It has been about 10 months since I finished my coursework Masters degree, “Masters in Leadership and Management in Education” or “MLMED”. I completed my MLMED part-time over a 4-year period from 2017-2020, engaging with the course completely online whilst working across 4 different schools in 4 different educational leadership roles.
These were also the years my wife and I started a family (and sleep became optional!), with new arrivals in late 2016 and 2018. These roles were in varied locations educational settings, from the mid-high socioeconomic region of waterside Lake Macquarie (NSW, Australia), to the low socioeconomic lower Hunter Valley (NSW), to the unique and remote South Pacific (technically, NSW), and finally in the coal fields of the Upper Hunter Valley (NSW).
While I’ll admit the course was challenging both academically and due to time constraints of my work and family commitments, I enjoyed the regularity of engaging with contemporary (and historical) educational literature. I’m a good soldier and rule follower, I do what I’m told and expect the same from others, so having accountability to complete the readings and their subsequent assignments to the best of my ability suited my personality traits well and helped guide my trajectory from aspirant classroom teacher to Principal.
Analysing the 2021 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report – Teaching and Learning Edition led me to draw many reflections upon my own recent studies in Tertiary Education, in addition to of course considering the impacts for my future infants’ Primary students at the school for which I am Principal. I would like to share my thoughts and opinions on the report and what I believe it might mean for the future of education as I currently see it.
Firstly, a rundown of the report. The Horizon Report – Teaching and Learning Edition is compiled by a selection of esteemed educational and IT leaders who comprise a panel to discuss trends and topics impacting education, in this instance, Tertiary Education. The macro trends identified by the panel as being most likely to impact this sector in the short to medium term are:
Social
1. Remote Work/Learning
2. Widening of the Digital Divide
3. Mental Health Issues
Technological
1. Widespread Adoption of Hybrid Learning Models
2. Increased Use of Learning Technologies
3. Online Faculty Development
Economic
1. Decreasing Higher Education Funding
2. Demand for New/Different Workforce Skills
3. Uncertainty in Economic Models
Environmental
1. Climate Change
2. Reduction in Work Travel
3. Sustainable Development
Political
1. Increase in Online Globalisation
2. Rise of Nationalism
3. Public Funding for Higher Education
The report also discusses key technologies and practices identified by the panel as being most likely to impact this sector, with a focus on those that are new. From an initial list of 141, the top 6 are:
Key Technologies and Practices
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) – return entry from previous years
- Blended and Hybrid Course Models – new, but consistent with 2020 focus
- Learning Analytics – return entry from previous years
- Micro credentialing – first appearance
- Open Educational Resources (OER) – return entry from previous years
- Quality Online Learning – new, but consistent with 2020 focus
Remind us Chris, why are you reading a rigorous report discussing Post-Secondary Education i.e., Tertiary Education, predominantly with an American focus (46% of panellists are from the USA), when you currently work in a Primary School setting in regional Australia? Well, the answer is simply that these trends are important to be aware of when considering the future landscape of education in a rapidly evolving global educational economy.
As teachers, we are forever endeavouring to predict the future our students will be entering post school so that we can best prepare them for it. How can we teach confidently if we don’t understand the future landscape? To quote Stephen Covey, we must “begin with the end in mind”.
I have no desire to provide commentary on each and every aspect of the report but will hereon discuss what I found to be the most interesting and contextually relevant aspects of the report, working my way down the lists of trends and technologies listed above.
Socially, it comes as no surprise that remote work and learning is the first topic for discussion. This is incredibly relevant to most industries and will no doubt play a huge part in the working lives of my own children and future Kindergarten and Year 1 students.
Good access to internet and technology will be essential for a successful career in the future, which as is discussed in point number 2, is where the issue of a widening digital divide comes into play. This divide is apparent even now since the first Australian Covid-19 lockdown and subsequent remote learning period in March 2020, where school leaders and teachers quickly discovered which students did and did not have reasonable access to technology, forcing them to quickly adapt their pedagogical strategies and the resources being provided to families for completion away from the school environment.
It is encouraging to see mental health issues rating a mention, as young children today must learn strategies to manage their mental health, and manage their screen time, to thrive in digitally dominant tomorrow.
Not only students, but staff and administration need to be extremely cognisant to mental wellbeing of those around them to ensure that everyone working in education is in the right head space to offer the best version of themselves to the role they play.
Technologically, we begin with discussion about hybrid learning models and their widespread adoption. This model (remembering we are discussing Tertiary Education) has been successful due to the vast majority of students still desiring a face-to-face educational model, but needing to embrace remote learning due to the pandemic. The panel highlight those institutions adopting a hybrid model will be able to adapt to future disruptions more flexibly. All educators, even those resistant to technology, have been thrust into the digital education world where they rely on these tools for their pedagogy. Staff will need to continuously upskill and engage in lifelong learning if they wish to thrive in their profession into the future, which is an important consideration for leadership when allocating Professional Learning budgets.
Economically it’s disheartening to hear of decreasing higher education funding, as an educated population will be a prosperous one. Of course, we will continue to see increasing numbers of the population working from home now and into the future, but will this impact the K-12 sector? In the short to medium term, I believe it is unlikely.
Environmentally and politically I have very little to comment on, however the increase in online globalisation could very well impact course delivery in the upper secondary years of education in Australia, as we are already beginning to see.
The early years of education, in my opinion, will always be best delivered face-to-face as children require a certain level of maturity and self-regulation to engage in independent learning and make good decisions about how to best allocate their time and resources.
The growth of globalisation in education is exciting for regional and rural areas, such as the Upper Hunter Valley, where access to elective courses of choice is limited by human and physical resources and should result in greater equity in educational access.
The key technologies and practices which have most caught my attention are AI, Micro credentialling and OER. AI is truly fascinating and quite honestly overwhelming. In 2017, an EDUCAUSE 7 Things publication defined AI as “computer systems that undertake tasks usually thought to require human cognitive processes and decision-making capabilities”. The thought of technology that can teach itself from watching videos is terrifying as it sounds like something that could take over the world, and not only that, but it also puts me out of a job! I am unsure exactly how AI might impact the K-6/K-12 education environment, but I have no doubt it will in time.
Micro credentialing is defined as “programs of study that verify, validate, and attest that specific skills and/or competencies have been achieved”. It is a wonderful tool that I link closely to “gamification”, with similarities also to the Vocational Education and Training (VET) model in Australia. These are tools which I believe can transform engagement in education for young people if delivered effectively.
Growing up as an occasional gamer (sport and music were more my things), the attraction and addiction of a quality video or computer game is impossible to deny, and if education can enter this space successfully then children could learn deeper and faster than we can currently imagine. Short courses and badges are extremely appealing to a generation with short attention spans and the need for instant gratification to remain engaged and feel a sense of positive self-worth.
Marketing and design could have a huge role to play in the development of these types of online learning tools, and in fact all online learning, as courses need to be presented attractively and with a strong sense of brand identity to develop learner loyalty and ongoing attraction to the completion of future courses.
Open educational resources (OER) is a wonderful concept that is basically saying, why reinvent the wheel? Let’s share what we have for the benefit of the community. I never trust a teacher who refuses to share resources. If you’re not in this for the kids (who are the ones going to benefit from said resource being shared), then who are you in it for?
Collaboration is such an important tool for all work forces, and one that we must foster in education.
OER is a real game changer for Tertiary Education, and as Secondary and Primary staff gain more time and resources to create their own versions, this could very well impact the delivery of education K-12 if it’s not already in pockets of excellence I’m unaware of.
Education; whether it’s tying students’ shoelaces, working on phonics, constructing marimbas or reviewing academic literature, there is never a dull moment!
Until next time.
Chris English
6 August 2021
Top Image sourced from abc.com.au
Chris English 