Week Twelve: Teaching in 2055

What will education look like 30 years from now?

When we were given this prompt in class, I was instantly fascinated by the idea, and my mind raced with ideas about how education would operate in the future. So what did my imagination cook up?

Spoiler: it’s way more than desks and whiteboards.

I believe that virtual reality (VR) is going to eventually become commonplace in classrooms, or possible even just from home, essentially eliminating the need to go to a physical space. Imagine slipping on a headset and suddenly you’re walking through ancient Rome or diving deep into a virtual coral reef. The possibilities of this are endless. Theoretically, this technology could mean that you would have classmates from all around the world, all working together on group projects and homework from entirely different continents. Global learning will likely be the norm.

Also, despite my apprehension about artificial intelligence(AI), I don’t see it going anywhere any time soon. AI won’t replace teachers, of course, but it will drastically alter the way that society learns. I think it’s likely that in the very near future we will have resources like AI tutors that are capable of keeping up to pace with complex issues.

I also think that education will hopefully start to move away from standardized curriculum, or “one size fits all” approaches to make learning a much more personal and meaningful journey for every single student. We can expect classrooms designed with every kind of learner in mind, especially those who’ve often been left out. Imagine more sensory-friendly settings and AI-driven supports, where neurodivergent students finally have environments to thrive!

Maybe all of this seems idealistic, but I honestly don’t care what people think. This is the future that I hope for.