The new decade has been a shock therapy for the education sphere. Under the pressure of the pandemic, we are rapidly leaving the usual models of education and actively mastering new formats.
Bite-size learning instead of learning by the bell
The development of technology and the shortening of the life cycle of professions have led to the obsolescence of the classical model of education “school-university”. It has been replaced by the concept of bite-sized learning-focused and dynamic learning in minimal time intervals at a comfortable pace. As we know, new information is perceived best during the first 20 minutes, and the maximum level of concentration falls on the first 5-8 minutes. Accordingly, in the range of a standard lesson of 60-90 minutes, attention decreases significantly.
Bite-size learning can be called one of the most successful approaches to solve the problem of students’ distracted attention. In “bite-size learning” modules of up to 15 minutes in length are created with the use of various tools (videos, blogs, games) and tests. As a result, a person receives specific and targeted information, saving his or her own time greatly. In addition, all the modules can be studied over and over again so that the student no longer needs writing help, because, in case of difficulties, he can clarify the unclear points again. Another plus is that not only the work computer can be used for the course, but also an ordinary smartphone. Thus, you can easily go through a short training block during breakfast over a cup of coffee.
High Speed of Learning
Just some 20-30 years ago, once you got a profession, you could plan your career and be sure that nothing would change in the next few years. Today, such a situation is almost impossible: not only are entire professions becoming a thing of the past – the structure of the professions is changing at an enormous rate. And the world will continue to speed up. There is no time for unhurried development. The only way out is to re-educate as quickly as possible. An intensive point-to-point training format using digitalization – for example, chatbots and artificial intelligence – will be in demand. They are capable of conducting educational marathons in a short time, monitoring the quality of learning new knowledge, and generating a report on the results of training.
A flexible learning format
Nowadays, any educational institution must offer its students choices and be flexible with them. We can no longer exist within the rigid framework of 20th-century classical education. The formerly accepted programs with a fixed number of academic hours devoted to each subject are a thing of the past. Students must be given the right to choose which subjects to focus on and which are less immersed in. A personalized approach will increase each individual’s motivation, allow them to control the learning process, and track their progress, which in turn will have a positive impact on responsibility and engagement in the lesson program. This trend will only strengthen in the coming years.
The practical aspect of learning
The development of digital technology, on the one hand, opens up new opportunities, but on the other hand, poses new challenges. To stay on track, to be an effective and in-demand specialist, it is necessary to constantly learn and develop. Moreover, if only five-ten years ago universities were entitled to give students just theoretical knowledge, shifting the empiricism to employers, then today the situation has changed. Classical education is no longer enough, because new requirements, professions, technologies, and processes are changing. As a result, modern employers are more and more interested in skills, not traditional degrees of candidates. Hence, educational institutions are expected to make it easier for students to learn new practical skills.
Focus on pumping up particular skills
Generation Millennials and Z no longer want to interact with standardized educational services designed for the average user. Learning is gradually transforming from compulsory to voluntary. Students will choose which skills they need to develop on their own. Educational platforms and universities are already actively trying to find new ways to personalize learning content, restructure academic and career support, to meet the group and individual needs of students.