The 6 Technologies That Will Shape Higher Ed
Game-based learning, learning analytics, and the "Internet of Things" are three of six technologies that will have a profound impact on higher education in the next one to five years, according to the latest NMC Horizon Report released by the New Media Consortium and the Educause Learning Initiative.
The annual NMC Horizon Report--this year released jointly by NMC and the Educause Learning Initiative--focuses on the key technology areas that researchers identify as applicable to teaching and learning and likely to have a major impact on educational institutions within the next five years, broken down into the technologies that will have an impact in the near term, mid-term, and longer term. The report also identifies "critical" challenges facing education in the near future.
For the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition, researchers and analysts identified six technologies that have the potential to break down linguistic and cultural barriers, make education more affordable and efficient, open up new modes of learning, improve students' chances of success and satisfaction in school, and connect us with the everyday objects in our lives.
"Identifying the key emerging technologies for learning is vital at a time when all institutions are forced to make very careful choices about investments in technology," said Malcolm Brown, director of the Educause Learning Initiative, in a prepared statement. "The Horizon Report goes beyond simply naming technologies; it offers examples of how they are being used, which serves to demonstrate their potential. The report also identifies the trends and challenges that will be key for learning across all three adoption horizons. This makes the Horizon Report essential for anyone planning the future of learning at their institution."
"Campus leaders and practitioners across the world use the report as a springboard for discussion around emerging technology," agrees Larry Johnson, CEO of the New Media Consortium, in a statement released to coincide with the report. "As this is the 10th year of the project, the report also offers an opportunity to think how some of these technologies have unfolded over time. What we see is that there continue to be long-term channels along which educational technology is evolving. These have affected, are affecting now, and will continue to affect the practice of teaching and learning in profound ways for some time."
Near-Term Technologies: Mobile Apps and Tablet Computing
According to the report, mobile technologies are changing the nature of computing for end users and developers, shifting away from "large suites of integrated software" and moving toward free and cheap apps--"small, simple, and elegant" pieces of software that generally do one thing or just a few things well.
"The potential of mobile computing is already being demonstrated in hundreds of projects at higher education institutions, according to the report. "At the most basic level, many universities and colleges have developed map and directory apps for current students to navigate campuses and for prospective students to take virtual tours or to enhance physical tours. As institutions begin to understand the potential of apps, they have built in features for students to check their grades, or to update them with sports scores or breaking campus news."
On the device side of mobile computing, tablets--led by Apple's iPad--are already having a significant influence on teaching and learning, though the impact of these devices--especially through institution-led student tablet programs--has yet to be understood.
"Because of their portability, large display, and touchscreen, tablets are ideal devices for one-to-one learning, as well as fieldwork," the report's authors argued. "Many institutions are beginning to rely on them in place of cumbersome laboratory equipment, video equipment, and various other expensive tools that are not nearly as portable or as inexpensive to replace."