EDT7860

November 2014
Emerging technologies
have continued to
make changes into
how we do business in
private industry &
education. The New
Media Consortium is a
group of experts who
got together to
examine trends in
technology. They have
produced a Horizon
Report for the past 10
years. There were 500
contributors to this
project representing
30 countries. Three
areas were examined
for this report. The
first was technology
changes in the Near
Term Horizon during
the coming year.
These would include
the use of mobile
devices & new apps.
Tablets would be more
popular. Smart

phones would be used

more. New aps such
as GPS tracking in cars,
the use of sensors &
cameras to keep track
of changes in the
environment will be
available. These
technology changes
will become more
evident over the next
year. The second area
is called Mid Term
Horizon & discusses
changes in technology
over the next 2 to 3
years. These include
game based learning,
& personal learning
environments. These
ideas will become
popular for various
school districts looking
for alternative
approaches to
education. The third
area is Far Term
Horizon which includes
technology changes
over the next 4 to 5
years. These would

include augmented
reality or the use of
real world
information. This
would try to connect
the student to career
applications. Another
change would be
natural user interface
or wearable
technologies. Google
glasses is one example
as are ear fobs &
anything one can place
on his body. Other
examples would be
the use of touch
screens without a key
board & voice
commands for the
disabled which may be
available now.
Key trends for all 3
areas include the
educational shift to on
line learning, hybrid
learning, &
collaboration models.

Students spending
more time on the
internet & facebook.
More hybrid face to
face & on line
instruction. Students
can learn at their own
pace. The abundance
of resources on the
internet allows more
access to information.
Students may be
mentored both ways.
Students will be able
to bring their own
devices such as smart
phones.
Challenges for schools
include creating
personalized learning
opportunities. Difficult
problems include
encouraging complex
thinking in the
abstract. Artificial
intelligence would be
an example. Students
need to understand
how to be more
curious & explore all
avenues. There will
be competition with
other models of
instruction including

charter schools.
Schools must keep
formal education
relevant. They should
make the lesson
credible & current. In
the long range
intuitive technology
will take place.
Schools will be more
project based, less bell
structured.
Augmented reality will
mean that more
learning will include
making connections to
the real world. Layered
information will be
place based. Data will
be more meaningful to
students. Learning
analytics means more
high level research
will take place. For
example, schools will
be able to conduct
research metrics on
student retention &
performance. Student
use of textbooks will
be compared to online
learning.
In the preview of the
NMC report it

mentions that the role

of teachers will
change. Teachers will
have to be more
technology savvy in
their knowledge of
computers. They will
be more involved in
students lives. They
will be both a guide &
a mentor. Deep
learning approaches
will be more challenge
based motivating
student performance.
Students will be more
attuned to inquiry
based learning.
The NMC Report asks
some key questions on
page 39. Which
technology will be
most important ?
Which technology is
missing now? Like
cloud data bases.
What is the timeframe
for implementation of
new technologies?

I would think that

some of the new
software that offers
templates would be
of value for the
teacher. I am
thinking of QUIA &
Zunal & other
websites with
similar formats
allow the teacher to
design an inquiry
lesson for on line
use.
Currently most
schools probably do
not have cloud
capability. This
technology would
be of value. One
problem would be
the need to train in
house personnel.
There also would be
a cost consideration
based on limited &
reduced budgets &
State funding.
In the 2014 Horizon
Report Preview key

trends are listed.

These include the
changing role of the
teacher becoming
more skilled in high
tech computer
apps, deep learning
approaches where
student is more
involved, shift to
on-line learning,
collaboration with
others, connect
lessons to real
world, & learning at
your own pace.
Affective
technology should
make it easier to
use computers. The
impact of
technology will be
felt by all
concerned.
Key challenges for
schools will include
making learning
personalized &
accessible for all
students. Teaching

complex subjects
will be difficult.
Encouraging
abstract thinking is
hard. Wicked
challenges include
keeping formal
education relevant.
The teacher must
make the lesson
relevant & current.
New developments
include introducing
games into the
learning process.
Students will bring
their own devices
to class, some will
be wearable.
Learning analytics
or big data will take
place as far as
content is
concerned.
The internet will be
constantly
expanding as more
data & applications
ar

e added. More
open source web
sites will be
available. Blended
learning will take
place with the
teacher & the
computer. Stem
education will use
this model as will
other disciplines.
Intuitive education
will allow for
natural interaction.
Project & challenge
based learning will
take place.
Students will
participate in role
playing, write case
studies, &
participate in virtual
communities.
Web 2 will become
more available to
schools. More
detailed web sites
will allow
interaction with the
content. Students

will be able to ask

questions & make
comments.
Students will be
able to problem
solve work with
others on various
projects.

technology will
have made many
advancements &
hopefully learning
has kept pace.

Cloud computing
will allow more
storage capacity.
Privacy may be a
consideration as
students become
more active on the
internet.
Some schools may
already be active on
more sophisticated
web sites. Others
will have to balance
other priorities to
invest in the newer
technology.
In 100 years we
may not be able to
recognize how
education has
changed. No doubt,

http://redarchive.n
mc.org/publications
/2012-horizonreport-k12

http://redarchive.n
mc.org/publications
/2014-horizonreport-k12