The education market is a market that is ever evolving and making progress. Like most industries, education is also subject to trends. These trends may cause a positive or negative impact and should be carefully assessed to figure out what is best for student engagement and success.
The education market has witnessed a lot trends that have successfully made their way into the classrooms. This is first of the series of three articles that will discuss about the education market trends that edupreneurs should be aware of.
Here are some growing education market trends for edupreneurs to know:
- Social Media
Social media has become increasingly prominent in sectors like advertising, sports, entertainment industry and more. It has also become very popular in the education field. Its significance in education is such that it is considered a revolution and not just a trend. Internet has been widely used by kids to connect socially, so the adoption of social media in classrooms as an educational tool is trending upward at a very fast pace. Teachers are using social media for blogging and students are collaborating in online communities to work on projects, making social media an integral part of the learning process. Educators use materials that incorporate social learning into the lessons and encourage students to access these social media in and out of the classroom. Teachers are increasingly interested in using the social tools available to facilitate engagement and encourage learning. The advantages of social media are ease of access, portability of technology, simplicity, and freedom of speech and expression. Students are increasingly using social media to improve their educational skills. Social media is also making its way into the employment sector and soon we will see blogs replacing CVs. - Online Learning
Online learning has made it possible for people to push their educational boundaries and access some of the best resources from the comfort of their own home. Free podcasts and online learning tutorials offered on the internet have made learning more accessible and increasingly flexible. The trend of online learning has been so successful that more and more universities are offering courses online. In addition to paid online classes and degree programs, some universities are even offering free non-credit online courses. Online learning makes learning more accessible and flexible and the classroom is no longer the unique center of learning, learning can now be conveniently extended outside the classroom. World renowned universities such as, University of California- Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, John Hopkins University and more, and are currently offering free courses, and we only expect to see this trend grow in the future. - MOOCs
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been in rage in the education sector since the term was coined in 2008. MOOCs are revolutionizing the way students learn and this trend is making its impact across the globe. These courses are typically free, and only require a computer and, of course, the internet. Currently, MOOCs have reached out to nearly 200 countries in 44 different languages, and have 4,500 testing centers around the world. MOOCs are already trending in higher education and are also being adopted in K-12 education. Teachers, parents, and students see MOOCs as a path towards personalized learning because students and teachers can choose the elements of the courses that are relevant to the learners’ needs. Students may take online courses to develop a deeper understanding of a subject and supplement their school’s curriculum. - Game-Based Learning
Game-based learning (GBL) is becoming increasingly popular in classrooms, as teachers are becoming more and more familiar with the process and the benefits associated with it. The concept of GBL is something unique because it helps students visualize processes they otherwise could not see. GBL can be anything from learning simulations, to serious games, to using video games in the classroom. GBL is becoming more and more popular as it has proven to enhance higher-order thinking skills, such as collaboration, communication, problem solving, and teamwork. GBL is designed to balance gameplay with subject matter, and help students retain and apply what they’ve learned in the real world. Although it’s still in the early phases, in the time ahead we’re sure to see games being used more frequently in the learning process. - Increase in Homeschooling
More parents are considering the option of schooling at home and are making the decision to remove their children from local schools to teach them at home. This is basically because parents have rising concerns about the academic quality of local schools and hence choose to take matters into their own hands and control what their child learns. The trend of home-schooling seems to be growing at the same surprising speed and volume as charter schools.
More trends in the education market are covered in the next article of the series.
