Navigating the Learning Technology Odyssey: 2010-2024 — Weathering the Waves

The years 2010 to 2024 have brought a turbulent current of technological shifts in education, with few calm harbours in sight. Like Odysseus, we’ve encountered alluring new lands and unanticipated challenges that have tested the resilience of institutions, educators, and students.

More Gusts for Mobile Learning

In 2010, Apple launched the iPad,  sparking high hopes among educators for educational benefits in terms of power and portability. Many experiments followed, like the emergence of “Steve Jobs schools” in the Netherlands, where iPads became central tools in inquiry-based learning approaches.

The Fleet of MOOCs

Massive Open Online Courses, starting with platforms like Coursera (2012) and edX (2012), claimed to democratise education. There appeared to be astonishing ignorance of known effective online pedagogy. Completion rates were low, and many learners felt  lost at sea. MOOCs gradually commercialised over the decade.

Building Bridges

3D printing revolutionised hands-on learning, especially in engineering and architecture, allowing students to model, prototype, and test ideas tangibly. It also enabled exploration of rare artifacts in fields like archaeology and medicine. Is this leading us toward “digital twins” or another yet-untested journey?

The Currents of Gamification

In parallel with the growth of DATA as a new compass, gamification in education evolved from basic reward mechanics to more complex, immersive experiences promoting active learning, motivation, and collaboration. Early efforts included badges, levels, and challenges, while ‘serious games’ gained popularity in complex fields like medicine, engineering, and business.

Double Dipping into Virtual Depths

From around 2021 ‘metaverse’ became a hot topic. At OEB22 it was the ‘biggest game in town’. The goal of interoperable persistent virtual worlds where learners can carry their identities is enticing, though technical and security challenges endure. Meanwhile, from platforms like Labster (2011) and ClassVR (2018) to partnerships like Meta with VictoryXR (2021), immersive learning has taken root, but like Odysseus’ crew on the Lotus Island, it can be diverting – perhaps more focus on experience than education.

Anchoring for Skills

Since 2015, micro-credentials have gained momentum as universities and industries embraced modular, skills-based learning to keep pace with the rapid shifts in technology and job markets. Many celebrated the moves as “true lifelong learning.” How’s that promise holding up?

Charting Remote Collaboration

The arrival of remote collaboration platforms like Canva (2013) and Miro (2019) created vital opportunities for students and educators to co-create from anywhere, offering dependable spaces for teamwork. One of the authors (Gilly) found these tools indispensable for fostering both connection and creativity during the pandemic’s lockdowns. Yet, questions linger: can digital platforms provide a different yet equivalent experience of spontaneous creativity that emerges in shared physical spaces?

The Tsunami of Hybrid Learning

The 2020 pandemic normalised video platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, propelling hybrid learning into mainstream practice. The rapid shift also raised questions: has this enhanced or undermined the traditional campus experience? And did it help or hinder the cause of effective, fully digital learning?

Into Unknown Waters

AI in education is just now setting sail on an uncharted ocean — an unpredictable journey that challenges deep-rooted beliefs about teaching and learning. AI amplifies possibilities, opening new routes for personalized, responsive learning and for the more imaginative, all sorts of problem solving and new opportunities. Yet, it stirs hard-to-articulate fears: the risk of AI ‘taking the helm’ and casting shadows over human intuition, empathy, even the concepts of learning and education. Clearly, there is a strong evolving relationship between us as human-educators and AI.  A shout out from us: let’s be there to steer, rather than howl at the moon.

Eyes on the Horizon

What did we miss? Likely plenty! What about wearable technologies and their potential to monitor cognitive and emotional states? Or advancements in language learning, green agendas, and the evolving roles of AI in teaching and assessment? OEB24 could indeed be the tipping point.

Feel like more adventure?

Feel like continuing the adventure? Join Professor Gilly Salmon and Wilfred Rubens, along with global colleagues, for “The Trend is Your Friend” workshop on Friday, November 29 from 4–5:30 pm, where we’ll explore these ideas and more!

Written for OEB Global 2024 by Gilly Salmon and Wilfred Rubens.