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Mobile Devices in Learning
The use of mobile devices allows students to access course content anywhere and enables them to "capture information outside of the learning environment and make connections with the material." (https://edtechbooks.org/50_years/educational_technology) -
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Augmented and Virtual Reality
Advances in AR and VR led to increased interest regarding how they could be used in education. -
Social Media
The use of social media in educationally relevant ways has a positive effect on student engagement and it empowers students to customize their learning environments. (https://edtechbooks.org/50_years/educational_technology) -
MOOCs
"The year of massive open online courses" (https://er.educause.edu/articles/2018/7/twenty-years-of-edtech) -
The Return of AI
AI, or artificial intelligence, initially gained attention in education in the 1980s and 1990s, but it resurfaced in the few years leading up to 2016. It presents some ethical dilemmas: "The concern about AI is not that it won't deliver on the promise held forth by its advocates but, rather, that someday it will." Some contend that its greatest contribution might be highlighting the importance of people in the education system. (https://er.educause.edu/articles/2018/7/twenty-years-of-edtech) -
Open Textbooks
An extension of the OER (open educational resource) movement that provided openly licensed versions of textbooks (free digital versions). (https://er.educause.edu/articles/2018/7/twenty-years-of-edtech) -
Learning Analytics
For distance education, learning analytics provide the equivalent of some face-to-face signals in an online environment. This is not without downsides such as "data capitalism" though. (https://er.educause.edu/articles/2018/7/twenty-years-of-edtech) -
Digital Badges
Digital badges actually started with Mozilla in 2011, but they represent the achievements, skills, and/or competencies of an individual. -
COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic causes a sudden shift to remote learning that strains the capacities of students and schools alike.