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The Emergence of Tablets
In 2010, Apple came out with the iPad, a touch version of a computer. These tablets allowed for more access to educational games and websites that were previously available only on desktop.
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Chromebooks in the Classroom
Chromebooks are compact laptops created by Google, created to provide users with efficiency, longevity, and sufficient storage space. Many schools provide chromebooks for each student due to their affordability as well as durability and usability.
Image Credit: https://www.geekwire.com/2017/reported-google-update-glitch-disconnects-student-chromebooks-schools-across-u-s/ -
Video Learning Rises to Fame
Though Khan Academy launched in 2008, the popularity of video based learning really blew up in 2012. Video based learning, while certainly not the same as face-to-face learning, has its perks as well like allowing for remote learning, playback of content, volume adjustability, as well as accessibility features like captions.
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Spike in mobile phone usage among adolescents.
In 2013, we saw a huge spike in the number of people using mobile phones, especially those under 18. With more access to mobile phones, the rise of mobile educational applications was kickstarted.
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reference: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-25445906 -
Google Classroom
Google Classroom is a free application that was created to allow teachers to digitally create, receive and grade assignments, while also allowing students to comment and converse with one another. Image Credit: https://peakhurst-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/about-our-school/googleclassroom.html -
Breakout of Mobile Learning
Though mobile phones were already around for a while, the rise of access set the course for the advancements of 2015. Mobile phones allow students to access their coursework both at and away from home. Mobile learning can mean having access to files like audio, video, or documents, etc. Image Credit: https://elearningindustry.com/getting-mobile-learning-right-6-best-practices -
Flipped Learning
In 2016, flipped learning became a big topic. In a flipped classroom, instead of having homework, students would learn the content for the lesson of the next day through pre-recorded videos and audio files and complete homework at school the next day. The idea of this style of learning is to have the students collaborate on their homework in a group environment to better cement their understanding of the content. Image Credit: https://www.wolverley.worcs.sch.uk/1354/flipped-learning -
E-Textbooks gain popularity
Though they came out before 2017, e-books became increasingly popular. E-books allow students to access textbook material online, rather than having to carry around physical copies of textbooks. Image Credit: https://teleread.com/changing-people-learn-digital-textbooks/index.html -
Interactive E-books
As augmented reality continues to gain popularity, the emergence of interactive e-textbooks also rises in popularity. Examples of what is offered in an interactive e-book include online quizzes, activities, detailed graphs and visuals; in online group settings, notes, highlights and comments can be shared. Image Credit:https://www.kotobee.com/ -
The Cloud
In 2019, the cloud became extremely popular in educational settings. The idea that information could be stored online (technically on a remote computer) rather than on our own computers seems more enticing, thus, the amount of users who switched to using the cloud skyrocketed in 2019. Image Credit: https://www.cisecurity.org/insights/blog/6-reasons-its-smart-to-work-in-the-cloud -
Ed Tech Apps Gain Popularity
Around 2020, we saw the pick up of popularity for educational technology applications. There has been a steady increase of educators who have been using apps like google classroom, ClassDojo, Remind101, Quizlet, etc. since then and continues to grow each day. There are thousands if not millions of educational apps available to students, teachers, and even parents. Image Credits: https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2020/03/good-educational-apps-for-teachers.html