Every industry and sector has gone through a major revolution over the last 20 years as technological advances have their effect on everyday life. It began with the introduction of computers into classrooms as the teachers taught ICT courses. Now we have reached a point where the world of education is undergoing a complete shift to a place where computers are the instruments that we use to teach, rather than being their own separate subject.
Using vodcasts, video instruction, and web-enabled e-books, we are starting to see university students learn theories and background information outside of the classroom and then work on application in the classroom with their teacher - flipping the traditional learn in class and practice at home model.
Most modern classrooms may have not changed that much but some universities are taking a lead in changing the traditional lecture hall into a scene from your favourite sci-fi movie. I can only think of the future where my own face will be on a telepresence robot and I will be remotely using it to move around the classroom, observe students, and interact with them even though I am thousands of kilometres away.
Artificially intelligent simulators
Of course, there are advances in blended learning which are being introduced into schools in Dubai which are giving students a leg up in competition, especially in real-life applications. One school in the region has introduced an artificially intelligent simulation – in the form of a financial trading simulator. This allows students the chance to be able to practice implementing what they have learned, while still in a safe environment.
Robotic simulators, virtual reality headsets, and augmented reality glasses are enabling students to get experience that before would have been difficult, expensive and risky. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the fields of engineering, medicine and aviation where errors made in the real environment could be catastrophic, yet with the technology that is now becoming available, students can practice repeatedly without fear.
The role of educators is moving from that of being a teacher to being advocates of technology and ‘smart learning’ for students. We are involved in ensuring that students receive the highest degree of tutoring to help them in their future endeavors.
To do this we need to be up to date on how we can best facilitate their learning, even if that means them studying the main theories in their own time and discussing implementation with their teachers.
The writer is CEO, Global Institute Middle East, the Academic Partner for Curtin University Dubai
