Christian at think:lab points to an article in eSchool News which outlines six emerging trends that are supposed to impact edtech in the coming year.
1 – The leveling power of the World Wide Web
2 – Cloud computing
3 – Service-oriented architecture
4 – The gathering SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model)
5 – Telepresence and anytime, anywhere education
6 – 21st-century learning
He wants to know “What is over-stated? What is not hyped enough? And what is missing?”
I suppose that depends on what is meant by having an impact.
If these technologies are supposed to change classroom practice and student learning, then the answer is maybe number one is not hyped enough. The rest, however, are totally irrelevant to the discussion of instructional technology.
Actually, the whole article sounds like a sales pitch for the big edtech vendors, which is not surprising since it was adapted from a presentation at the Oracle World conference.
I would be more enthusiastic about the first trend if he didn’t use the founders of YouTube as an example of the “democratization” of the web.
Putting together a video sharing site that went from nothing to a billion dollar buy out in just over a year is a remarkable story. But it says very little about how that “leveling power” can be used for teaching and learning.
As to that last one, 21st-century learning, the speaker is referring to a list of skills outlined by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Information and communication skills;
Thinking and problem-solving skills;
Interpersonal and self-direction skills;
Global awareness;
Financial, economic, and business skills; and
Civic literacy
That’s a great list, and it certainly should be the foundation of the basic curriculum for all students. But it’s not an “edtech trend”.
So, what’s missing? In this article, pretty much anything directly relating to technology for teaching and learning in American K12 schools during 2007.
So much for forecasting trends.