Trang Thu Mai – Cohort 35
Student ID: 2271103
Subject: Computer Assisted Language Learning – Dr. Rui Li
Instruction: So, What’s Next?
Technologies are changing rapidly. Consequently, how will your teaching change in the future? In the next two years? Five years? Ten years?
Read the New Media Consortium / Educause New Horizons Report, which is based upon a ten year collaborative effort to study trends in technology and higher education, and share your thoughts on how your teaching will change in the near and far future. What’s your vision?
With the rapid change of technology, education has also been affected and gone through an ongoing transformation. In this journal, I would like to discuss three emerging trends, which are a hybrid and online learning, skill-based and mini-credentials, and shrinking environmental footprints.
The first and probably most noticeable change is a shift towards hybrid and online learning. The pandemic has accelerated the development of online learning. It can be seen that at present, the number of online courses has been increasing and this expansion would likely to continue in a few years. In Vietnam the hybrid and online learning in large educational insitutions has not been as developed as in other Western countries, but with the advancement of facilities, I believe it will proliferate in 5 years’ time. This would mean that teachers like me should keep updating the new digital tools so that we would not fall behind in this tech-driven world. It also means that in the near future, there would be less physical work for teachers with the aids of technology so that they can focus more on improving the quality and creativity of the lessons.
Another change is a trend towards skill-based learning and mini-credentials. Apparently, the traditional four-year university program is not adequate to some learners especially who want to pursue certain emerging occupations. There are more and more short-term and skill-based courses that can serve the demand for specific skills and competencies that are fundamental in the working field. This proves that high education institutions should adjust the program to better suit the new demands of the modern world. As for teachers, while designing a lesson, they need to pay more attention to activities that build up essential skills for students to prepare for the working life.
The last change that is worth mentioning is about eco-friendly facilities. It is obvious that there has been a transition from traditional pen-and-paper to more sustainable online resources. For example, instead of designing an activity that uses a lot of paper, which would later end up in a trash bin after one use only, teachers now have a variety of choices with digital tools. Instead of using multiple notebooks, more and more students are choosing tablets to take notes in class. This trend would definitely have a positive impact on the environment as a whole. From educational aspect, it helps promote an awareness among students to take care of the environment and minimize the negative influence on it. The role of teachers in this trend is to leave less ecological footprints by maximizing and utilizing technological tools in the classroom.
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