity, and empathy, which are all needed for navigating an increasingly complex world.”