K-12 Educational Technology Trends

Each year, a group of education technology advocates and experts outline what they see as the biggest emerging trends in the field. This year's report highlights a number of emerging issues, including the increased use of touch-screen technology, "flipped' classrooms, and "open" educational resources.

The Horizon Report 2014 K-12 Edition is a collaboration between The New Media Consortium and the Consortium for School Networking. The report focuses on both technology trends as well as structural trends in K-12 education and classifies them according to horizon - short, medium, long term.

Highlights:

Short-term trends:

• Schools are rethinking the roles of teachers, as pressure increases for digital-learning integration in classrooms, including a shift to "student-centered" learning and flipped classrooms.
• Schools are being drawn to "deeper-learning" approaches, defined as using technologies to foster active learning experiences in and out the classroom.
• There's an increasing focus on "open" educational resources, materials that are free of charge and ownership and usage rights, are becoming more prevalent. 

Mid-range:

• Schools/ classrooms are increasingly using hybrid learning designs that enable students to participate in physical and virtual learning environments.

Long-Term:

• The rapid acceleration of "intuitive technology" is providing a learning experience where learners interact with devices entirely by using natural movements and gestures. 
• Overall changes in the structure of schools are aimed to create innovative school designs and restructuring school schedules to allow more flexibility and cultivate student creativity.