So here comes the kid, wearing a VR headset who’s back from a day of digging at an archaelogical site.
There’s the other kid, who has just learnt about the climate of the Jabal Jais by walking around a virtual projection of the mountain and its geological wonders.
Then there is another bunch of kids, who are floating inside a zero-gravity zone inside what looks like a NASA like space centre within a school grounds. They are all wearing head-mounted screen displays.
A little later, post-lunch, they run between their interactive screens and 3D printers to learn extrude their newly learnt scientific theories and inventions.
What’s going on?
Welcome to the classrooms of the future.
The days in which teachers stood at the head of the classroom, teaching students who merely sat their and tried to absorb the lessons and swallowed information in textbooks, have vanished.
We are looking 25 years into the future.
In ‘classrooms’, whiteboards and markers have been replaced with interactive screens and projectors and AI technology. All these changes will help to develop learning experiences and also to engage students in a collaborative environment as they work together to harness the future for the betterment of all.
New learning and teaching methods such as ‘project based learning’ and various hands-on assessments will be order of the day, each method fashioned to adapt to individual students’ abilities.
But as with all human attempts, there comes the inevitable disadvantages. We should strive towards using learning more expansive and future-needs based teaching methods which honour the innovativeness of the individuals – rather than simply viewing education as a one-size-fits all process. It’s much like a doctor who gives all his patients the same medicine.
