Pearson, a US-based provider of educational content and services, has released a new study on the changes digital data will bring to future of learning. Pearson's Vice President of Learning Analytics Dr. John Behrens and Senior Research Scientist Dr. Kristen DiCerbo wrote the report, Impacts of the Digital Ocean on Education, detailing how data, social technology and gaming will all be at the forefront of education in the future.
Eighty-five percent of teachers in the United States already use technology in their classrooms daily. Personalised learning at scale will become a reality as this digital world of teaching and learning increases. The report says that with the increase in data accessibility, educators will be able to use existing digital teaching tools and techniques to better collect information about learners’ activities in testing and non-testing environments. The end result is a better understanding of a learner's knowledge and skills, which can help determine the next best step in learning for an individual.
Specifically, the report identifies six areas of impact – Interaction. Data, Pattern Seeking, Immediate Feedback, Learner Profiles and Activity Recommendation. Dr. Behrens and Dr. DiCerbo argue that while tools and processes must change, the true challenge to realising a more personalised learning experience is a change in thinking. They pose questions that push educators and policy-makers to embrace the possibilities offered by new information sources and social learning.
