The classroom looks a lot different than it did just 15 years ago. Technology now plays a central role to students and their education.

We see schools implementing blended learning programs, leveraging classroom learning management systems, and introducing social platforms to solidify key points.

By way of example, technology in the classroom during the early 2000s was pretty basic. You would generally see:

• Overhead projectors
• Presentation clickers (I still use this 🙂 )
• Interactive whiteboards
• Internet
• YouTube

The advent of flexible APIs and new devices drastically transformed the landscape of edtech. Today, it’s pretty common to find:

• SMART Boards
• Laptops/Notebooks
• Tablets
• Learning management software
• Smartphones
• Educational apps
• Digital course content

Classroom technology is here to stay. In 2014 alone, nearly $3 billion in technology education commitments were made from the U.S. federal government and private organizations. Most of the funding was for high-speed internet access across 15,000 different schools (~$2 billion).

We can probably expect this number to increase in the years to come.

There is a reason for this massive investment: edtech has a positive influence on learning.

In fact, one survey found that technology in the classroom is giving educators the opportunity to create custom learning experiences for their students. As a result, 78% of K-12 teachers believe that the technology has positively impacted student productivity.

But what does the future hold for edtech?

It’s hard to say exactly, but some speculate that we’ll start to see completely digial classrooms, virtual field trips, standard online testing, and even more personalized learning experience as learning management systems become more advanced.

If you have any interest in education technology, instructional design, and elearning, then this is a space you’ll certainly want to keep an eye on as it is only projected to grow.

Reference:
sungardk12.com