Learning Technology Trends To Watch In 2012
After reading ‘Learning Technology Trends To Watch In 2012’ my first thought was to check to see when this article was written. There is no date listed, but from the comments below the article I would suspect that it was released early this year.
If this is the case, I think that the author is attempting to put forward perhaps not the newest and most innovative ideas, but the ones that are most likely to start being applied in a significant way in classrooms in 2012. This year many of the terms in this article (flipped classroom, blended learning, cloud and gamification for example) became part of the common vernacular of learning and educators have started to think about how to incorporate these ideas into their classroom. The main part of my work for the past few years has been to travel around Western Canada meeting with university and college instructors. The topics in this article (and also in the 2011 version of this article) have really started to come to the forefront of the conversation this year and educators are looking for information on how these ideas have been successfully implemented.
I like the clear and concise way that the information in this article was presented. The author gives a brief summary of each idea and then at least one link to an additional reference where the reader can learn more if the topic is of particular interest. Although many of these ideas are not cutting-edge, there was enough diversity to include things I was not familiar with such as the backchannel, an interesting idea that allows people to virtually attend events. I will follow the links provided on backchannel to read more and to explore how it might be incorporated into higher-ed learning.
I would certainly recommend this article and the 2011 version of the article to instructors who are curious about some of these new technologies. It is a good summary that would serve them well as a first step exploration for new ideas on how to incorporate technology in their classroom.
Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
visramn 9:47 pm on September 14, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
It was interesting to read about your perspective on this issue. I had not even heard of some of the technologies the author talked about in the article but I am fascinated to know that these technologies are known about and considered in post secondary institutions. That is fantastic. I think this opens the doors for many opportunities.
I too thought the author did a great job of explaining each ideas and the examples were definitely helpful. The author did a good job of conveying ideas in a non technical manner. Hence, this article can be read and understood by anyone who is interested in the progression of current technologies. It is a good resource for sure.
Nureen