Many experts believed that education technology (EdTech) has the potential to transform the education sector of a developing nation. Through personalized teaching, schools will be more prepared to integrate technology on traditional learning approaches.
Unfortunately, education technology has also been foreseen to disrupt the conventional methods of learning, particularly in higher education. In fact, some believed that EdTech may replace the art of traditional education.
Education Technology Vs. Higher Education
Several previous studies about education technology have provided some insights regarding EdTech's potential to revolutionize learning with the aid of new digital tools as educational resources. Education technology also has the power to transform the methods of teaching, noting the possibility that higher education and the workforce industry may be connected more easily.
Higher education, on the other hand, is currently one of the most controversial and most debated topics today. It is also highly criticized due to the issues that contribute to the burgeoning skills gap, including student debt, low completion rates, expensive tuitions and tuition fee increase, as well as the rise in underemployed graduates and unemployment rates.
How Technology Changes The Relationship Between Education And The Workforce Industry
According to University Ventures managing director and Tech Crunch contributor Ryan Craig, there are four "distinct ways" that technology may change the relationship between education and the workforce. As detailed in his Tech Crunch article, Craig outlined the significance of making competency data more available.
In addition, Craig also emphasized that if technology could eliminate the gap between higher education and the workforce industry, it will pave the way for the new human capital era. With the so-called "competency marketplaces," students will be able to understand the careers and jobs they wanted to pursue while employers will be able to find the candidates they need.
The Effects Of 'Competency Marketplaces' On Colleges And Universities
Craig also highlighted that failure to recognize the trend in the market for competencies may place some pressures on colleges and universities, particularly on enrollment. As employers opt to competency-based hiring, degrees may become irrelevant in many job descriptions.
How Technology Will Ultimately Disrupt Higher Education
As technological developments such as education technology and new language of competencies become more prevalent, the initial predictions of technological disruption on higher education may be true after all. In fact, as EdTech makes postsecondary education more readily accessible and increasingly affordable, completion rates and placement will improve and rise but will eventually disrupt higher education.
"As the new language of competencies disrupts higher education, we will need to be vigilant to protect the central role that our colleges and universities play in civil society and economic development," Craig wrote. "At the same time, colleges and universities must take no comfort in the fact that prior predictions of technological disruption have proven false. This time really is different."
How To Effectively Integrate Education Technology
As education technology becomes the latest trend of the 21st century, its effectiveness to revolutionize education remains debatable issue, noting the fact that it could also disrupt learning. Hence, University Herald shares some helpful tips to integrate education technology into students' lives effectively.
Amazon Launches Education Technology Platform For Teachers
In other education technology-related news, Amazon is making its presence known in the EdTech industry by launching an online marketplace called Amazon Inspire. According to The New York Times, the education technology site will provide thousands of free worksheets, lesson plans and other instructional resources for teachers.
Do you think education technology disrupts higher education? Share your thoughts below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.
