Emerging Technologies
27
Blaise Patterson
Blaise Patterson<EMAIL_ADDRESS>University of Ontario, Institute of Technology
Abstract
Rapid technological advancement has resulted in an influx of emerging technologies becoming available to today’s educators. This grants many opportunities for educators to deliver their lesson plans in a multitude of formats. Newly developed software like SeeSaw and ExplainEverything, aim to make lesson delivery more effective. Whereas, from a hardware perspective, virtual reality is allowing classrooms to experience virtual spaces like never before. Toys-to-life products like Nintendo’s Labo and Lego’s Boost are a combination of both software and hardware; adding digital components to non-digital models to support the learning of basic coding. While experimenting with these new technologies can prove to be beneficial for the learning environment, critical reflection is more necessary than ever. We must constantly reflect on emerging technologies we hope to integrate, and evaluate their validity as productive tools.
Keywords: Emerging technologies, software, critical reflection.
Introduction
The modification of the classroom is an ongoing process; we, as educators, are always integrating new means of teaching into the learning environment. Technology has provided even more opportunities for learning; digital tools have the potential to be open-ended, giving users a plethora of materials, which would otherwise be unattainable.
Typically, the tools we use are already familiar to us. The discovery of new tools for learning requires one to actively search. Although we may try our best, we are not always provided the chance to search for new tools to use. This chapter hopes to illuminate some emerging technologies. As well as technological tools, which you may have missed.
Due to the rapid expansion of available tools, it is difficult to discuss all of them. However, the tools included in this chapter have shown promise in the classroom through personal experience. Thus, it seems necessary to explore them a little further, to consider for the future. The three main areas of exploration are: communication software, virtual reality, and toys-to-life products.
Explanation of Emerging Technologies
It is difficult to provide an exact definition for emerging technologies, because it varies depending on the context. The Business Dictionary (2018) defines emerging technologies as, “new technologies that are currently developing or will be developed over the next five to ten years, and which will substantially alter the business and social environment”. Alternatively, Rotolo et al. (2015) conducted a meta-analysis of literature, and defines emerging technologies as containing the following qualities: radically novel, rapidly growing, coherent, prominently impactful, and ambiguous. This chapter will discuss and suggest emerging technologies that exemplify these characteristics, in an attempt to benefit how the classroom functions.
Bac