Learning Will Become More Digital in 2020

With being well into the school, now is a great time to look at what the biggest trends in EdTech will be this year. 

Oru education experts have their finger on the pulse of the ever-changing EdTech landscape and have released a list of the top trends they are following this year. 

As expected, many of the trends revolve around the ways students, teachers, and family utilize and navigate increasingly sophisticated technology in and out of the classroom. But there’s more to 21st century education than technology. 

Here are a few of the predictions our team is making about education this year. 

1. PERSONALIZED LEARNING IS BECOMING MORE PREVALENT

We’re not announcing the death of standardized testing, but more and more, students, teachers and parents are seeing the benefit in personalized learning plans that give teachers a more comprehensive way to monitor student outcomes. 

2. MORE ALTERNATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

There has been a shift away from classic learning environments into those once considered out of the mainstream. Online schooling, co-ops, homeschooling and more are becoming more attractive to parents. Some of the benefits of these environments are even making their way into classical learning environments.  

3. STEM FOCUS CONTINUES TO DOMINATE

It’s become a buzzword in the education sphere over the last few decades but Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math curriculums continue to be a major focus of the education community. Unlike years past, many schools have found ways to incorporate those focuses into the larger liberal arts curriculum, creating important connections and context to give students a truly well-rounded education.

4. TECHNOLOGICAL INTEGRATION IN RESPONSIBLE WAYS

Students today are more technologically savvy than any other generation in history. Incorporating tech through digital textbooks, digital resources, interactive learning, and gamifying lessons are an effective opportunity to engage students and teaches them how to be responsible users of technology.

5. ASSISTIVE DEVICES ESCAPE THE HOME, ENTER THE CLASSROOM

Most of us have some kind of digital assistant in the home, but the use of these technologies will gain prominence this year. Students can get up to date information, ask questions, and have a space to dive deeper into subject matter through their AI devices, allowing their instruction to be more engaged and tailored.