With the advent of year 2012, the prediction about trends in higher education has gradually caught its pace.The experts have tightened the belt to map the stats that will be followed by prestigious institutions of higher education and will then be followed by others. According to them with the world growing global, technology will now have the lions share. Technology has shadowed the whole world, and is likely to make its space in higher education sector too. 2012 will see the top five trends in higher education as technological advancements in delivery of education and internet based learning programs. These are most likely to become the new methods of teaching in the future schools. Here are top five tech trends in higher education.
E-books will dominate conventional textbooks
With the large popularity continued, this year will see the rise of e-books as means of teaching. E-books are digital presentation of text books with pictures and other book materials such as figures and illustrations and have gained a good hold in the market on online teaching. Along with normal e-books used as means of delivering world class education, there will be enhancement with videos and visualization and students will be provided with digital environment. The giants like Amazon have come to play the game of e-learning where they will retail e-books that can be easily downloaded on your PC, androids, laptops and mobiles.
Online libraries on rise
2012 will mark the beginning and upward growing trend of open course ware. Two famous state universities of Canada and Washington have topped the trend of online libraries with bill still in senate process. There are e-books which can be purchased even in their printed version. This has been done to save the money of state and students. Online libraries have started with lower standard books already shelved. The courseware will be open for reuse and customization with a license. With Massachusetts institute already live on open course ware for its students, most of the other universities are likely to follow the trend.
Digital lectures
This trend is not new to the world but what is new is the way. Lectures will be provided by online classrooms and will have live delivery by professors. The lectures will then be available online as recorded. Professors are no longer the one who produce their lecture themselves but are receiving huge support from designers. This will change the format the way online class rooms were built previously. This trend will see more rise than any other, said experts. Because students now want to learn from professors who are competent and when the professors are coming live to them via internet, they will love the class.
Education via handheld devices
With the growing number of smart phones amongst youngsters, 2012 will see learning on tablets and iPhones. It is not that these are the only devices that support the mobile learning, but the education sector companies have created a platform for all Smartphone for direct access of the online available learning material. Most of the schools have adopted this system because children are now equipped with mobile and that can work as a media of learning. Social networking sites will now be used to bring students together for learning and doing homework rather than just socializing. Ed companies have colligated with institutes and applications for learning purpose are booming. This trend is visualized to grow multifold with the rise in the number of smart phones.
Cloud Computing
This is one technology that is new to the world of education. With the hardware costs rising constantly and institutions griped under tight budget hold, they are focusing on the content rather than hardware. This increases the demand for cloud where a lot of material is available with the option of choosing the better for specific demands. Schools are taking help of cloud computing and giving the most to cloud without dependence on hardware. Not just schools but individual and institutional level cloud computing will rise because most of course ware is now available online and is even growing. This has pressurized IT systems which in turn are going for cloud and putting more into it, leaving the grievance of lesser hardware and increasing costs.
