As the city paints itself red with jingle bells and tinsel, we know another year is coming to a close. The reversals begin in the year that passed when Covid ruled most of our lives.

Needless to say, our lives were turned upside down and it was our young generation who felt its impact the most. Since schools were the first to close when reports of cases began to emerge, the education sector had to adapt quickly to keep students engaged in lessons.

Technology came to the rescue to survive during lockdowns and this has been the case, not only in Sri Lanka but for the entire world. As such, a general closure means another year to look forward to, with many questions about what our lives, especially young people, will be like in the future, in light of the new realities. It’s worth looking into the world’s emerging education trends to look out for in 2022, as our students prepare for another new year.

technology

For the past couple of years, technology has been the only thing keeping our boats afloat. There is no doubt that this will play a huge role in the education sector almost all over the world in the coming years. Technology has evolved over the years, playing a major role in all industries.

However, technology appears to have taken to a whole new level in the education sector in many parts of the world, with learning platforms moving to virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence as educational tools.

According to Virtual Capitalist research, more students are keen to keep ways of digital communication open with their teachers rather than in-person lessons, especially at advanced and higher learning levels. They feel more connected to the organizations through video conferencing while also using live chat, email, social media and online portals to communicate.

PEW Research states that the new normal in 2025 will be more technology-dependent. In a survey sample of nearly 1,000 innovators, developers, business and policy leaders, researchers and activists, it was universally agreed that relationships between humans and technology will grow further and that tech-savvy students will be paramount.

flexible

The adoption of technology in teaching has its challenges, particularly in the developing world, but it has allowed the education sector to be more flexible and to a much wider scope, even breaking international borders.

It is also made easier for students because they are able to listen to the recorded lectures at their convenience, instead of spending time and energy traveling to institutes. More students have chosen distance learning during the past two years of the pandemic while more institutes have opened doors to award qualifications through online learning.

As the world shifts to the digital platform, teachers who have been trained according to traditional systems in traditional institutes need to reclaim new skills and knowledge to find the best ways to engage their students to keep pace with new global trends in education.

soft skills

A study conducted by Future of Jobs highlights the importance of soft skills in the future job market.

This includes critical thinking, problem solving, people management, and creativity that brings a healthy individual equipped with academic knowledge to the table. Therefore, schools have a responsibility to hone these skills from an early age to prepare them for future jobs.

Another interesting study by Microsoft revealed that students’ attention stretches in the classroom and during online lessons appears to decrease. This has been significantly noted among millennials because they were the generation that experienced a revolution in mobile devices.

The study found it easier to get their attention with “great dialogue, visuals, and an interesting story,” tools that our schools and universities can also adopt when presenting educational materials. The use of virtual reality and augmented reality technology – known for its fun and interactive games – helps maintain students’ diminished attention spans for longer periods of time.

games

In addition, gamification is another new trend in education as more teachers in the world are using it for their lessons. As more young people are turning to games as a leisure activity, some schools in the developing world have used this to their advantage, making learning an exciting game.

As more doors open to information sources through the digital platform, students have more independence in learning. This allows teachers to move away from traditional lectures and be more accommodating to allow students to find and analyze information on their own. Facilitated learning is another essential component of preparing students for the future job market. For this, teachers also need to hone their interpersonal skills in creating a conducive environment for students to work together and have discussions.

top jobs

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), the jobs landscape in 2022 is heavily skewed towards tech-savvy professionals.

The top 10 emerging roles in 2022 are data analysts and scientists; artificial intelligence and machine learning specialists; General Managers and Operations. Software and application developers and analysts, sales and marketing professionals, big data specialists, digital transformation specialists, new technology specialists, organizational development specialists and IT services.

On the other hand, the World Economic Forum defines rejected jobs as data entry clerks; Accounting, payroll and bookkeeping clerks; administrative and executive secretaries; Assembly and factory workers. customer information and customer service workers; Recording clerks and stock keeping; and postal service clerks among others.

Another highlight of the report is that professionals need to make learning their lifelong goal, without dividing their lives into academic and career halves. Mixing the two brings better prospects for the professional, making them indispensable in the workforce.

This helps professionals keep abreast of emerging global trends while opening new horizons for educational institutions to open adult education facilities. Innovative e-learning platforms have allowed better access. Thus, it will not be difficult to achieve lifelong learning goals.

While Covid-19 has turned the tables in terms of education, it is certain that now or not teachers are abandoning outdated traditional methods and keeping pace with emerging global trends of student empowerment. They must be prepared for the workplace of the future, which will be very different from what it was two years ago.