Online Courses and Technology in Education

This year’s NMC Horizon Report identifies massively open online courses (MOOCs) and tablet computing as technologies expected to enter mainstream use in the first horizon of one year or less. Games and gamification and learning analytics are seen in the second horizon of two to three years; 3D printing and wearable technology are seen emerging in the third horizon of four to five years. Six emerging technologies are identified across three adoption horizons over the next one to five years, as well as key trends and challenges expected to continue over the same period, giving campus leaders and practitioners a valuable guide for strategic technology planning.

The New Media Consortium (2013). NMC horizon report – 2013 higher education edition. Austin, TX: The New Media Consortium. https://www.nmc.org/system/files/pubs/1359993875/2013-horizon-report-HE.pdf

Digital Games Widely Used by Adolescents Today

According to data in a report released by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and the Games and Learning Publishing Council, the explosion of investment in educational technology of the past five years represents a significant opportunity for innovation, but school adoption of technological change has been slow due to long adoption cycles, weak evidence of impact, and the dominance of existing publishers. Meanwhile, almost all teens in the United States are playing digital games. Many of these youth are heavy media users, but are disengaged from school and at high risk of academic failure. The report also identifies significant barriers for games developers to enter the school market such as the changing policy landscape, a lack of teacher professional development on the uses of technology and a need for low-cost, data rich assessments. Key trends that are favoring game-based innovations include one-to-one computing and “bring-your-own-device” initiatives, adoption of interactive whiteboards, a new focus on personalized learning environments and expanding research on the efficacy of engaging digital games.

Richards, J., Stebbins, L., & Moellering, K. (2013). Games for a digital age: K-12 market map and investment analysis. New York City, NY: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. http://joanganzcooneycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/glpc_gamesforadigitalage1.pdf

Tech-enhanced instruction study

This national report focuses on the emergence of pixel based digital tools, specifically, videos, games, animations and simulations, as legitimate vehicles for learning. Key findings follow:

• Simulations are more widely used by teachers in virtual classes (23%) and teachers who have implemented a flipped learning model (26%) or a blended learning model (17%).
• 78% of middle school students tap into online videos, and 61% are playing online games, all in service of various types of self-directed learning goals.
• School principals (84%) are almost unanimous in their belief that the effective use of technology within instruction is important for student success. However, they do acknowledge challenges or barriers to meeting the expectation of effective technology usage.
• Half of administrators note that the implementation of digital content resources such as videos, simulations and animations was already generating positive student outcome results
• Almost 60% of technology leaders say that one-quarter of instructional materials in their schools today are digital, not paper-based; 26% say that their level of paperless-ness is 50%.
• The top subject areas in which the students in grades 6-12 watch videos to support homework, research projects or studying are science (66%), math (59%), social studies/history (53%) and English/language arts (45%).
• When asked what was holding back further expansion of their digital learning visions, 57% of principals say the lack of teacher training on how to integrate digital content within instruction is their top barrier.

Speak Up. (2016). From Print to Pixel: The role of videos, games, animations and simulations within K-12 education. Irvine, CA: Author.
http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/SU15AnnualReport.html