作者：Richard Chang
编译自：Report: Wearable Devices Expected to Become Mainstream in Education in Next 4-5 Years
两三年后，虚拟现实（VR）和机器人技术将在教育领域得到广泛应用；未来四五年间，可穿戴设备会成为课堂主流，美国新媒体联盟（NMC）、学校网络联盟（CoSN）联合报告显示。
《NMC/CoSN 地平线报告》（K12版）研究了近几年的新兴技术，并分析了它们在教学、创造性探究中的应用和影响。
VR市场整体上越来越火。高盛银行近期预测， 2025年VR和AR（增强现实）在娱乐业创造的价值将达32亿美元，届时教育领域的用户会增至1500万。
“VR在K12领域极具优势，通过打造沉浸式虚拟环境让学生有如实地进行考察，极大促进了以学生为中心的探究、合作学习，”报告表示。
机器人技术与VR齐头并进，预计2020年全球机器人总数会翻一番，多达400万台。在中小学课堂中，机器人可用于实践性学习，对科学、技术、工程、数学（STEM）教学、拓展项目、编程等教育环节尤其有益，能激发学生批判、计算思维并提高解决问题的能力
越来越多的研究也显示，与人形机器人互动能帮助自闭症人群提升沟通、社交技能。另外，对于那些无法出门、有特殊需求或生活在偏远地区的学生来说，机器人技术可以带给他们更多的教育资源和机会，报告指出。
至于研究人员看好的可穿戴设备，行业专家预测未来会升级为直接植入人体的设备。研究公司 CSS Insight预计2020年全球可穿戴技术市场将增长至340亿美元，销售量将达4.11亿件，报告引用道。
其中，可穿戴设备在教育市场的应用会持续增长。Research and Markets预测，未来五年美国K12学校的可穿戴设备使用将以每年46%的速度增长。可能的运用方式包括基于项目的课程学习、课堂内随处展示、教师教室内灵活走动、改善活动参与体验等。
Report: Wearable Devices Expected to Become Mainstream in Education in Next 4-5 Years
Virtual reality and robotics will become widely adopted in education in the next two to three years, while wearable devices are expected to become mainstream in the education space over the next four to five years, according to a recent report published by the New Media Consortium and the Consortium for School Networking.
The “NMC/CoSN Horizon Report: 2016 K–12 Edition” examined emerging technologies for their potential impact on and use in teaching, learning and creative inquiry in schools. The report, released at the end of 2016, looked at tech trends in the short term (one year or less), mid-term (two to three years) and long term (four to five years.
The VR market in general is certainly heating up. Goldman Sachs recently estimated that virtual and augmented reality entertainment revenue will reach $3.2 billion by 2025, while the education sector will attract 15 million users, the report said.
Plus, equipment revenues were projected to reach $895 million by the end of 2016, with 77 percent of that value coming from newly launched premium devices from Oculus, HTC and Sony.
“In the K–12 sector, VR is well-positioned as an educational tool, generating immersive environments for field trips, with simulation and research activities serving as a prime enabler of student-centered, experiential and collaborative learning,” the report stated.
As for robotics, the robot population is expected to double to 4 million globally by 2020, with a projected market value of $135 billion in 2019. Potential uses in K–12 education include hands-on learning, particularly in STEM disciplines and classes, outreach programs and programming to promote critical and computational thinking, as well as problem solving. Emerging studies also show that interaction with humanoid robots can help learners with spectrum disorders develop better communication and social skills.
Robotics is also increasing access to education for students who are homebound, have special needs or live in rural communities, the study said.
The report also examined wearable technology, which refers to smart devices that can be worn by users, taking the form of an accessory like jewelry or eyewear. Leaders in the field are also predicting that the future of wearables will move toward implantables, or devices directly imbedded into human bodies.
Research firm CSS Insight anticipates that by 2020, the global wearable technology market will grow to $34 billion, with 411 million devices sold, the study said. Analysts predict a continued surge in the education sector: For the next five years, Research and Markets has forecast a 46 growth rate per year in United States schools’ wearables adoption.
Wearables already have some practical applications, such as tracking heartbeats, sleeping patterns and other biological data. Players in two United Kingdom football clubs wear sensors during training that collect data on movement and collisions; as a result, the teams have experienced fewer injuries since the adoption of this technology.
Potential teaching and learning applications include project-based lessons, the ability to conduct presentations from anywhere in a classroom and manipulate data from students’ seats, and providing teachers the ability to move between student groups and facilitate participatory experiences.
Some observers have recognized that wearable technologies and the maker movement provide a gateway to increase girls’ interest in STEM disciplines, the study said.
The report provides a number of examples of wearable technology in practice in K–12 settings, as well as links to further resources.
To view the full report, visit the NMC website.
https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/01/06/report-wearable-devices-expected-to-become-mainstream-in-education-in-next-4-5-years.aspx
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