CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES 1

Challenges and Possibilities

Alexander W. LaForest

School of EDD: Administration and Supervision: Educational Leadership, Liberty University

EDUC730: Issues & Trends in Learning Technologies

Dr. Brian Kuyatt

May 1, 2022

Author Note

Alexander W. LaForest

I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Alexander LaForest. Email:

alaforest@liberty.edu
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Abstract

Throughout this paper the current scope of technology will be examined. Recent

developments following the COVID-19 pandemic as well as issues facing the field will be

analyzed. Using the current landscape and issues as a baseline, a forecast for emerging

technology will be implemented on a 5-year scale. This will use the Horizon report as well as

information garnered from the Gartner Hype Circle. Utilizing this information, a future direction

for the next 10-20 years for education will be proposed as to how educators and students might

be interacting with technology. The final aspect of this paper will focus on safeguards for

technology implementation. This will be analyzed from a biblical lens, isolating biblical

principles and how they connect to best practices for fostering digital etiquette.

Keywords: emerging technology, remote learning, virtual reality, personalized learning,

digital divide, microcredentials, higher education, digital etiquette

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Challenges and Possibilities for the Future of Educational Technology

This paper will work to explore emerging themes of technology within the field of

education and how they are both currently evolving and the potential growth for the future.

Technology on its own is a rapidly growing field that persists through the barriers of

socioeconomic backgrounds and global issues. If implemented with fidelity technology can work

to break down the walls that perpetuate a digital divide, otherwise it will continue to push

affluent and struggling areas further apart. With recent developments of COVID-19 and the

educational fallout that has occurred over the last two to three years, the importance for properly

integrated has never been more apparent.

Current, emerging, and future technologies while not being vastly different in their

physical manifestations, their applications have been ever changing. Platforms such as Google

Classroom have existed for years, however the utilization at the beginning of 2020 spiked. The

same can be said for programs like Zoom and Google Meet. The spike in utilization came not out

of invention, but out of necessity. During this time the educational realm saw the need for virtual

and remote possibilities for learning opportunities. While over the last few years education in the

classroom has extended beyond the four physical walls, this has not been an equitable

environment for all learners. Whether due to WIFI or device access students in all arenas have

had some semblance of learning loss. This has pushed the focus from what has been deemed

typical learning to more personalized learning. However, with this increase in differentiated

learning, this now requires additional teacher training and utilization of various technologies.

Current Landscape

For most current classrooms it is common to see some sort of physical technology such

as SMART Boards, Chromebooks, Document Cameras, and a teacher laptop. The level to which

each of these technologies is being utilized is at teacher discretion and comfortability. This level
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of comfortability can act as both an asset and a deficit to student learning. For teacher’s who feel

comfortable with the technology their implementation then must meet the Technology

Integration Matrix, see Appendix A. However, teachers who lack confidence and comfortability

with technology might be apprehensive to use emerging technologies within their teaching.

Additionally, accessibility to technology is a persistent issue in today’s classroom

environment for many teachers. The lack to emerging technologies for schools in poorer

socioeconomic climates furthers the growing digital divide. Prior to the remote learning initiative

of 2020, the digital divide was already growing. With the toll that COVID-19 has taken on the

classroom, students are struggling to not only make up for lost learning but also opportunities

that are not available due to ease and accessibility. Overcoming these obstacles requires not only

the teachers, but students as well to flexible with their planning and learning. For classes that

have limited number of devices, bring your own device type programs have been being

implemented. Although this then asks the families to provide a technological device which can

be yet another hurdle for students in impoverished areas. Another method to combat lack of

devices has been device sharing. While not overtly inequitable, device sharing between students

does not work to solve the issue of lack of availability.

Stemming from access to baseline needs for technology in the classroom, affluent

districts have more opportunities to integrate STEM focused resources in the classroom. Maker

Spaces and robotics are beginning to become a common place in classrooms to further STEM

education. However, when schools cannot even access Chromebooks, working to garner

auxiliary resources is a non-starter. This hurdle again gets put on the teachers to find a way to

persevere and overcome. Teachers have begun to do this by offering virtual labs for students to

interact with coding and robotics. Again though, this requires students to have access to internet

capable devices. Without said access, being able to achieve what is quickly becoming necessities
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for technology education is growing out of reach for these students strengthening the digital

divide.

Recent Developments

New and growing trends for technology are always going to be on the rise. The argument

of the “haves” vs the “have-nots” will continue to plague the school system at some level

regardless of how wide or narrow the digital divide becomes. More and more is continually

being asked of teachers without letting up. Teachers need to not only be the master of their

content, but technology, social-workers, providers for students, etc. This growing list results in

frustration and apprehension to change. Teacher practice and technology are both ever evolving

and work hand in hand if they can find a harmonious sync. Without time and space to grow and

try and fail, teachers are not able to develop their practice.

During the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school year, technology integration was a must.

Teachers went from being able to integrate at their leisure to having to be proficient overnight.

Unfortunately, no skill is mastered overnight. This rapid implementation caused fear and panic

of practice for many educators. Often the Technology Integration Matrix is analyzed from a

student engagement perspective. If this lens is imparted on teacher practice, it can be said that

many teachers are stuck in the adoption sector. Teachers use just enough technology to say that

they are utilizing it. Although, for many teachers, technology is not an asset or supplemental tool

to their current teaching style. Technology is not substitute for teaching, it should work to build

up current practices and evolve opportunities.

Current Issues Facing the Field

The digital divide has already been referenced multiple times throughout this paper as it

is a major issue that not only affects students but teachers as well. Access to current usable

technologies hinders student growth as well as teachers’ professional development. Schrum and
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Sumerfield (2018) write, “it is clear that the need for equal access (at school, at home, in

communities, and beyond) is enormous…this is not an issue that can be ignored, however, it will

require a large effort to resolve” (p. 182). Often educators and administrators seek a quick fix for

a systematic issue. Access to technologies is not simply a school-based issue, it affects

communities. Remediations to alleviate these inequities will take time. The initiatives that are

being implemented to provide the necessary technology to schools need to be awarded time to

get going. Additionally, they will need the time and grace to fail and revise their practice.

Without this grace, programs will be abandoned to seek out the next Band-Aid solution.

Furthermore, schools not only need to work on their availability to technology but the

mind-set surround implementation. Judge Judy Sheindlin often uses an analogy known as the

“Moldy Blueberry Theory”. The theory states how when customers are shopping for blueberries

and there is one moldy blueberry, it is removed from the carton to save the others. However, the

convers typically happens in society, or the classroom. Educators, administrators, and parents

consistently feed into the destructive behavior hoping for it to change without combating the

actual systemic issue (CBS, 2014). This theory provides a lens of what to avoid when trying to

foster a community for technology integration. Change to practice typically met with

apprehension is due to fear of not being good enough or doing something incorrect. Learning

new technologies and ways of teaching should be commonplace for educators. Why is it that so

many educators are reluctant to growth? In an environment that is designed for learning, what

has happened that causes teachers to oppose their own development? A deeper analysis is

required to truly divulge the answers to these questions. Freeman et al. (2017) writes, “if a school

adopts a culture of innovation, then deeper learning is a possibility plain and simple” (p. 3). This

should be the golden standard of school culture and climate around not only technology but

professional development as well.

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Emerging Trends in K12 from a Global Perspective

Technological growth for the classroom comes in waves. There are times where

technology trickles in and is implemented as it can be, and then there are times where technology

comes in like a crashing wave. The past few years have proposed a booming wave of technology.

Whether all can or should be implemented has been an on-going conversation. Throughout the

next five years technology will continue to grow and become more apparent as a means of not

only classroom education, but daily life. To deliver the best education for students, teachers must

acknowledge the growing trends and strive towards making technology work for them.

One of the first trends that has been booming in recent years is the development and

implementation of remote work and learning. COVID-19 forced schools into remote learning,

requiring students and teachers to commit and understand what was being asked of them. As

educational opportunities grow these remote environments are not going anywhere. For some

remote learning offered many successes, but for others it was a hurdle that they could not

overcome. Crow (2022) writes:

A study across the country exemplified how inequitable the learning losses were. In

schools with mostly Black students, the students concluded the school year with an

average six-month learning loss in math and reading, while students in predominantly

white schools experienced an average loss of four months in math and three months in

reading. (p. 751)

There is no secret that COVID-19 has altered the original projected growth for students.

However, excuses cannot be made to refuse the differentiation and ignore the growths that were

seen. By providing students the opportunities to learn remotely, absences for the 2021-2022

school year were able to be lowered. Remote work and professional learning days for teachers

allotted them the freedom to be home, saving gas money, and boosting staff morale. By
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implementing these changes in the current school year as well as those to come students and

teachers can extend their learning beyond the physical classroom. Ferren (2021) proposes that,

“Schools must learn from their successes and failures this year to ensure that there is not just a

return to the status quo” (p. 12). Remote opportunities are not going anywhere and with the

corporate world exploring remote possibilities, being able to offer students the same liberties

help them to develop their personal learning skills.

In the same line of remote opportunities, virtual reality experiences are on the rise for

student education. These experiences allow students to interact with tools and environments that

they may not have access to in their communities. Virtual Reality resources offer teachers a way

to augment their lessons to give students a hands-on context using digital tools. Yildirim et al.

(2021) write, “VR in the classroom allowed students to interact with unobservable phenomena,

to take virtual trips, increased students' motivation, engagement, and creativity. Further, the use

of these tools allowed teachers to act as a facilitator in the classroom” (p. 241). While virtual

reality offers numerous advantages and opportunities for students and staff, however there are

hurdles that need to be met. Primarily availability and access to resources. Without this, virtual

reality is just another buzzword or piece of unused technology collecting dust. If proper

allocation of resources and training can be met, VR experiences will offer a limitless potential

for student learning. As technology becomes easier to use and teachers develop their skills, these

experiences should be able to become commonplace in lessons. Companies such as Nearpod, are

already working to integrate VR experiences into their Standard Based Lessons for teachers to

use at a click of a button.

A final growing trend is personalized learning. Tying into remote learning and virtual

reality experiences, personalized learning feeds in and off both. Reber et al. (2018) write,

“Studies using each type of personalized education— context personalization, choice, and active
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personalization— found that the interventions increased interest in learners who had low initial

interest or low performance expectations” (p. 452). As student interest in their own education

grows, students will be able to perform deeper dives into the subjects that trigger their intrinsic

motivation. Between the growing remote and virtual opportunities, students have an expanding

list of tools that they can interact with to learn content standards. As personalized learning gains

additional ground in the education there is a concern on teacher planning and sustainability. With

teachers adopting the role of a facilitator they will be guiding students towards opportunities

instead of dragging them through. However, the role of facilitator does not forgo the need for

planning and understanding what is needed by your students. Time must be allocated for teachers

to transition from typical classroom teaching to a personalized learning model. Additionally, the

personalized learning models may not be best for all learners. Grace must be extended over the

years as both students and teachers revise and reshape the educational world.

Future Directions in Education

The scope to which education will grow can either be limited or accentuated by the

degree to which technological initiative will be adopted. The digital divide has been a

reoccurring theme throughout this paper as well as education over the last 10-20 years. If careful

consideration is not taken into effect this divide will exacerbate over the next 10-20 years.

Pelletier et al. (2021) reference the digital divide and its implications within the 2021 Horizon

Report. Signs of a pronounced divide are emerging sooner in K-12 learning following the

COVID-19 pandemic. With this fallout, this could lead to skills lacking as these students grow

up and pursue post-secondary education. This domino effect of skills could be a phenomenon

that is isolated to the COVID-19 generation, or without recourse it could continue to distress

students to follow. Ferren (2021) writes, “There is clearly a long way to go to close the digital

divide ... Schools, districts, and state departments of education should seek out opportunities for
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innovation to ensure that their students are receiving all the wraparound supports” (p. 12).

Educators need to consistently pursue closing this divide, even with the challenge of learning and

implementing emerging technologies. It is through these new technologies that students will be

able to start closing the gap. If schools and communities do not pursue this initiative in 10-20

years entire communities could be struggling with a lack of digital knowledge acquisition.

Remote learning and working have already awarded teachers the liberty to start isolating

their own professional development. While these opportunities will not fade over the next 10-20

years, the educational world could also see a rise in Microcredentialing. Another name for

microcredentials is digital badging. These digital badges can be earned through completed

coursework and the awarding of a certificate or badge of completion to show understanding of

the topic. By implementing a digital badge system professional development can be

differentiated for teachers by not only interest but by acquisition level (Geurkink-Coats, 2019).

While in the current climate, microcredentials are reserved mainly for teacher growth, in 10-20

years with proper implementation they can be utilized to bolster personalized learning for

students. Microcredentials are already being utilized for building teachers into coaches based up

on their own personal interest in professional development. Google offers courses for teachers to

become familiar with how to integrate their tools as well as how to teach others best practices,

see Appendix B. Spangler (2019) writes of the success of microcredentials, “Teachers

demonstrated their learning in multiple ways, including submitting and using SMART goals,

carrying out a data dive around student results, and creating and using a collaborative common

formative assessment to drive instructional grouping for remediation and enrichment” (p. 64)

The aspect of working for a goal will help both learners and educators see interim finish lines.

Over the next 10-20 years as teachers seek out digital badges systems for their own development
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as well as their students, personalized learning can be improved working to close the digital

divide.

COVID-19 not only affected the learning side of education as well as the financial

aspects of higher-education. The educational world has set barriers that keep lower socio-

economic groups from attaining a sound education. These walls have been noted as the

achievement gap and the digital gap to name a few. Sadly, higher education operates under a

business model. What is best for the students often gets pushed to the back burner as working to

please donors to garner the most money takes priority. Pelletier et al. (2021) writes, “the

pandemic has exacerbated higher education’s already troubling financial crisis…students and

parents are questioning the value of remote or online modes of education relative to its cost” (p.

9). Free public education is a myth. Somehow, someway, money from parents, teachers,

administrators all flow into the school paying for supplies and equipment. COVID-19 shed a

light on the exuberant cost of higher education. Students seeking post-secondary education are

promised a better life with a college degree. But for many once they have attained their

bachelor’s degree, they can only find employment at an entry level position, or they are required

to seek out additional schooling. According to the Education Data Initiative, a 4-year degree at

an In-State Public Institution costs approximately $101,948, while paying off the loans could

exceed 4 times that amount (Hanson, 2022). The desire and alure of a higher education are not at

question, however the cost needs to change. With remote learning finding ground and success

and many colleges dropping the requirement of Standardized Tests, the accessibility of college

could be at an all-time high for students of struggling areas. Nevertheless, if the pay walls

continue to operate in the shadows, not only will lower enrollment numbers drive the need for

high tuition but solidify a divide in educational circles.

Safeguards
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As technology advances ease of access to tools is increasing. Although, access to tools is

nothing without understanding of implementation. With that implementation needs to come

digital etiquette. How are people interacting online? Are they building up communities, or

tearing them down? Training for parents, teachers, administrators, students, etc. need to be

considered while seeking out new initiatives. Implementation for the sake of implementation is

not always beneficial. Private information leaks are always a fear when it comes to data. With

the sharing of ideas via digital platforms, these conversations need to hold their own standards to

protect information being distributed. Panetta (2021) writes, “to effectively lead technology-

enabled business transformation, they must engineer a trusted business core. Trust requires

security and reliability, but must also be built on working practices that are repeatable, proven,

scalable and innovative” (para. 7). This mindset holds fast teachings found in scripture. Luke

12:2-3 (The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, 2001) says, “Nothing is covered up that will

not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark

shall be heard in the light”. Additionally, Proverbs 13:20 (The Holy Bible: English Standard

Version, 2001) says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools

will suffer harm”. Keeping these two versus in mind a set of standards and principles of practice

can be established for those working to integrate technology into the classroom or workplace. By

doing so, they can work to not only honor themselves, but their students and collaborators as

well. Through instructing students in how to utilize these best practices by leveling their

technology acquisition, digital etiquette can be instilled in learners.

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References

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Among Friends [Transcript]. United States.

Crow, O. (2022). Education Inequality during Covid-19: How Remote Learning Is Widening the

Achievement Gap and Spurring the Need for Judicial Intervention. Boston College Law

Review, 63(2), 713–752.

Ferren, M., & Center for American Progress. (2021). Remote Learning and School Reopenings:

What Worked and What Didn’t. In Center for American Progress. Center for American

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Freeman, A., Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Davis, A., & Hall Giesinger, C. (2017)

NMC/CoSN Horizon Report: 2017 K-12 Edition. Austin, TX: The New Media

Consortium

Geurkink-Coats, A. (2019). Want to personalize learning for students? EXPERIENCE IT

YOURSELF FIRST. Learning Professional, 40(4), 50–53.

Hanson, M. (2022, March 29). Average cost of college [2022]: Yearly tuition + expenses.

Education Data Initiative. Retrieved April 30, 2022, from

https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college

Panetta, K. (2021, August 23). 3 trends surface in the Gartner Emerging Technologies Hype

Cycle for 2021. Gartner. Retrieved April 29, 2022, from

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for-emerging-technologies

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Crawford, S., Czerniewicz, L., Gibson, R., Linder, K., Mason, J., & Mondelli, V. (2021).

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https://www.educause.edu/horizon-report-teaching-and-learning-2021. Retrieved April

29, 2022, from

https://library.educause.edu/-/media/files/library/2021/4/2021hrteachinglearning.pdf

Reber, R., Canning, E. A., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (2018). Personalized Education to Increase

Interest. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(6), 449–454.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721418793140

Schrum, L., & Sumerfield, S. (2018). Learning supercharged: Digital Age Strategies and

insights from the edtech frontier. International Society for Technology in Education.

Spangler, D. (2019). Micro Approach, Major Impact: With Microcredentials, Educators Can

Tailor Learning to Their Specific Needs. Learning Professional, 40(4), 60–64.

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published 2001)

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Classroom: Reflections of STEM Teachers on the Use of Teaching and Learning

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Appendix

Appendix A: https://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix/

Appendix B: https://edu.google.com/intl/ALL_us/for-educators/training-courses/?

modal_active=none