Digital delivery could look completely different. However, it needs buy-in from all parties to make sure the infrastructure is in place.
For example, I think augmented reality could have a big impact on practically based vocational training such as Motor Vehicle. However, this will only work if the devices are available to the learners, the software is available to the training provider, and the technical skills to create the applications are developed among staff.
What will the children and grandchildren of Wales be seeing in colleges, classrooms and work places?
The learning environments of the future need to be more interactive. Content pinging to a device as the learner walked past, instead of a ‘passive’ poster stuck to a wall. Classrooms shouldn’t be confined to the location they are situated in, and more collaboration should be enabled via technology across towns, providers, and even countries. This could be enabled via the creation of virtual meeting rooms (maybe using services such as appear.in), set up by the Government for providers to use.
What technologies, tools and techniques will be making a difference to their learning experience? Virtual Screens could allow any wall to be an interactive canvas, allowing multiple users to write and share content between them. All content will be synced via the cloud so notes and recordings are automatically uploaded as soon as they leave the physical space. This could feed to a lifelong learning cloud, where resources are recorded and tagged; allowing for easy future retrieval. This bank of work would make up a portfolio that stayed with the learner and could be used for reference, or for evidence of competence.
What will they want and need for their learning?
Access to fast and reliable internet is going to paramount. Physical devices in the next few years will be important to access content, but hopefully, reliance on this will move away from hardware to software and services which could be provided via Welsh Government. 5G connectivity wherever possible will reduce the impact of poor fibre internet coverage, especially in rural areas.
