-
Chromebook Pilot Program Begins
Although Chromebooks weren't widely established in schools until 2012, 2010 marks when they were first introduced to certain pilot schools. Chromebooks were to become key to technology accessibility for students. These laptops also brought with them free Google learning tools and apps that quickly became industry standard across the U.S. -
Smartphones & Tablets
2010 heralded the year of new smart tablets, namely the iPad, and smartphones. These tools allowed students to access classes from home and utilize mobile apps to further learning. https://edtechbooks.org/50_years/educational_technology -
Period: to
Gamification
Gamification refers to adding game elements to learning to incentivize student engagement. This decade of gamification saw multiple tools in its arsenal, smartphones, tablets, VR headsets, and AR integration. While many benfits in engagement have been seen, some elements of competition were seen as detrimental to student's learning. -
MOOCs
MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses, are free open enrollment online courses, often self-paced. These courses could culminate in badges or certifications. While completion rate for these courses is often low, they allow learners from all walk of life to access higher education or simplye formalized education in an afforable, asynchronous format. -
Open Textbooks
Open textbooks are free digital versions of textbooks which are readily available to the public. Open Textbooks also brought in a new wave of accessibility. By making textbooks digitally available for free, more barriers to education were dismantled. -
Google Classroom
Hand-in-hand with the growing usage of Chromebooks in school rooms across America, the convenient built-in tool of Google Classroom had become a new default learning management system. It is estimated that about 15 million students are using Google Classroom today. -
COVID-19 & Distance Learning
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused all schools to be online school seemingly overnight. Many students may have suffered in their learning progress due to the lack of adecquate online tools training for both teachers and students. However, this time also expanded the integration and necessity of digital educational technology in every school.