IDEAS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE

Technology is evolving at an incredible speed – and because of this, from generative and explainable AI to robots and quantum computing, the world of tomorrow is almost unrecognizable. This is the case for education. It is very difficult to predict what the future holds for learning in the next fifty years.

Education is affected by numerous factors, of which technology is only one component, though it is a major one. Societal and cultural changes, as well as economic development, will also continue to influence equitable access to education and the profound changes that are to come in regard to teaching and learning models. These forces and their outcomes are sometimes positive, sometimes detrimental, but what is apparent is that they are increasingly fast-paced and radical and, thus, another factor that will impact the future of education is our ability to accept what’s yet to happen. As higher education becomes more dependent on technology, effort must be put into preparing our students for this change – in addition to ensuring that professors accept this dependence and learn how to use technological resources effectively.

Over the next 50 years, we are likely to witness a greater dependency on online and lifelong learning. New technologies such as Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS), computer programs that use AI to provide adaptive and personalized learning environments for students, Chatbots (and now ChatGPT), natural language processing, and conversational AI will evolve and be integrated into all disciplines and by most, if not all, higher education institutions. That is, of course, if care is taken to balance the risks and the opportunities that these technologies offer.

More universities will come to use adaptive learning and personalized curricula, because more data will be available to help us understand how students learn. Immersive experience and gamification will become the name of the new learning game. In many ways, we are already on this path. What is most important to note is that – even amongst all these new and exciting technological developments, some of which we cannot even fathom at this moment in time – the role of the professor in academia and in shaping the lives of students will strengthen as more space is opened up for AI assistance in the classroom.

Educational institutions will rely more and more on data analytics in driving decisions, primarily in curricular development, staff hiring, and program design. With the rise of automation and AI, many college degrees will disappear and be replaced by those that emphasize critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. Quantum computing, if and when it becomes a reality, will open the doors to new and unimagined possibilities in research and investigation. Academic institutions will be forced to develop new curricula, tools, and resources.

In all of this, we can also strive to create a future in which education is truly inclusive and diverse, a future in which we are able to address many of the stereotypes and gaps that are currently affecting our ability to teach and learn. We must do more than simply hope that the advances in technology will allow equal access to education, for it is the cornerstone of human development.

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