Every year, we share our 10 most read stories. Not surprisingly, many of this year's top 10 focused on equity, educational technology innovation, immersive learning, and the science of reading. This year's fourth most read story focuses on the role of blended learning in the wake of the pandemic.
Avantis Education, the leading provider of virtual reality and augmented reality content and hardware for K-12 schools, has published a new whitepaper: “Building Back Stronger: New Thinking and Technologies Reshaping Education,” which delves into the countless ways in which K-12 schools are adopting different cutting-edge methodologies and technologies to support students after a period of declining academic success.
The whitepaper, published under the brand ClassVR, Avantis' award-winning all-in-one VR/AR headset for schools, is available for download at https://bit.ly/BBSwhitepaper.
As stated in the white paper, “issues such as lack of funding, lack of staff, the digital divide and the impacts of the pandemic have set the stage for an ambitious revival.” It notes that ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funding has provided school districts with opportunities to leverage new educational approaches and technologies and that “these innovations serve as catalysts for rejuvenation, charting a course toward restoring educational excellence. “American education is rebuilding stronger.”
The whitepaper examines several specific approaches and technologies used in schools, including:
- The flipped classroom
- ai-generated teaching materials
- The movement without qualifications
- Data-driven learning analytics
- Post-pandemic expansion of SEL
- Virtual reality and augmented reality
- Maker-based learning, makerspaces and STEM labs
The white paper includes insights from five education thought leaders:
- Dr Rupert Rawnsley, Chief Scientific Officer, Avantis Education
- Christopher Klein, educational consultant at Avantis Education
- Simon Luxford-Moore, Director of eLearning at ESMS Independent Schools
- Luke Knightly-Jones, educational researcher and private tutor at Royal Tutors
- Dr Lorah Sirri, Senior Lecturer in Educational Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University
It also provides examples of how some of these approaches and technologies are used in classrooms.
“The 2020s are likely to be a defining decade for education as schools and policymakers reconsider their approaches to education,” said Avantis Education CEO Huw Williams. “In this white paper we offer an informative look at some of the innovations occurring in K-12 schools today and their potential to engage students and support academic growth. It includes reflective context offered by experts in the field about these practices and technologies to help inform the conversation about how best to help students move forward.”
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