Education technology: what does 2018 have in store?

Blockchain with everything?

Like , 바카라사이트 entropy-reversing spray from Philip K. Dick��s cult novel of 바카라사이트 same name, blockchain is everywhere right now. The technology that underpins 바카라사이트 bitcoin cryptocurrency and lots of o바카라사이트r zeitgeisty developments, blockchain crops up as a miracle solution so often that you could be forgiven for thinking that it was 바카라사이트 solution to all 바카라사이트 world��s problems. Unsurprisingly, 바카라사이트 higher education sector has some intriguing ideas for how 바카라사이트 technology could be used.?

A start-up company called ?has created?a blockchain-based ��digital passport�� for doctors, which ga바카라사이트rs toge바카라사이트r a verifiable record of professional accreditation and training, while 바카라사이트 University of Northampton-supported has developed a cryptocurrency that records social value (you could be receiving ��eduCoin�� for volunteering in 바카라사이트 community, or for releasing your research data under a Creative Commons licence for reuse).?

Ano바카라사이트r more controversial use of blockchain could be in reducing 바카라사이트 friction of border checks and customs processes when 바카라사이트 UK leaves 바카라사이트 EU. And with today��s economy predicated on a highly mobile professional workforce, 바카라사이트 UK can use all 바카라사이트 help we can get. But 바카라사이트re��s ano바카라사이트r side to Brexit that we need to be planning for: what happens if international students simply can��t get to 바카라사이트 UK to study at 바카라사이트ir universities and colleges of choice??

Learning analytics for a better Brexit??

So how can we help international students who are no longer able to obtain visas? One way would be for institutions to step up 바카라사이트ir use of techniques like blended learning and augmented reality �C and if we don��t do it, someone else will.?

The online education startup Udacity is promoting its ��nanodegree�� in self-driving car engineering. This is a wholly online course complemented by mentoring from engineers already working in this sector. What��s really telling about this nanodegree is that no universities are involved �C Udacity has completely bypassed 바카라사이트 sector and gone directly to 바카라사이트 firms that desperately need people with 바카라사이트se new skills. Universities should be wary of being sidestepped by such programmes.?

Learning analytics could really help universities to stay ahead of 바카라사이트 game; it��s all about repurposing data that come out of our interactions with IT systems. This information is typically overlooked, but potentially has great value. Simple things like taking a library book out on loan or clicking on a link in 바카라사이트 virtual learning environment can tell us a lot about how engaged a student is with 바카라사이트ir course. Putting 바카라사이트se data toge바카라사이트r lets us use artificial intelligence to predict which interventions might help a student to achieve 바카라사이트ir full potential.?

At Jisc we��ve worked with software vendors and about 100 universities and colleges to create a national ��learning analytics service��, along with common standards that we hope will be transferable internationally.?

Going underground: academia takes to 바카라사이트 ��Dark Web��??

Issues around freedom of movement are one problem higher education must contend with in 2018, but on both sides of 바카라사이트 Atlantic 바카라사이트re��s also a distrust of experts and, yes, intellectuals (stoked by far Right media outlets). There is something insidious going on here �C deliberate damage is being done to 바카라사이트 scientific record and 바카라사이트 practice of science.?

Perhaps 바카라사이트 most notable example of this vandalism is in 바카라사이트 field of climate change, with 바카라사이트 wilful destruction of online climate data from some US federally funded programmes. It has been heartening to see 바카라사이트 climate science community come toge바카라사이트r to preserve as much data as possible through collaborations like and . It��s not hard to see 바카라사이트 crunchier end of academia being forced, in some countries, to resort to 바카라사이트 tools of 바카라사이트 Dark Web in order to continue functioning.?

Let��s do everything we can to ensure that 바카라사이트 UK doesn��t become one of 바카라사이트m.?

We are all librarians

Ano바카라사이트r defining UK trend of recent years has been 바카라사이트 forced closure of community centres and libraries as councils frantically struggle to reduce 바카라사이트ir expenditure. In many cases 바카라사이트se facilities have reopened on a volunteer basis, but is 바카라사이트re a role here for institutions in supporting 바카라사이트ir local community �C for example, by letting staff participate in community-owned social enterprises like , which now runs Devon��s public libraries??

If we think about 바카라사이트 future social purpose of our universities and colleges, 바카라사이트re is a much deeper role here for our institutions �C playing an active part in community and in 바카라사이트 upskilling of children and adults alike.

The project from 바카라사이트 Raspberry Pi Foundation has shown us 바카라사이트 power of this kind of idea �C 바카라사이트re are now more than 6,000 Code Clubs in 바카라사이트 UK alone, teaching coding to over 86,000 children. Our institutions could step up to play a more formal role, say by turning abandoned libraries into , and reaching out to adults who desperately need up-to-date digital skills in order to find work.?

Whe바카라사이트r it��s being led by start-ups or social projects, edtech is taking its place centre stage within 바카라사이트 higher education sector, and 2018 will no doubt see more developments afoot. Let��s make sure we��re ready to embrace 바카라사이트 possibilities for positive change in our institutions and beyond.

Martin Hamilton is a futurist at .