Technology has fast become an inherent part of our daily lives, permeating every aspect of how people interact in their personal and work environments. With devices being more affordable and the cost of data and Wi-Fi connectivity seeing a decline, education technology has emerged to offer new remote and hybrid experiences that improve learning outcomes. As schools and universities embrace the digital curriculum, below are 5 key edtech trends that will shape the future of education in 2022 and beyond.

1. Short-Term Microlearning for Long-Term Recallability

In an earlier blog post, we touched on microlearning as one of the leading topics discussed at the E-Learning Indaba 2022. Curriculums have adapted to this learning methodology by providing bite-sized, multimedia content designed to be consumed at a pace that is suitable to the learner. This short-term learning approach helps to unpack the complexity of any subject while testing students with quicker turnaround times for feedback and revision, which result in better recallability and long-term retention.

2. Hybrid or Blended Learning for the Smart Classroom

While hybrid learning is not necessarily new, its acceleration in the past 2 years has been worth noting. As schools return to some level of normalcy, a positive outcome of the previous forced lockdowns has been the progression of the smart classroom. According to a study by the Center for Digital Education, 73% of educators have seen an increase in learner engagement when incorporating blended learning into their curriculum. By bringing together the best of e-learning and in-person instruction, teachers are better resourced with flexible technology solutions that enable a seamless transition between both teaching formats, making the classroom experience dynamic, engaging, and interactive.

In a country grappling with ongoing teacher shortages, hybrid learning can also help ease the pressure of low teacher-to-learner ratios while improving the quality of education. Read our case study to learn more about how Niflink addressed the challenge of teacher shortages with its virtual teacher solution.

3. LXPs for Personalised Learning

Learning Management Platforms (LMS) have been the mainstay of the e-learning industry, however, this software has given way to Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs) which are expected to ‘surpass USD 2186.4 Million by 2026’ in market size. While an LMS has made it much easier for teachers to develop, deliver, track and report on student progress, the LXP addresses some of the shortcomings of an LMS – by empowering students to create their own learning experience. With an LXP, students can leverage the power of artificial intelligence to curate and discover third-party and user-generated content, as well as design their own individualised, custom learning pathways that are self-paced.

An LXP is not necessarily an alternative to an LMS but rather a complementary solution to the formal top-down approach of the latter, with the bottom-up, open learning approach of the former. Additionally, pairing both platforms provides richer learner data that can help decision-makers and teachers better understand their student’s needs and learning preferences.

4. Gamification & Extended Reality (XR) for Immersive Learning

Like microlearning, gamification can help drive recallability and retention through immersive and social learning experiences that are rich in media and content. By incentivising the learning path, students are motivated to progress through courses in a sustained and highly captivating way. With the likes of artificial, virtual, and mixed reality that encompass extended reality technology, these digital applications take gamification a step further by bringing life to what is usually a very static and 1-dimentional learning experience. With all the excitement around the metaverse and what that will mean in our daily lives, it should be no surprise that the education sector will embrace similar solutions that may arguably render the physical classroom obsolete, as seen in the success of video-gaming company Roblox.

Like LXPs, students are also empowered to use gamification to create their own content and collaborate in a digital world that improves skills in teamwork and collective problem-solving, while engaging with learning materials in a deeper, practical, and contextual way for real-world application.

5. Data

Data is almost inevitably the result of any form of digital interaction, be it social media, online streaming, automation services, customer services, mobile app usage, and of course e-learning, among others. Any activity where information is collected, processed, analysed, and utilized to make decisions, results in data. Learner behaviour and activity tracking can help educators understand how students are progressing through a course; how they’re engaging with content; and identify patterns in retention and completion rates, to inform how human-centred curriculums or custom courseware are designed.

As more students engage with your digital education platforms, the need to create, store and transfer content also means incorporating productivity tools into your edtech ecosystem; from cloud computing, data compression, and data management systems, getting a good handle of your ever-increasing data can in turn improve the efficiency of your learning environment.

Now that you’re all set on the key trends to invest in for the year, get Your Ultimate E-Learning Checklist for 2022.