Michael Peter
EdTech Futures
Summary
This thesis studies emerging digital technologies from the fourth industrial revolution that will advance the future of education to meet 21st-century skills. The aim of this study is to outline policies that reshape the role of technology in education. The study uses a mixed-methods approach which includes stakeholder analysis, an EdTech user survey, literature review, future forecasting, a roundtable with experts, and policy design theory. This research paper is intended for stakeholders in the education policy community, including technology companies, educators, publishers and policymakers.
The structure of this study begins with researching the evolution of educational technologies from the past four centuries to identify key stakeholders and product development paradigms of the EdTech industry. Next, a preliminary user survey was conducted to forecast specific emerging technologies that will advance education in the future. Finally, a roundtable workshop was conducted with industry experts to see how those technologies can be applied in learning environments to understand the value and aim of technology and education. This methodology helped gain insights to draft a list of parameters that help product developers of digital educational technologies leverage user perspectives in co-creating meaningful new products to advance learning and teaching across various disciplines in higher education.
Additional info
This research study was made possible and conducted under, the supervision of Dr. Laura Farrarello and Dr. Esther Teichmann. Thank you for teaching me the tools and skills involved in research, and for your consistent support throughout this research journey.
I would also like to thank Robert Pulley and Clive van Heerden for their words of wisdom and for challenging my assumptions in this subject area.
Context
Based on survey responses, emerging digital technologies listed on the left can directly target 21st century skills listed on the right. Parameters for tech companies to focus their product development in fostering those skills in education have not been established yet.
Key Literature
A wide range of literature was considered prior to the practice of this study. This involved reading "The Fourth Industrial Revolution" by Klaus Schwab which took an optimistic projection of cloud technologies and its benefits to various industries. Tony Bates's "Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for teaching and learning," provided insight on the evolution of digital technologies in education. The other key literature referenced in this research is a report published by UNESCO on "Education in a post-COVID world," that outlined the inequalities caused by the recent pandemic in education.
Evolution of EdTech
It is clear that education has long embraced and used technology. It is rare for new technology to entirely replace older technology. The tremendous pace of technological advancement, as well as our everyday engagement in technology-based activities, distinguishes the digital age from all earlier epochs. As a result, its impact on education might be described as a paradigm shift. We're still in the midst of understanding its ramifications.
Paradigm Shift
The paradigm shift illustrated above suggests a more learning-centric EdTech product development approach that educates its users directly. Unlike past trends where technology is adopted by education to facilitate learning objectives.
Research Question
How might we reframe the role of emerging digital technologies for the futures of education to advance 21-century learning?
Future Scenario
The above demo video is a simulated artificial intelligence instructor. Created to help visualize the future scenario where AI technology will automate tasks in various learning environments. The guidelines below suggests parameters for policy development to help align future technologies in education, with interests of educators and learners.
Guidelines
- Be clear about the utility of its tool to advance learning and support educators.
- Counterbalance the hype and market pressure that push for agendas different form learning.
- Create affordances for new practices, programs, and methods to meet specific 21st century learning targets.
- Generating possibilities to move technology spending away from commoditized campus technology services and toward distinguishing activities such as teaching and learning.
- Emphasize that investments in EdTech is strategic to the course development through collaborative networks between various stakeholders.
