What will classroom teaching look like in 2050?
With innovations in teaching methods, the once simple system has essentially become an anachronism that reminds us how much technology has invaded all spheres of classroom teaching. Indeed, classroom teaching is a term that has rapidly evolved with pioneering developments in technology.
Despite changing pedagogical methods and continual advances that threaten the existence of an actual classroom, contact classes and lectures delivered in real-time are still effectual. Lectures pre-recorded and peddled to students for study at home come with a dangerous side-effect – there is no provision for the teacher to monitor the progress of the student.
As we inch closer towards absolute technological dependence, should we picture a situation in which technology stifles artistic expression? Will there be a time when it encroaches upon the rudiments established by conventional techniques of the past?
Let’s take a look at the scenario of classroom teaching in 2050.
It wouldn’t be unreasonable to imagine a complete technological takeover in terms of mode of delivery. Using visual media to help students grasp concepts better, is already becoming a huge trend. For sure, the better days of this trend are in front of it. Expecting students to run an AutoCAD simulation in their heads from the (often poorly drawn) blueprint on the chalkboard is the surest way to lose their involvement. To reduce this load on students, teachers will make use of miniature models and simulations in 2050. They will factor in the the headway being made in 3-D printing technology and students will no longer have to rely on the artistic caliber of their teachers to communicate difficult concepts.
Classroom logistics could also become much less spontaneous and more streamlined. Every person that is about to walk into a classroom notices the glint of green on the petite, unassuming machine on the wall—the biometric scanner. It decongests the hustle-bustle and also saves time. The teacher will just need to retrieve the attendance information, neatly curated by the software, to know which student couldn’t care enough to be punctual.
The usage of the biometric system won’t just be limited to the students. Teachers and other staff members themselves would be required to check into the biometric machine every morning. Several institutions dock the day’s pay if the teacher turns up too late – this could easily be monitored with the help of the data recorded in biometric systems.
Class scheduling will no longer be a clutter with last-minute scrambling. Algorithms will consolidate the data from the day’s biometric system, and automatically fill vacant slots (from teachers who didn’t turn up) with alternate subjects after checking the availability of those teachers. The concerned teacher could promptly receive a message telling him where he needs to go and when.
Optimization in scheduling ensures that neither the faculty nor the student’s time is squandered.
The essence of classroom teaching can be boiled down to one thing – tangibility. A smart classroom is one that retains this ethos. Recorded material, no doubt has it’s place as a supplement, but when it becomes the primary mode of address, it will mark the end of a tried and tested pedagogical system.
Notebooks have been around for as long as we school-goers can remember. However, expect notebooks and any forms of hard copies to dwindle, courtesy – portable electronic devices. Students will no longer be required to carry notebooks; instead, they would carry tablets which they would use as writing pads, or to quickly refer to previous notes. Notebooks will begin to wane and subsequently, their untarnished legacy will be laid to rest. Flat screens or projector screens will adorn the walls once painted green and scrawled on with chalk.
One of the primary goals of an ideal classroom is to focus teaching on eliminating the imperfections of each and every student. Thirty years down the line, expect teaching to become entirely aptitude-aligned. Every student takes certain preliminary aptitude tests and subsequently, gets a detailed report on his performance. The analysis would outline where the individual would need to improve, and so he would then need to take those classes alone. Teaching affiliated specifically with the individual’s aptitude for a topic would ensure complete, all-round proficiency.
Classroom teaching is going to transform substantially three decades down the line. But we need to make a conscious, scrupulous effort to retain the true identity of classroom teaching that has endeared itself to us.
Classroom teaching in 2050 will be drastically different from what we are used to now. It will certainly involve a lot of online teaching! Read more about online education here.
