6 Key Trends in Education Technology in 2017
For a long time, Australian universities have invested heavily in providing the latest technologies for students and lecturers. The use of technology to facilitate student engagement and academic success is more prevalent than ever. Following my visit to ISE last month, here are some trends in education technology to look out for in 2017:
1. AV over IP is everywhere.
Although there are still several features that need to be ironed out (security, bandwidth, traffic management etc.), there is a huge shift within the industry towards integrating AV and IT services. AV professionals will need to work with IT departments and understand the networking principles when implementing AV over IP. The ability to route AV anywhere over the network is an exciting change to the switched way we do it now.
2. Touch Screen Displays
Interactive flat panel displays are getting bigger and cheaper. With touch screens offering a more intuitive and interactive user experience, it won’t be long until interactive projection systems are all but a thing of the past.
3. Bring Your Own Device
There are a growing number of personal devices in the market and AV systems must support all these devices. BYOD comes with many benefits including higher student engagement and more effective presentations. Like AV over IP, this requires a good understanding of wireless networking and working with IT departments. One of the first steps to achieve BYOD is developing good BYOD policies.
4. LED Walls
LED walls will fast replace projection systems in lecture theatres and classrooms. LED walls are becoming more affordable and the narrow pixel pitch available these days means they will become a viable and attractive option for lecture theatres.
5. Cloud
Cloud technology will become more prevalent and enable students and AV systems to use it as a medium for collaboration.
6. Augmented Reality
Universities will be an early adopter of augmented reality and virtual reality technology as it provides a unique opportunity for students to engage and immerse themselves within their class material. Although the technology is still in its early stages, it will most likely trend towards virtual classrooms and gamification. Universities will need to start developing software applications around VR teaching.
If you’d like to learn more about implementing any of the above trends in education technology, speak to our team– we’d love to help! I’ve always found that the right solution will accommodate the teaching pedagogy without having to compromise the class format. Technology, when designed and deployed correctly, becomes an enabler rather than an inhibitor. It blends with the learning environment and can be operated simply and intuitively.
About the Author
Manoje Indraharan is the Operations Manager at CHW Consulting and has over 12 years technical experience within the AV/ICT industry. He has been responsible for delivering several high profile audio visual, communications and IT infrastructure projects as a Consultant, Lead Engineer and Project Manager. Manoje has worked with a number of leading Universities in Australia and specialises in technology within the education and health sectors. Please feel free to connect with him on LinkedIn.
