We live in a fast-paced world, and it continues to evolve and progress with no breaks at all, and the professional world is no exception to that. This growth goes hand-in-hand with the revolutionary development in technology that has marked the beginning of the world’s fourth industrial revolution. Like every other industry out there, this revolution has a significant impact on the educational sector too.
As we progress into an era where technology continues to flourish by leaps and bounds, we must ensure that the education our young minds receive is up to date. They should be aware of the new trends and achievements and have the intellect and knowledge to utilize them. The goal in mind is to shape the bright young minds into responsible and beneficial adults.
We understand that for educators and speaker like Wilhelm Meya to influence, teach, and engage students, they must remain ahead of the growing minds and ever-increasing technology. Here are some of the most popular trends in the educational system:
TRENDS IN EDUCATION INDUSTRY
TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS
Technological trends have had a significant impact on the education industry. The usage of computers and the internet has played its role in evolving the methods of information access. The proof of that is that by 2017, about 6.5 million students were studying through online classes and courses. With the pandemic lockdowns, the whole world and education sector are operating online. Students use multiple media and learning support tools to gain education over the internet. It has become a necessity due to the widespread pandemic that has enforced public lockdowns. This trend has its drawbacks and benefits for the students and the instructors. Institutions need to make compromises since they want to continue providing education to their students.
SCHOOL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
A part of the academic, technological revolution includes the usage of information management systems in school. Schools had to maintain heaps of records and registers to keep track of students.
The daily paperwork was a tedious task. But the new educational systems offer degrees that can help educators learn how to handle these tasks better. And the availability of these degrees online has made them easier to access. Enrolling a course like a Master of Information Management degree can help educators learn essential skills for efficient management.
Experts in information management find themselves equipped with all the right skills for assisting educational institutes in managing and performing their functions. With the help of software systems, schools can perform their daily activities in a matter of moments.
SOFT SKILLS TRAINING
Essential work-related skills include problem-solving skills, critical thinking, creativity, and the ability to engage and manage people. The educational system wants individuals with leadership skills. It is why instructors and teachers have an emerging trend to train students and upgrade their soft skills. But the online learning trend has made this task hard for instructors. Educationalists have to balance student engagement to develop their soft skills and online class time for their studies.
DECREASING ATTENTION SPANS
According to a Microsoft study, people now have an attention span shorter than a Goldfish, which is 8 seconds. This reduced attention-span is an indicator that the traditional methods of teaching may not be as effective. Older generations were capable of paying attention for a more extended period. Therefore, simple spoken lectures would have worked fine for them. But not anymore. To keep students’ attention, instructors need to teach extremely engaging content and find creative ways. Captivating visuals and interesting dialogues are something that can hold their attention.
This trend means instructors and teachers have to design their teaching methods to capture a student’s attention. A great way to do that is to offer some challenge and interaction to the students.
CHALLENGES IN EDUCATION INDUSTRY
CONSUMERISM IN EDUCATION INDUSTRY
Institutions have come to do a business out of education. Due to the wide association of degrees and education with money-making means rather than a means to broaden our mind, we see passive attitude in students.
Students show a passive attitude, demotivating the visions of critical thinking, creativity, and challenge that education proposes. The approach to learning has become a surface-level approach rather than deep thought. Due to their consumerist attitude, schools are more focused on people-pleasing rather than the educational aspects.
STANDARDIZED TESTING PROCESS
Standard exams are given to the students and scored in more or less the same manner worldwide. Institutions take exams annually, bi-annually, or semester wise. Due to the placement of standard testing methods, most institutions focus on tests and their outcomes. Regular learning becomes a secondary focus for people. This change in direction, hence, affects students in the class. The pressure on the students centralizes around scoring good grades rather than acquiring fundamental skills.
While there are people in support of standard testing procedures, this procedure has many opponents too. People argue that every individual is different, and traditional testing cannot justify their abilities. They say that the shift in focus from learning to scoring produces passive individuals rather than active people with critical thinking abilities. This debate is encouraging educationists to work harder on updating the educational process.
EQUITY IN EDUCATION
The concept of equity in terms of education relates to the standard testing process. The fundamental goal was to judge everyone on the same platform because this method came about equity in education. But research proves that not every student studies in the same circumstances. The background of a student has a lot of effect on their educational abilities. And thus, the problem prevails.
CONCLUSION
Trends in education change over time to adapt and overcome the current problems. There are many problems in the educational system worldwide. But educationalists are continually working on these issues to provide quality education to all. The aim is to produce bright-minded individuals that can work towards the advancement of society. Technology, psychology, and state politics, and economic conditions play a massive role in these regards.
