Expectations concerning educational technology have changed in a way during the COVID-19 pandemic which … (+)
When the classrooms suddenly passed online during the COVVI-19 pandemic, educational technology has gone from a tool for practical support to the backbone of schooling overnight. This fundamental change has transformed expectations concerning performance, conviviality and personalization, definitively reshaping how schools, teachers and students interact with technology. He has exhibited long -standing weaknesses and highlighted technology opportunities to improve learning. He also prepared the field for the rapid adoption of AI AI technologies. I recently explored these themes with Melissa Loble, university director at Institute.
Educational technology as an essential infrastructure
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, educational technology has often played an additional role as a useful resource rather than serving as an essential basis. Schools previously tolerated occasional downtime, slow response times and other problems such as acceptable drawbacks. However, the pandemic has fundamentally transformed these expectations, because the sudden transition to online learning has made the technology technology technology overnight. “When virtual space is your school,” notes Loble, “you cannot make it disappear simply during the school day.” Schools are now expecting these tools to work perfectly, similar to public services such as electricity or water. These increased expectations concerning reliability and performance persisted after the pandemic. Educational technology must now provide continuous availability, rapid responsiveness and scalability, without fanfare or excessive excuses.
Educational technology: efficiency and conviviality
In addition to these increased expectations in terms of reliability, an increasing demand for intuitive conviviality. Loble underlines: “The design of the user interface is suddenly very real in a way that it had not been before Cavid-19”. Teachers and students are no longer tolerant of complicated interfaces or unclear instructions. They expect a minimum friction in achieving their objectives. Instead of navigating bulky manuals or looking for online information, students and teachers prefer to describe their natural language objectives and have Generative AI Manage the response task.
Efficiency has also become essential. Teacher shortages and the increase in workloads mean that any new technology introduced in the class must obviously improve productivity. “We must determine whether the time spent learning to use a tool will ultimately lead to more efficient learning,” she advises. If a tool is complicated rather than simplifying the educational experience, its usefulness is quickly questioned, which led him to be put aside or even to reject.
This user -focused change has deep implications for learning management systems. Modern LMS platforms must Integrate generative AI and other advanced tools to remain relevant. Lms of today must Offer transparent interoperability, incorporating essential features that teachers expect without crushing them. With the reduction of educational budgets, institutions prioritize platforms that unify several tools, rationalize processes and reduce operational costs. “The LMS must be reflected on how we take advantage of these sets of advanced tools,” advises Loble.
Educational technology: active personalization and learning
Personalization is another significant change accelerated by the pandemic. Loble underlines how the traditional class model, which generally involved large compromises to meet the various needs of students, now seems exceeded at a time when personalized learning paths are not only feasible but expected. Technology allows educators to adapt the teaching more closely to the profiles of individual students, considering various learning styles, speeds and interests in the manner that was previously impractical. “This transition to personalization is not only a preference question; These are equity. Indeed, with an increased accent on the differences of students, in particular neurodiversity and varied learning preferences, educational technology tools have become essential to create fair learning environments. They allow educators to go beyond a unique model, offering tracks designed to maximize the potential of each student.
Personalization must be treated not only in terms of consumption but also in terms of production. Today’s students embody a generation deeply committed to digital creativity. “The generation of creators wants to create its own content,” explains Loble. “Students consider themselves more and more as passive consumers but as active producers. Educational tools must empower this transition, promoting creativity instead of engaging it with unnecessary complexity. »»
A notable victim of the change of pandemic is the traditional conference model. Video learning has highlighted the weaknesses of passive education; Students will not tolerate endless static presentations. The reduction in the interaction in online courses that students experienced at the start of the pandemic revealed how the unilateral conferences can be for students. Teachers also found exhausting repetitive video lessons. Effective teaching underlines the Loble, requires a commitment – whether motivated by the teacher -student interaction or supported by an interactivity led by AI. Educational technology must facilitate short, interactive and impactful sessions rather than long passive conferences.
Changing expectations in educational technology
While veteran teachers retire or leave the profession, a younger cohort of educators enters the field, providing expectations shaped by their transparent interactions with technology. These new teachers, as a digital indigenous themselves, expect technology to work intuitively and reliably. The new reference basis for educational technological companies lies in the intersection of students ‘expectations, influenced by their use of personal technology and teachers’ expectations. Do not come across these standards risks non-record, because educators and students will reject tools that do not meet their expectations in terms of natural interaction, without friction and reliable.
In the end, changes in education technology expectations caused by the pandemic are there to stay. Institutions and technology suppliers who understand and adapt to these new realities – prioritize reliability, conviviality, personalization and creative commitment – will lead the Next chapter of educational innovation. Those who do not adapt will find that their only role in future classrooms will be as cases in history manuals.