Horizon Report: High Tech in Higher Ed

The NMC Horizon Report: 2017 Higher Ed Edition, produced by the New Media Consortium in partnership with the Educause Learning Initiative, examines what’s on the horizon for technology in postsecondary education. This year’s topics were chosen by a panel of nearly 80 experts from 22 countries engaging in a three-month virtual discussion.

One new topic for 2017 is finding technological solutions to advance digital access and equity for students from all backgrounds to enable them to succeed and complete their education. Artificial intelligence in the classroom and next-generation learning-management systems are tech developments that are also new to this edition of the report.

Already identified as a trend in previous reports, use of virtual reality, while still a developing technology, will continue grow in higher ed. “The most effective incarnations of this trend,” the report said, “incorporate emerging technologies that enable students to learn in ways they would not be able to on a strictly physical campus.”

Overall adoption of both existing and upcoming technologies, however, will require a level of digital literacy that is still lacking. As a preview for the report states, “Digital fluency is more than just understanding how to use technology.” In short, students need to develop not only technical proficiency but also cognitive skills in order to use technologies to absorb, evaluate, create, and communicate information.

One of the challenges cited in the report as “most wicked” will be rethinking educators’ roles amid a move toward more student-centered learning. That shift will require instructors to retool their approach to act more as “guides and facilitators.”

This year’s Horizon Report also looks back to track topics addressed in previous reports, listing blended learning as the most pervasive trend across the last six years.

Games Aren't Trending in K-12

Maybe gaming in the classroom isn’t that big of a deal. At least that’s the word from the 2015 New Media Consortium (NMC) Horizon Report, which retired the concept from its list of emerging technology for K-12.

“We don’t see it making the mainstream,” said NMC CEO Larry Johnson in an article for EdTech. “For most people, it’s just too hard to integrate and there are no tools to make it easier.”

Fundamental concepts of gamification are still on the list, such as awarding digital badges for learning games, which NMC lists as a trend that will be adopted within four or five years. Use of drones and visual data analysis, along with wearable technology, should also be mainstream education tools for K-12 within four to five years.

Classrooms allowing students to bring their own electronic devices for educational purposes, cloud computing, makerspaces with tools such as 3-D printers, and mobile learning are trends making an impact right now. Adaptive learning, 3-D printing, information visualization, and learning analytics should be mainstream trends in two or three years, according to the report.

Six Technologies to watch for by the 2012 Horizon Report

The latest Horizon Report for Higher Education (2012) is out.  The annual report identifies emerging technologies that are likely to have a significant impact over the next five years in higher education. 

According to the most recent 2012 report, mobile apps and tablet computing are expected to be a mainstream for higher education institutions within the next twelve months.  This is not a surprise and what this means is students are accessing learning materials through many devices.  Laptops still remains the most popular learning tool for the campus, but other devices are beginning to gain traction.  Other than content delivery, this also provides opportunities for stores to making available the myriad of accessories related to these devices.

In two to three years out, the report predicts game-based learning and learning analytics in higher education will become more prevalent.  Right now, publishers and e-textbook providers are gathering data on how students are using digital materials and when that data becomes available there will definitely be a shift to different learning styles.  It will be easier in the future for institutions and other companies to make the connection between course material selections (and faculty performance) to student outcomes.

  

Four to five years away, gesture-based computing and The Internet of Things will be widely adopted, according to the report.  Gesture-based computing is basically controlling a computer or handheld device using the motion of the body.  The Internet of Things is basically having all the devices connected seamlessly.  So for example, being able to control your household appliance from work or simply monitoring your house through your smartphone is what is catching the attention of the higher Ed market.

For those who remember, E-texts and mobile computing topped last year's list.