Emerging e-learning technologies will be at the forefront of education by 2025

Online courses and emerging e-learning technologies will be at the forefront of education 2025.

This prediction was made by Polycom back in 2016, as part of a report entitled 'Education in 2025 – Technology Innovation', after survey respondents from the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) said they expect the role of traditional teachers to start becoming less important.

Which emerging e-learning technologies are expected to become more popular?

Instead, they believed that thought leaders and educational outreach programmes will become more important, with 53% of education workers believing interactive video-based learning and mobile devices will hold key roles in lesson delivery by 2025.

While almost two-thirds (64%) of respondents said classroom learning was the main form of education for pupils in 2015, just one-quarter expect this to still be the case in 2025, as distance learning options become more widely used.

Virtual learning environments, which can sit alongside classroom-based teaching as part of a blended learning programme, are expected to be heavily invested in during the run-up to 2025, while physical creative learning environments are also predicted to become increasingly popular.

Andrew Graley, director of healthcare, education and government for the EMEA region at Polycom, commented, ‘By allowing an engaging, accessible and cost-effective approach to education, technology opens up the prospect of higher education, personalised courses and teacher training to a much broader population.

‘With the real-time video collaboration technology that's available today, there's no reason why students can't speak to industry experts about their field of study. It's possible to connect with an expert anywhere in the world at any time – it's just one click away.’

How online courses can form part of a blended learning programme

However, Mr Graley added, ‘It's important that we don't lose that face-to-face practical teaching environment, but make sure we maximise the potential that technology can bring to the education landscape.’

This can be done as part of a blending learning programme, combining classroom lessons with interactive e-learning too, using elements such as VR, AR, gamification, game-based learning and other emerging e-learning technologies to not only make learning more engaging, but to develop learners' digital literacy skills at the same time.

Many of the online learning courses on offer from Virtual College can be easily incorporated into a blended learning programme, providing both education providers and learners with more opportunities as the future of learning and 2025 fast approach.

View the full range of Virtual College courses here.