1. New technologies
Trends
The current economic climate - and the resulting budget cuts - is one of the most significant trends
currently impacting the sector. As a result of the budget cuts, and the challenges and opportunities
associated with these, schools are being required to do more with less.
Another core trend that is impacting the sector, and society as a whole, is the concept of social
connections. Through web apps such as Facebook and Twitter, the world is becoming increasingly
interconnected and economies and cultures intertwine more and more. It is not uncommon, for example,
for students and faculty in completely different geographic locations to connect virtually.
Additionally, social media now dominates as a real-time feed for news, stories and world sentiment. You
only need to look at the Arab Spring uprising to see the real impact of the power of social media.
A third major trend impacting the sector, and arguably most relevant to the topic of this post, is technology
itself. Recent advances in technology have created a wide range of new and exciting ways to engage with
content and interact with our devices.
Natural user interface (NUI) is a great example of this and the Kinect device has helped brought NUI to a
mass audience that is extending much further than just gaming. The video below offers a great overview of
this.