Educational trends in the U.S. for 2016

Educational trends in the U.S. for 2016

Education is one of the sectors facing more changes nowadays in the U.S. With the public demanding a modern and efficient system that ensure a secure career for their children in the future, educators and government are both having to deal with the facts and offer satisfactory solutions.

So here are the major educational trends that are already taking place in 2016. They are re-shaping classrooms and curriculum and bringing the hope of a more stable lifestyle for future generations.

# 1 - E-learning arrives in the classroom

E-learning is no news to anyone, and it has been allowing people to learn anywhere for a while. But now, it is landing in the classrooms, with teachers using online tools to create classes and assignments. And the number of apps and online tools providing all that educators need to make it happen is growing on a daily basis.

And this isn’t an industry that got the interest only of start-ups. Large companies, such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft, are offering their own solutions and online environments that schools and colleges can use for free or almost nothing so that they can add high-tech resources to their classrooms.

# 2 - Learning is becoming more collaborative

If before assignments and homework were majorly done individually, nowadays the trend is to stimulate collaborative learning. More projects and studies and been done in a group, in order to fulfil a demand for the job system for professionals better prepared to work in teams.

Wikis are one of the online tools used for this purpose nowadays, as they allow the creation and development of collaborative projects. And it is not like a student will be able to ask another to “write my paper”, but they will have to work as a group all the time. Plus, thanks to it, more emphasis is being given to the process instead only to the final product.

# 3 - The grading system is under discussion

The grading system is under discussion as it doesn’t seem to make sense anymore. In a world where teamwork is more important than individual achievement, as mentioned above, it is hardly possible to keep giving marks in the way it used to be done. It is also believed that the current grading system harms self-confidence and inhibit creativity, virtual tools to any successful professional.

But, which is the best solution for this matter is yet to be seen. Some educators suggest that assignments and exams should be left in the past, with teachers evaluating their students in a more holistic way by the end of each semester or year. Others, that they still should exist but with a more flexible standard. Self-assessments and even gamification are also being considered as a possible solution for this challenge.

# 4 - Curriculum might become personalised

A challenge that many institutions will have to face is the need of making the curriculum more personalised and tailored to each student. The idea here is to see each one as an individual and try to offer them the resources that they specifically need to achieve their goals and overcome their challenges.

But it seems unrealistic to many teachers that they can provide this level of attention if they are facing overcrowded classrooms and a lack of resources. Alternatives are to be analysed, and educators are trying to find a way to make it happen considering the circumstances provided by schools and colleges.

# 5 - Alternative credentials are changing the scenario

It is long the time that you had to have a degree from a fancy university to become someone in life. Leave alone those who head towards entrepreneurship, there are many careers whose employees are happy to contract new talents with no degree in their belts.

It is especially true when it comes to IT jobs, one of the hottest careers at the moment. There are several MOOCs and e-learning courses with alternative accreditations (or none) able to provide their students with everything that they need to know about their sector so to wow their future employees.

# 6 - New teaching models and resources are being experimented

New teaching models and resources are being largely tested in the classrooms nowadays. Augmented reality and video games are just two of the things that are welcomed by educators. And they are having a significant impact on the students’ engagement, improving their learning process in a way hadn’t seen in a while.

The bottom line

As you noticed, the scenario is dramatically changing in the U.S. educational system at the moment. The chances are that soon classrooms and the curriculum provided will become entirely different from what was offered just a few years ago.

It will bring new challenges not only to teachers but also to parents and guardians, as they will have to adapt their own knowledge in order to support their children’s learning process. The good thing about it is that they will all learn together and increase their chances to be more successful in the future.