Education has improved in so many ways that it can difficult to predict how it will be in the next five years. Students and teachers alike have been reshaping education through innovative teaching methods, incorporation of technology, and programs designed to expand educational opportunities for all students. Today’s education not only caters for individual needs but also paves the way for collective development and prepares us for the future.
The modern-day student is informed, competitive, and well-connected with what is happening around the globe. A cynic would say that the innovative teaching methods and vast technological advancements have done nothing to change the cost of education. Here are some innovations that have transformed education cost landscape.
1-to-1 Computing
Due to the increased portability, sufficient power supply, and lower price for computers, schools are now buying computers for their students while others are allowing and encouraging students to bring their own tablets and laptops. Putting these devices in the hands of students will allow teachers to deliver more personalized content to students, enable students to learn at their own pace, and prepare students for modern workplaces. It also improves administration and management of schools, improves communication, and reduces the cost of education.
Blended Learning
Blended learning is the combination of traditional learning with technology-based teaching techniques. Blended learning requires a student to rotate between online classes and in-person stations. Here are the reasons why more learning institutions are embracing online classes.
- Online learning expands learning time- With online classes, learning can happen anywhere at any time. Students can access information at home, or any place where they can access the internet.
- It prepares students for real life- Gone are the days when students relied on their teachers to tell them about what’s happening around the world. It has changed everything, and students can search for info on any topic they want to know: they can explore new things and seek better understanding. Online learning helps them understand how the world works, and this prepares them for real life.
- It allows students to learn at their ability level- Online learning employs instructions and techniques that match students’ skills. It enables students to learn comfortably and get what they need when they need it depending on their abilities.
- It reduces the cost of education- Online programs can help reduce tuition fee because schools do not have to maintain facilities like libraries or pay for amenities. Online programs also provide cheap electronic books thereby reducing the ever-increasing costs of paper textbooks.
Personalized Learning
Personalized learning helps teachers and schools address the diverse learning needs, aspirations, cultural backgrounds, or interests of individual students. This innovation is catching fire in online universities, but traditional schools are also catching on to its benefits. To support individualized learning, student information system, learning management structures and other software are used to manage schedules, distribute assignments, and track student progress. Here is why more and more learning institutions are embracing personalized learning.
- Increased student engagement- Rather than receiving and echoing information, the modern-day students can take an active role in the learning process and contribute to their own education.
- Realistic learning goals- Students can now work with teachers to set their learning goals and are able to achieve them through personalized learning.
- Technology integration- In the past, information came from the teachers or predetermined course material. But that changed with the introduction of personalized learning. Schools now encourage students to search for independent sources online, and this helps in the integration of technology into schools.
Of course, there are more innovations in the education sector, and more changes are expected. However, the ones mentioned above give you a clear picture of how education has evolved and how the cost of education is reducing. Therefore, schools, students, teachers, and parents must be ready to embrace change. This means encouraging innovation, adopting new technologies, and redesigning the entire model of education to match the modern world and become more student-centered.
