Virginia Dicken-Gracen

AR1: Impact of Emerging Technologies

Each year, January brings opportunities to reflect on the past and dream for the
future.  It seems appropriate to take some time this month to read about what others have
recently predicted to be the future of technology, to reflect on the implications of such
trends, and to determine whether some of these prophecies have already been fulfilled.
In 2017, Adam Stone wrote about five technologies that he believed would impact
our lives in the near future: gestural interface, 4-D printing and assembly, gene editing, 5G
telecommunications, and nanotech.  He cited examples of how these technologies may be
used to increase access to government, improve infrastructure, connect multiple streams of
data, and fight disease.  While he acknowledged possible risks with these emerging
technologies (particularly those related to human biology), his overall approach was
optimistic and focused on the potential for improving lives.
Sara Briggs’s 2017 article on emerging technologies focused on six trends that,
according to the New Media Consortium, were likely to impact higher education in the near
future.  These include adaptive learning, mobile learning, the “Internet of Things,” next-
generation LMS, artificial intelligence, and natural user interfaces (which includes gestural
interfaces, as mentioned by Adam Stone).   Sara cited multiple examples of universities
developing and using each of these technologies with evidence of their potential to improve
university process and increase student success.  Sara seemed optimistic about each of these
trends: her article was focused only on the potential benefits of the technologies and did not
discuss the drawbacks such as concerns about privacy and security.
Thomas Kuhr (2017) added his voice to the discussion, focusing specifically on
technology trends he forecasted would affect businesses.  Agreeing with other writers here,
Thomas identified artificial intelligence and augmented reality as influential rising
technologies, noting that businesses would need to adapt their social media and marketing
campaigns for AI and incorporate AR where appropriate.  He added “voice search” to the list
of emerging technologies, noting that the increasing use of this form of information seeking
would mean businesses should change their SEO strategies.  His approach was optimistic,
focusing on how these technologies might allow businesses to personalize customer
experiences.
Adding to and reiterating some of the trends identified by Stone, Briggs, Kuhr, the
2018 writers at Lexia identified four emerging educational technology trends: augmented
reality, artificial intelligence, accessibility technology, and data privacy/cybersecurity (“4
emerging trends in educational technology”).  This article provided a simple overview of each
area with links to examples of the technology trend.  With the fourth focus on data privacy
and cybersecurity, this article did mention some of the potential risks of new technology in
education and the importance of addressing these risks.
Elianna Hyde (2019) focused less on specific technologies and more on broad changes
that technologies are facilitating: monetization (e.g., pay-by-app), real-time analytics, app-
facilitated interactions, business gadgets, cloud-based data, and constant connectivity.   She
also addressed the trend toward identifying and addressing security needs related to
emerging technologies.  Elianna wrote that business practices would change as technology
changes, viewing this as inevitable.
                It is interesting to note that each of the writers had a generally positive attitude
toward these technology trends.  While some acknowledged potential concerns about
security and privacy, others did not.  Even those who mentioned the risks of increased
technology in business, education, and other areas of life only did so as a minor part of their
writing, and most glossed over the issue with a simple statement about the importance of
attending to such matters.  I would have liked to see some discussion about whether
technology advances related to privacy and security are being developed and adopted at
appropriate rates given the development and adoption of the other technologies mentioned
in this articles.
It is now 2020, and some of these articles are more than two years old.  In the area of
“emerging technologies,” two years can bring a lot of change, so we can look back to
determine whether some of these authors’ predictions have been proven accurate.  
Sara Brigg’s 2017 article includes specific timelines for when trends are likely to take
hold, ranging from “one year or less” to “4-5 years”  Because her piece was written a couple
years ago, we can assess the accuracy of some of her predictions.  For instance, she
predicted the imminent rise in adaptive learning technologies.  I have seen this in my own
work as an educator.  From 2018-2019, one of my universities adopted an adaptive learning
system for all Introduction to Psychology students that customizes online practice activities
based on the students’ past performance. The same school is now exploring a tool similar to
the SNAPP discussion tracking software described by Sara.  Her prediction that mobile
learning will increase in popularity has also seemed accurate.  Most of my students tell me
that they now access at least part of our course material through their mobile devices.  This
is also influencing how they communicate with me.  As students write their communications
on mobile devices, emails and messages through the LMS have begun to resemble text
messages.
Other writers did not include specific timelines, but they addressed similar issues, and
we can continue to watch and see whether they were accurate in their predictions.  It will be
interesting to look back in five or ten years to see what changes occur in this field and
whether these writers’ visions of the future became reality.  (Personally, I’m still eagerly
awaiting my Jetsons-style flying car.)
 
4 emerging trends in educational technology for 2018
(n.d.). Lexia.    https://www.lexialearning.com/blog/4-emerging-trends-educational-
technology-2018
Briggs, S. (March 28, 2017).  6 emerging educational technologies and how they are being
used across the
globe. informED.    https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/6-emerging-
educational-technologies-used-across-globe/
Hyde, E. (July 6, 2019). 8 ways technology is changing the business landscape.   Innovation
Enterprise: Internet of
Things.  https://channels.theinnovationenterprise.com/articles/8-top-ways-
technology-is-changing-the-business-landscape
Kuhr, T. (October 27, 2017). How emerging technologies will affect your business in
2018.  Martech Today.  https://martechtoday.com/emerging-technologies-will-affect-
business-2018-206042
Stone, A. (January/February, 2017).  5 emerging technologies making their way into the
mainstream. Government Technology.  https://www.govtech.com/computing/5-
Emerging-Technologies-Making-Their-Way-into-the-Mainstream.html