This is an assignment for my Trend Analysis in Educational Technology
The most in-demand jobs for 2021 can all be done remotely, according to LinkedIn’s analysis of work trends in 15 countries (“Digital roles top the list of jobs on the rise in 2021,” 2021).
This means higher education institutions need to prepare for a future with fewer full-time employees and an increased number of students who are looking for flexible courses and degrees.
Augmented Reality is a newer technology that has been developed for this type of learner by assisting them through their learning process with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
By integrating AR technology into our classrooms, we can create interactive experiences with holograms, video tutorials from experts around the world, or even real-life simulations.
In addition to these benefits, augmented reality provides learners with a more engaging experience by bringing concepts to life by allowing them to interact with 3D models.
Implementing this type of technology into higher education will prepare tomorrow’s workforce for jobs that don’t yet exist while expanding higher education access and affordability.
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Since the pandemic, the education landscape has altered, and we are now exploring ways for university students to study remotely while still obtaining a college classroom experience.
The higher education system has already shifted to blended learning where online coursework is integrated with in-person classes.
Augmented Reality can be implemented into higher education courses to engage learners by combining the benefits of blended learning with cutting-edge technology. Some of the problems that augmented reality can help higher education institutions address are flexible learning, accessibility, diversity, and providing future work skills.
Flexible Learning: The higher education system struggles to provide students with a way to study that caters to their needs. By implementing Augmented Reality into higher education courses, learners would be able to access material from anywhere at any time while still receiving support from higher education instructors before and after class.
Accessibility: Augmented Reality provides an opportunity for higher education institutions to expand access and affordability by opening doors for a greater number of learners around the world who don’t have the means or mobility necessary to attend brick-and-mortar schools.
Diversity: As higher education continues to shift focus towards more immersive practices, there has been an increase in seeing diverse faces behind different types of technologies such as augmented reality. Expanding higher education with AR will provide an opportunity for a greater number of students from different backgrounds to learn and explore what higher education may look like in the future.
Future of Work: The higher education system prepares our students for jobs that don’t exist yet by expanding their skill set as professionals. Currently, higher education institutions are using simulations to prepare students for jobs that don’t exist yet. Augmented Reality can be used to enhance these types of experiences by creating life-sized simulations that allow our graduates a more immersive experience to hone their future skill sets.
Augmenting Reality and Virtual Reality Trend Analysis
A recent report on VR and AR in the educational sector shows that virtually all students would like to take a VR course. In general, studies of this trend in educational technology showed that such immersive and interactive technologies may provide experiential learning, conceptual and procedural understanding, and psychomotor skill development (“2021 for ’21: Immersive learning VR/AR in learning trends reports,” 2021).
Another study that examined technological trends in education utilized VR to evaluate student learning gains. It also looked at the learners’ sense of personal development, their relationships with their teammates, and how the classroom was orchestrated in general.
The use of technologies provided an engaging learning experience (Dojchinovska, 2021). With the increasing amount of technology that is occurring in education, people have to learn and teach in a different way, they have to be innovative.
The higher education sector has been slow to adopt augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) but is starting to embrace the technology for their benefits in higher learning. Experts are suggesting that augmented reality and virtual reality will become essential modes of learning in higher education.
As educators continue to experiment with AR/VR technologies, they see firsthand how it benefits students by allowing them to construct deep understandings of complex concepts.
The higher-level skills developed in these experiences can be applied in many contexts outside of formal higher education at work or later in life as lifelong learners.
These new realities give numerous opportunities for both staff and students alike to explore powerful methodologies around higher-order thinking skills such as visualization, mapping, inquiry, modeling, storytelling, and reflection (My EdTech Life, 2021).
The higher education system is preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist by giving them the skills to develop concepts of things that are not physically present. Currently, higher education institutions are using simulations to prepare students for jobs that don’t exist yet.
Augmented Reality can be used to enhance these types of experiences by creating life-sized simulations that allow our graduates a more immersive experience to hone their future skill sets (“Making AR and VR a reality in higher education,” 2021).
Augmented Reality in higher education is still a relatively new concept, but the higher-education sector has begun to adopt AR and VR. However, as educators continue experimenting with these technologies they see firsthand how it benefits students by allowing them to construct deep understandings of complex concepts.
The higher-level skills developed in these experiences can be applied in many contexts outside of formal higher education at work or later in life as lifelong learners.
These new realities give numerous opportunities for both staff and students alike to explore powerful methodologies around higher-order thinking skills such as visualization, mapping, inquiry, modeling, storytelling, and reflection.
As we head into an era where technology will play a larger role than ever before when it comes to higher education, higher-level thinking skills will be critical to building our future leaders.
References
2021 for ’21: Immersive learning VR/AR in learning trends reports. (2021, January 11). https://www.immersivelearning.news/2021/01/11/2021-for-21-immersive-learning-vr-ar-in-learning-trends-reports/
AR / VR education: Practical application of the technology. (2018, October 1). Best Web & Mobile App Developers Company | The APP Solutions. https://theappsolutions.com/blog/development/ar-vr-in-education/
Digital roles top the list of jobs on the rise in 2021. (2021, February 22). World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/02/most-in-demand-jobs-2021/
Dojchinovska, A. (2021, April 1). 17 trends in educational technology that will define 2021. Mark in Style. https://markinstyle.co.uk/trends-in-educational-technology/
Making AR and VR a reality in higher education. (2021, January 29). The Next Platform. https://www.nextplatform.com/2021/01/24/making-ar-and-vr-a-reality-in-higher-education/
My EdTech Life. (2021, September 11). Augmenting the Reality of Learning in Higher Education [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4E6LF50k1Q
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