The Five Biggest Education And Training Technology Trends In 2022

THE FIVE BIGGEST EDUCATION AND
TRAINING TECHNOLOGY TENDS IN 2022

© 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
THE FIVE BIGGEST EDUCATION AND TRAINING
TECHNOLOGY TENDS IN 2022
The education sector is undergoing a digital transformation. Here we look at
the key edtech trends for 2022, such as remote learning, lifelong learning
subscription services, more immersive learning technology (AR and VR), AI
and automation in the classroom, as well as Nano-learning.

The pace of digital transformation in the education sector has accelerated immeasurably
over the past two years. Every stage of education, from primary to higher education as well
as professional and workplace training, has undergone a shift towards online and cloud-
based delivery platforms. Beyond that, the changing needs of industry and workforces have
prompted a dramatic change in the relationship between adult learners and providers of
further education, such as colleges and universities.

The value of the educational technology (EdTech) sector is forecast to grow to $680 million
by 2027. Much of this will be due to mobile technology, cloud services and virtual reality
creating new possibilities for accessible, immersive learning. From an optimistic point of
view, we can celebrate the fact that the quality of education available in 2022 is less limited
by where someone happens to live in the world and the time they have available to attend
classes. On the other hand, we must remain aware that disparities in access to technology
create another set of challenges when it comes to striving for equality of educational
opportunities. With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the most important tech trends
affecting education over the next 12 months:

TREND 1: REMOTE LEARNING
The coronavirus pandemic forced many schools and colleges to switch to a remote
learning model. However, as with many other changes, this was simply an acceleration of
a trend that’s been going on for some time already. The market for online learning
services and e-learning is forecast to grow by 15% annually between 2020 and 2025,
reaching a value of $50 billion. E-learning offers school-age students the possibility of
learning subjects and skills that are not taught locally, while for those in higher education,
the benefits include allowing them to more easily fit learning around other commitments
such as work or family responsibilities.

E-learning is an increasingly popular option for workplace training, too – a study by IBM
into its own remote learning initiatives found that its learners had been able to absorb five
times more content, at one-third of the cost to the company, resulting in a saving of $200
million.
As well as formal education and training, many more of us are now taking the opportunity
to engage in recreational learning and learning driven by interests outside of our
professional lives. Apps like Duolingo offer accessible language tuition, while others such as
Flowkey and Simply Piano are aimed at those who want to learn to play instruments.

TREND 2: LIFELONG LEARNING (SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES)
The education system in place today was developed for a different world when
youngsters were expected to train for a "job for life." Learning opportunities were
restricted to those that could be delivered in venues that students could physically
access, and our years of formal education would be “front-loaded” – crammed into our
first 20 years. The employment landscape today is vastly different from the one our
grandparents or even parents were accustomed to. The rapid pace of technological
advancement means skills can quickly become outdated, and developing new
competencies on an ongoing basis is a vital strategy for career and business success.

In the face of this wave of change, education providers and learners are moving towards
an ongoing model of education – perhaps taking cues from the trend for subscription
services in many other areas of life. Another driver is the emergence of online learning
aggregators such as Coursera or Udemy, which, along with traditional degrees and multi-
year courses, offer thousands of "micro-courses." These aim to break learning down into
bite-sized chunks that can be completed in a matter of weeks or months. New methods
of learning like this are designed to fit in with the changing needs of businesses and
employers in the 21st century and will become an increasingly popular option with
learners looking for flexible ways of fitting education into their lives.

TREND 3: IMMERSIVE LEARNING TECHNOLOGY – AR & VR
Extended reality (XR) – which covers virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed
reality (MR), promises to create more immersive and engaging learning opportunities.
This is essential in an age when it’s said that attention spans are dropping, and we’re
becoming accustomed to absorbing information in ultra-fast, bite-sized, and attention-
grabbing chunks. Many people reading this will probably remember learning about topics
like the Roman Empire by reading history books – imagine how much more information
you might have absorbed if you’d been able to wander around a digital reconstruction of
ancient Rome.

XR technologies also have other advantages – for example, they can help us train in
simulated environments that closely resemble reality but don’t create the risk of harm or
damaging expensive equipment. This is why VR is used to train surgeons, as well as
firefighters and search-and-rescue teams operating underground. Less dangerous but still
potentially stressful or tricky skills can also be catered for – the VirtualSpeech app, for
example, enables anyone to practice public speaking in front of a virtual audience. This
means you can get a feel for delivering a speech in front of an audience and also receive
real-time feedback on your tone and delivery. Similarly, Labster offers a simulated science
laboratory and equipment, allowing students to get hands-on without the potential for
costly mistakes. And the VR Expeditions app allows teachers to take students on virtual field
trips to 360 different cities.

TREND 4: AI AND AUTOMATION IN THE CLASSROOM
Artificial intelligence (AI) will impact every area of human activity during 2022, and education is
certainly no exception. The ongoing deployment of software powered by self-learning
algorithms, capable of becoming better and better at whatever task it is assigned to, will have
far-reaching consequences; as well as automating repetitive aspects of educators’ work such
as grading papers, it will be used to provide more personalised forms of education or remote
learning. One example is the Altitude Learning system founded by a Google engineer and
part-funded by Facebook, which uses AI to suggest personalized learning pathways for
school-age children. A similar concept is adaptive learning, in which the course adapts to meet
learners’ needs as they progress through it. Schools in China have even implemented a system
that uses facial recognition to check whether students are paying attention in class by scanning
their faces with cameras equipped with computer vision algorithms.
AI-powered personal assistants similar to Amazon’s Alexa have also been deployed in schools
– one device, called Merlyn, is designed to help teachers with classroom management and in
presenting their lessons.

TREND 5: NANO-LEARNING
This trend links back once again to the fact that attention spans are shrinking, and there is always
something competing for our time. Nano-learning describes a new EdTech concept where we can get
ultra-bite-sized lessons exactly when and where we need them. Under this paradigm, it doesn't matter
if we don't even remember what we've learned for more than 10 minutes because when we need to
use the knowledge again, we can simply re-learn it! A good analogy is a cooking recipe – if we aren’t
professional bakers, we might only bake one or two cakes a year, so there’s no need to hold the exact
weights and measures of sugar and flour in our long-term memories. Applying the same principle to
academic or professional subjects, brief lessons – such as those provided by the text message learning
service Arist, can be absorbed over WhatsApp, Slack, or Teams. Other nano-learning platforms impart
knowledge over social networks like Twitter or TikTok. Nano-learning will undoubtedly grow in
popularity during 2022 as it fits with society’s need for ways of passing on knowledge and proficiency
that are instantaneous, modular, and even addictive!

To stay on top of these and other trends, sign up for my newsletter, and check
out my books ‘Tech Trends in Practice’ and ‘Business Trends in Practice.'

© 2021 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker,
futurist, and a strategic business & technology advisor to governments and
companies. He helps organisations improve their business performance, use data
more intelligently, and understand the implications of new technologies such as
artificial intelligence, big data, blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is
a frequent contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for
Forbes. Every day Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers
and shares content that reaches millions of readers.

hello@bernardmarr.com
www.bernardmarr.com

The Five Biggest Education And Training Technology Trends In 2022

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The Five Biggest Education And Training Technology Trends In 2022