When Cindy Gallop launched MakeLoveNotPorn more than a decade ago, her goal was simple but radical: to separate real-world sex from porn and encourage healthier conversations about intimacy, relationships and consent. Now, she is taking that mission even further with the launch of MakeLoveNotPorn Academy, a global aggregator platform for sex education resources designed for lifelong learning.

MakeLoveNotPorn Academy aims to become a global hub for sex education

The Academy is now live in early-stage beta and aims to become what Gallop describes as “the Google of sex education” — a searchable hub that organizes educational content for parents, teachers, young people and adults.

Why Sex Education Needs Its Own Platform

According to Gallop, one of the biggest problems in sex education today is not the lack of information — it is discoverability.

Search engines often censor or filter sexual health and education content, making it difficult for parents and educators to find reliable, fact-based resources. The result is that many young people end up learning about sex primarily through pornography rather than education.

MakeLoveNotPorn Academy aims to solve this by acting as a human-curated aggregator, where every educator and resource is vetted to ensure that content is:

• Educational
• Fact-based
• Non-judgmental
• Age-appropriate
• Culturally sensitive

The platform allows users to search resources by age group, comfort level and cultural context, creating a structured approach to lifelong sex education.

From MakeLoveNotPorn To MakeLoveNotPorn Academy

This new platform builds on Gallop’s long-running work in the sex tech space. In a previous Tech Trends article, we explored the broader challenges and opportunities in the industry and why investment in sex tech is still often overlooked despite its massive social impact.

That article argued that sex tech is not just about products — it is about education, safety, relationships, consent, and culture. The launch of MakeLoveNotPorn Academy reinforces that argument by positioning sex education as infrastructure, not content.

A Human-Curated Model In An Algorithmic World

One of the most interesting aspects of the Academy is that it deliberately does not rely purely on algorithms.

Instead, the platform uses a 100% human-curation model, where educators and content are reviewed and approved manually. In a digital world dominated by algorithmic recommendation systems, this approach is intentionally different — prioritizing safety, context and educational value over engagement metrics.

The Academy is free to access, and operates on a membership and donation model to support operations and future development.

Sex Education As A Technology Platform

The launch of MakeLoveNotPorn Academy highlights a broader trend within the sex tech industry: the shift from devices and apps toward platforms, education, and digital ecosystems.

Sex tech is increasingly intersecting with:

• EdTech
• Online learning platforms
• Community platforms
• Creator economies
• Digital health
• AI and personalization
• Content aggregation platforms

In that sense, MakeLoveNotPorn Academy is not just a sex education site — it is a knowledge platform, and potentially the first global aggregator dedicated entirely to sex education.

The Future Of Lifelong Sex Education

Sex education has traditionally been treated as something that happens once, in school, often awkwardly and incompletely. MakeLoveNotPorn Academy takes a very different view: sex education should be lifelong.

From early childhood conversations about bodies and boundaries, through teenage years, relationships, consent, communication, pleasure, aging, and long-term relationships — education around intimacy and relationships evolves throughout life.

If Gallop’s vision succeeds, MakeLoveNotPorn Academy could become a central hub for that lifelong learning journey.

And in doing so, it may help reshape not only sex education, but how we think about relationships, communication and intimacy in the digital age.

The post Building the Google of Sex Education appeared first on Tech Trends.

Across STEM classrooms, educators are increasingly confronting a challenge that has little to do with students’ ability or motivation: cognitive overload.

Many instructors report that students are not necessarily struggling because concepts are too difficult, but because they are faced with too much dense information delivered too quickly. Traditional teaching formats—long lectures paired with complex textbooks—can make it difficult for students to absorb, revisit, and retain foundational scientific concepts.

As a result, universities are beginning to experiment with new instructional models designed to reduce cognitive load and improve learning outcomes.

The Cognitive Load Challenge in STEM Education

STEM subjects often require students to process large volumes of information while simultaneously developing problem-solving skills and conceptual understanding. When material is presented in rapid succession without opportunities to revisit or visualize complex processes, students can quickly become overwhelmed.

Educational researchers describe this as cognitive load—the amount of mental effort required to process new information.

When cognitive load becomes too high, students may struggle to:

• retain key concepts

• connect theoretical ideas to practical applications

• prepare effectively for laboratory work

• participate actively in discussions

For many universities, the challenge has become finding ways to deliver complex information more clearly without sacrificing academic depth.

Flipped Classrooms and Visual Learning

One approach gaining traction across higher education is the flipped classroom model. In this format, students review core instructional materials before class, allowing in-person time to focus on discussion, problem-solving, and deeper conceptual exploration.

Visual learning tools are increasingly playing a role in this shift.

Platforms such as JoVE provide structured video explanations of scientific concepts that students can revisit outside the classroom. The idea is to make complex processes easier to understand through step-by-step visual demonstrations, rather than relying solely on written descriptions.

Supporters of this approach argue that visual explanations can help students grasp abstract scientific ideas more quickly and arrive in class better prepared.

Faculty Feedback on Visual Teaching Tools

A recent faculty review of JoVE Core Chemistry involved 22 instructors from U.S. institutions, including universities such as Cornell University and University of Florida.

According to the review:

• 86% of faculty rated the scientific clarity of the material 4 or 5 out of 5

• 82% highlighted visual representation as a key strength

• 77% said the material was more useful than traditional learning resources

• 59% planned to use the videos for pre-class or pre-lab preparation

• 100% expected improved student engagement and confidence

Faculty involved in the evaluation noted that visual explanations can help students understand abstract chemical processes more quickly, particularly when preparing for laboratory work or reviewing complex topics outside of lecture time.

A Broader Shift in Higher Education

The growing interest in visual learning tools reflects a broader shift in how universities are thinking about teaching efficiency and student engagement.

Rather than relying exclusively on lectures and textbooks, many institutions are experimenting with blended teaching methods that combine:

• visual explanations

• pre-class preparation

• interactive classroom discussion

• applied problem-solving

For educators, the goal is not to simplify science but to present it in ways that reduce unnecessary cognitive friction, allowing students to focus on understanding concepts rather than struggling with how information is delivered.

As universities continue to explore new teaching models, reducing cognitive overload may become a central consideration in the design of future STEM education.

The post Rethinking STEM Teaching to Reduce Student Cognitive Overload appeared first on Tech Trends.

As we use our smartphones constantly every day, it is sometimes easy to forget how far we’ve come in just a few short decades. Who would have thought, after all, that it would be possible to walk around with tiny little supercomputers, permanently connected to unfathomable amounts of data, available at a touch? But we’re very far from the end of that journey. In fact, we’re only just getting started. Read on as we discuss the different sectors that have been most changed by technology, from medicine to education.

Education

Technology is used in education from a young age. It simplifies access to resources and makes education more affordable. Perhaps the biggest change in education has been the advent of online courses. Taking the example of nursing, every nurse in the UD has to become a Registered Nurse (RN) to start with. If they want to progress further in their nursing career, they need more qualifications, but this would have been difficult before online courses were introduced. Working and attending college was not always possible, but now if they want to achieve a nursing MSN online, for example, there are fewer obstacles in the way. Online courses have many advantages, including:

• Flexible hours so that studying can be fitted in around lifestyle and family commitments
• Cheaper fees as the educational facility have lower costs for the courses
• Location is irrelevant as visits to the college or university are not needed – courses are 100% online
• No commuting worries, you work from the comfort of your own home
• You can work at your own pace without any pressure to be faster or slow down

Although nursing was used as an example, online courses are available in all industries and professions. They mean that more people than ever are able to gain degrees and higher qualifications which has had the effect of many people earning better salaries, as well as the shortage of qualified people in the US becoming less of a problem.

The Finance World

Banks now have apps that you can use on your smartphone to make bill payments or transfer money in just a few seconds. You no longer have to wait in long queues at a branch. You have instant access to your accounts, and this makes managing your finances much simpler. There are other things in the world of finance that on easier on your digital device, such as:

• Trading on the stock market. There are software programs you can download to help you with this. Buying stocks and shares was something that used to be out of the reach of most people, but technology has meant that now it is available to everyone
• Lending online. If you need a loan for a new car or some other large item, it is now quick and simple to raise the money, and you generally get a decision in just a few minutes. There are also many more lenders online and borrowing is no longer restricted to banks
• Shopping has become easier too. There is very little you cannot buy online. Without the overheads of a high street store, retailers are often able to sell their products at lower prices. Hopefully, this means more money will stay in your bank account.
• Savings and investing. You can search online for all types of savings and investments and find something that suits you. This has encouraged more people to put money aside for the future, as they are not restricted to saving huge amounts every month but can save what they can afford when they can afford it.

The biggest worry for anyone dealing with their finances online are the security issues involved. However, all financial institutions and online stores have tight security in place. No one can promise that your details will never be compromised, but much of the security lies in your own hands. Never give your information to anyone, not even people you know, and it is far more likely to stay safe and secure.

The World of Medicine

The world of medicine has been changed greatly by technology, including things such as:

• Quicker and more accurate test results
• More precise surgery which means that patients recover quicker
• Better record-keeping
• Record sharing online so that all doctors and nurses treating a patient have access to the same medical records
• Doctors are able to deal with each patient in a shorter time, so they are able to see more people, which has cut waiting times
• New drugs and treatments that work more effectively and have fewer side effects

Innovations in the world of medicine have meant that most people are living longer and healthier lives, as many of the developments are related to the prevention of illnesses and health problems, and that has made a huge difference to the health of the nation.

Leisure Time

At one time, the only entertainment in the home was TVs or music, and perhaps playing board games. Now, the list of ways you can entertain yourself at home is endless. On your digital device you can:

• Play games of all types online, including playing in casinos and playing against other people
• Watch TV programs at a time to suit you and not when the TV company dictate
• Watch films and sports
• The internet is the largest library in the world and many books can be downloaded free of charge
• Interact with other people. Often this is through social media, but you can also connect with people through other platforms such as WhatsApp and Skype

There has always been the worry that digital devices will mean there is less interaction between family members and friends. However, recent research has shown that this is generally not the case. Families and friends watch films and programs together or play online games against each other. They chat on Facebook, LinkedIn, and the many other social media platforms, and it seems more interaction is taking place in this way over face to face.

Just a few years ago, much of the technology we have today was only seen in Sci-fi films and it was hard to imagine that it would ever really happen. But it has, and no doubt in a few years there will be more developments we have not thought of at the present time.

The post From Medicine to Education: How Technology is Changing the World appeared first on Tech Trends.

For those of us who have always yearned for a time machine so we could experience the most amazing moments in history, immersive technologies are really stepping up to the plate, providing the closest we can get to that without actually cracking the whole space time continuum conundrum.

Madame Tussauds DC is one of the first attractions in the US to place AR at the center of their visitor experience
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ALIVE IN AR is an immersive experience available at Madame Tussauds DC which claims to do just that by bringing iconic moments of the past to life with Augmented Reality.

More than a million visitors have enjoyed ARtGlass tours at iconic sites such as ancient Pompeii, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and Pisa Tower Square
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Visitors use devices created by ArtGlass, which give them the ability to explore the lives of Hollywood A-Listers, iconic political leaders and historical game-changers through rich 360-degree visuals, personal narrations, and sounds layered all around them.

Alive in AR at Madame Tussauds Washington DC from Madame Tussauds USA on Vimeo.

Guests Interact with Legendary Celebrities and Famous Figures on an Explorative 360-Degree Immersive Adventure.The AR experience brings life to some of the most pivotal moments in US history allowing guests to do everything from suiting up to go into space and relive the moon landing with Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong to experiencing the energy from the crowd on the National Mall as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech.

Guests will step inside monumental moments that shaped our history as modern technology brings new life to the past
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“People come to Washington, D.C. in search of a direct and dynamic connection to our Nation’s past. This AR experience will make history and culture real and engaging, which is why we are so excited about this partnership,” said ARtGlass founder and CEO Greg Werkheiser. “While some attractions have experimented with AR on handheld smartphones, Madame Tussauds DC is embracing the more immersive and hands-free smartglass technology.”

ALIVE IN AR is included in every walk-up and online admissions ticket, and the museum hopes that schools will also opt to include it in their tours, as the AR greatly adds to the educational aspect of the experience for students.

AR is taking the Madame Tussauds DC experience to the next level through the use of audio and visual effects
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We’re inviting students in the classroom and students-at-heart to step out from behind their textbook and into an immersive augmented reality journey through iconic moments of history
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Madame Tussauds DC is launching a new, fully immersive experience using Augmented Reality (AR), making the attraction one of the first in the US to place AR at the center of their visitor experience. Through the magic of smartglass technology, the Alive in AR Augmented Reality Experience invites guests to hop between eras and relive moments with celebrities throughout time. The AR experience offers an all-access pass to getting up close and personal with influential leaders and culture icons of the past and present.

“Every day, Madame Tussauds DC connects visitors with the past and present, bringing history and pop culture icons to life,” said Therese Alvich, general manager for Madame Tussauds Washington, D.C. “These highly interactive augmented reality glasses bring the attraction to life right in front of our visitor’s eyes. We love that they feel like they are a part of history, complete with the sights and sounds of a memorable moment,” she concludes.

Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post I Have AR Dream appeared first on Tech Trends.

A newly published white paper investigates the pedagogical theory and use cases for deploying mixed reality in the classroom.

It is easy to get excited about the possibilities the Mixed Reality spectrum brings to education. Humans are essentially programmed to learn best through experience, and that is just what immersive technologies enable: we’re not just learning it, we’re living it.

Humans are essentially programmed to learn best through experience, and that is just what immersive technologies enable
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And exploring a few of those possibilities is what I had the chance to do when I collaborated with Microsoft Education to write the Immersive Experiences in Education white paper we’ve published at the ISTE 2019 conference a few weeks ago.

Methodology

Now, I’m very much a technology enthusiast. I’ve been called a futurist, evangelist, influencer, all those really annoying trendy buzzwords… But at heart I am also an educator. I worked in academia, I taught English as a second language, I’ve mentored people and for many years I worked in the EdTech sector, so I speak truthfully when I say I’m forever in awe of teachers and mindful of the importance of education in society.

Mixed Reality technology is amazing but is it really useful to educators? Does it actually influence learning outcomes, and if so, how?
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This is why when Microsoft approached me to collaborate with them in researching and writing this white paper, I wanted to take a step back and ensure that we weren’t just flashing a shiny pretty tech trinket around. The technology is amazing, there’s no doubt about that, but is it really useful to educators? Does it actually influence learning outcomes, and if so, how?

When deploying any technology in the classroom, success depends on engaging educators and building a responsive feedback loop that prioritizes learning outcomes rather than the technology itself
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Through our research and interviews, a picture of the concrete pedagogical benefits of using Mixed Reality in the classroom emerged
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I was keen to ensure that our methodology really reflected this educator-led focus as much as possible, and was happy to find that the team at Microsoft Education very much shared that vision.

The paper cross-referenced pedagogical theory with case studies obtained through personalized email interviews with teachers, students, researchers, and technologists who have successfully deployed such technology within various learning environments and contexts, and the bulk of my time was indeed spent on an extensive literature review and on gathering and processing the data from those testimonials to try and gleam insights that could be useful for educators.

I will let you judge for yourselves whether we’ve succeeded – you can read and download a free copy of the white paper here –  but our guiding principle was very much that when deploying technology in the classroom, success is dependent on engagement with educators, and on building a responsive feedback loop that prioritizes learning outcomes rather than the technology itself.

The paper cross-referenced pedagogical theory with case studies of teachers, students, researchers, and technologists who have deployed such technology
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Through our research and interviews, an overall picture of the concrete pedagogical benefits of using Mixed Reality in the classroom did start to emerge, and although further research is certainly needed and I wouldn’t dream to claim that this is the definitive document on the subject, it manages, in my humble opinion, to tease out some really important findings and a lot of interesting questions. I, for one, always think the most successful research is the one where you end up with a lot more questions than when you started, which is why I hope to hear lots of questions from the community (you can always send a tweet my way @alicebonasio or connect on LinkedIn). Below are some of our key research findings:

Immersive digital simulations allow learners to absorb knowledge within a realistic context through experiential learning

Our research indicated that the most effective educational experiences often involve mastering tasks within context of personally relevant, realistic situations. Situated learning in well-designed digital environments actually leads to the replication of those behaviours in the real world.

The key differentiator in using Mixed Reality is that it seems to dramatically increase the rate of transfer – in other words, our ability to apply and adapt learning to different real-world situations.It Mixed Reality facilitates transfer by simulating realistic scenarios within specific pedagogical contests. It literally can bring a curriculum to life for students. This means we not only can create more effective learning experiences, but also expand the range of available experiences, since we can simulate scenarios that would be too difficult, too expensive, or too dangerous for students to experience in real life.

Mixed Reality helps to prevent Cognitive overload.

This second finding probably comes as no surprise to most educators, in that trying to visualize and assimilate large amounts of complex information is HARD. It can literally trigger a bottleneck within the limited working memory of the brain, and we soon become tired of it. Attention and interest lags, and it becomes harder to engage students in the subject.

Our research indicates that the most effective educational experiences involve mastering tasks within personally relevant, realistic context
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Mixed Reality, however, can help reduce this cognitive load by allowing learners to directly visualize, manipulate, and interact with complex structures, so that the brain is not so busy trying to visualize the data, but instead engaged in understanding, assimilating, recalling, and applying it.

Test scores among students using immersive technologies improved by as much as 22%

Now, those two findings we looked at are crucial in improving learning outcomes such as test scores, increased performance of skills-based tasks, abtract reasoning, and critical thinking. It also had positive effects on retention of knowledge.

Most interestingly, however, we found indications that this technology was particularly helpful in improving learning conditions for learners with conditions such as dyslexia, autism, and ADHD.

Mixed Reality can help reduce the cognitive load on the brain by allowing learners to visualize, manipulate, and interact with complex structures
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Here, immersive technologies have been shown to assist previously low-achieving students in overcoming learning challenges to the point where there was no longer any statistical difference in test scores between them and high achieving students.

Mixed Reality 
in the classroom fosters self-directed learning

Teachers reported that using MR in the classroom promoted a more inquiry-based environment that maximized learning opportunities by instilling a greater sense of autonomy, encouraging students to creatively engage with the subject beyond the pedagogical task at hand.

“Students report a greater understanding and appreciation for the development of VR content after engaging in 3D animation and/or game design projects. In particular, students are able to see the connection between the engineering of a virtual world, and the virtual world’s role as an element of digital storytelling.” Paul Turnbull 
President Mid-Pacific Institute

Co-created content fosters a more meaningful connection by generating something in which the student has a personal emotional investment. Extended experiences that immerse students in rich contexts with strong narratives, authentic practices, and links to real-world outcomes are what truly unleash the transformational power of immersive experiences.

Co-created content fosters a more meaningful connection by generating something in which the student has a personal emotional investment
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“We led a lesson with an English class, where students designed a safe and scary space, then were able to experience them both in Virtual Reality. The lesson brought technology in the context of an English lesson by creating a spark for students to translate into their writing exercises.” Cody Karutz
Founder and CEO of Blue Trot

Like all technologies adopted within a pedagogical classroom setting, MR should remain supplementary to in-person academic programming, allowing for human relations and interactions to ultimately guide the social- emotional learning experience.For me, the biggest takeaway from this is that for Mixed Reality to be effectively implemented in the classroom we must ensure that the technology is integrated into pedagogical theory and best practice.

Immersive technologies have been shown to assist previously low-achieving students in overcoming learning challenges
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Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Report: Immersive Experiences in Education appeared first on Tech Trends.

Education is the key to staying on top of a fast-evolving world where old jobs disappear and new ones are constantly being created. Technologies such as Augmented Reality are transforming the way we learn and EdTech will help us reach the next billion learners over the coming years.

But what about monetizing on this opportunity? Vinchell Ltd is the company behind TeachMeCash, a platform that has been active in the European education market since 2017, and is now poised to launch in China, where there is a real appetite for online learning and a great opportunity for individuals to gain their financial independence through sharing their knowledge and expertise.

The tried-and-tested models that the company has refined in Europe over the past two years will now be applied in the upcoming rollout for Southeast Asia – as well as globally – in order to enable people to “learn, earn, and make the world a better place” through Education Technology.

So how does the “learn and earn” business model actually work?

TeachMeCash’s unique business model aims to create a network of global consulting centers and is, therefore, looking for people to join them as independent consultants all over the world. TeachMeCash provides people with the opportunity to learn and earn. Their ambition is to create an EdTech Analytics niche in the market, leveraging focused data to educate people on a massive scale.

How Does TeachMeCash Combine Earning with Learning?

The platform is an information-analytical center which collects and analyzes data about the EdTech market and preferences of the audience. Its partners order research from the platform, and they fulfill their needs in data through sending surveys to its network of expert users.

Since our partners have already dedicated the budget of more than $232 million, everyone will be paid in time, and we are not another company offering you ‘dreams’, we offer you financial independent reality.

The company talks to potential customers, taking them through a careful vetting and selection process

We question potential customers of our partners and pay them for opinions. First, they get one of our paid subscriptions. Next, we provide them with the latest information on the EdTech market and ask to share thoughts on different trends. We pay them more for each next survey as their expertise grows. The size of payouts depends on the subscription frequency – those who read new reports every week earn more than people who read them once in a quarter. Finally, everyone gets 2x income, so everyone is happy.

Here is a simple infographic demonstrating the essence of our product’s business model:

What do you need in order to join?

Users are required to join one of the many available subscription tiers on the platform, where they will be paid for answering surveys every 14 days. In order to become a market expert, they need to keep up to date with the latest research and reports which that subscription will provide them with. As they become more confident, users will have the opportunity to upgrade to higher subscriptions and earn more by referring others to join the platform.

Referral system:

TeachMeCash also introduced a referral system to help bring in more clients through grassroots marketing. So-called “sales friends” of the company have the chance in this scheme to build their own business as they become more confident, and hourly rates can also increase exponentially.

The referral program works by gathering a representative sample to ensure that research results are valid and can be applied to the whole educational system in Asia and – as the platform rolls out – globally.

Benefits:

• Various earning opportunities,
• High-quality analytics,
• Dynamic format for learning,
• Easy-to-use convenient interface,
• Customizable content
• High-end data protection,
• TeachMeCash experts
• 24/7 customer support
• interactive sales system

The post Earning With Knowledge appeared first on Tech Trends.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a nonprofit organization that serves over 100,000 education stakeholders throughout the world.

At the session hosted by Microsoft @ISTE, Alice will outline how immersive technologies such as Mixed Reality are being used by innovative educators around the world
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This year their annual conference and expo happens in Philadelphia from June 23rd to the 26th, and Tech Trends will be there as our Editor-in-Chief Alice Bonasio takes part in a session hosted by Microsoft entitled Mixed Reality: New Places and Spaces for Learning.

ISTE19 is the place where educator-tested strategies come together with proven resources for transforming learning and teaching. It’s also the place to get connected to the brightest minds in edtech, then network with them all year long.

The session will outline how immersive technologies such as Mixed Reality are being used by innovative educators around the world. During her talk, Alice will share the results of some exciting research that resulted in a white paper: Immersive Experiences in Education, which will also be unveiled at the event.

The session will outline how immersive technologies such as Mixed Reality are being used by innovative educators around the world
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Tech Trends Editor-in-Chief @alicebonasio collaborated with @MicrosoftEDU to write a white paper on immersive experiences in education. Check out the #ISTE2019 unveiling! “Mixed reality: New places and spaces for learning” 24th June 2019 @ISTE with @Danayoub @ansonhsho @sparvell pic.twitter.com/C0SrcB2ghZ

— TechTrends (@techtrends_tech) June 7, 2019

Immersive technologies are becoming more popular and accessible in the classroom, and when these technologies are deployed correctly and in a pedagogically consistent manner, they have the potential to support and expand the curriculum, enhancing learning outcomes in ways that haven’t been previously possible, affordable or scalable.

If you are at ISTE be sure to drop by, but otherwise follow the latest news from our twitter @techtrends_tech and we will also be sharing white paper and post-conference news here, stay tuned!

If used in a pedagogically consistent manner, Immersive Technologies have the potential to support and expand the curriculum, enhancing learning outcomes.
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For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies, our Immersive Technology Consultancy service offers comprehensive support in the strategic deployment of Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality

The post Tech Trends at #ISTE2019 appeared first on Tech Trends.

By Eve Debbage, Project Officer at Teacher Tapp

There is no shortage of education data on schools. It is gathered by a wide range of organisations and individuals to meet a variety of objectives. From government polls and online censuses, to mobile apps that deliver daily teacher surveys, technology has given us access to all the data we could want, both big and small.

Schools are increasingly taking advantage of technological advances to collect their own data. Information management software such as SIMS and MIS has been an established part of the classroom for many years. Once a tool used primarily for registration and storing student records, teachers now rely on these software packages to provide all the data they need for Ofsted inspections and to support their teaching and learning.

From government polls and online censuses to mobile apps that deliver daily teacher surveys, technology has given us access to all the data we could want, both big and small
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Many schools use innovative assessment tools and software applications to provide real-time data on students’ progress. But collecting data is a pointless exercise unless we do something useful with it.

there is a lot to be learned from reviewing data collected by surveys of the wider teaching profession
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How Can School Leaders Use Data from Teacher Surveys? 

When it comes to improving teaching and learning, there is a tendency to focus on student data, and data gathered internally. However, there is a lot to be learned from reviewing data collected by surveys of the wider teaching profession. As debates over the use of standardised testing rage on amidst record number of teachers leaving the profession, surveys of students and teachers are being used more frequently as a means of measuring the performance of a school.

Schools are increasingly taking advantage of technological advances to collect their own data
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Surveys provide immediate insights into teacher satisfaction levels — which can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of teaching and learning. So how can school leaders use data from teacher surveys to improve teaching and learning?

1. Make changes to retain high-quality staff. Staff retention in schools is a nation-wide problem. Teacher surveys provide valuable insight into their satisfaction levels. School leaders should review teachers’ perceptions on key issues and evaluate their school to determine if there might be issues. Often, addressing simple causes of dissatisfaction can significantly raise morale and performance.

2. Identify the teacher’s needs for specific resources and spend the budget wisely. Teachers are in the classroom every day so using their feedback on which resources work, which don’t and which they feel they are missing, is a logical way to determine where to spend the school budget and be rid of what isn’t working and replace it with something teachers feel will support effective teaching and learning.

3. Identify CPD needs. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is crucial to the effectiveness of teaching and learning. The teaching profession is continually evolving as government expectations change, so teachers need ongoing training to ensure their teaching meets the standards set. Data from teacher surveys provides school leaders with an insight into potential areas for CPD, but also barriers to teachers’ participation in their development. If 80% of teachers feel their school does not support CPD or they cannot find the time for it, perhaps changes need to be made.

4. Update school policies. Teacher surveys can reveal teachers’ perceptions on everything from staff dress codes to salaries. If there is a common theme of dissatisfaction amongst teachers, a simple amendment to school policy could increase staff satisfaction. Even if changing policy is not appropriate, use the data to invite feedback and start a discussion with staff.

5. Gain new ideas for developing best practice. Data from teacher surveys can often inspire positive change in schools — or at least start useful discussions in the staffroom. Identify trends in data and consider these findings in terms of your school. If 90% of teachers polled feel they don’t have time for lunch, perhaps school leaders should consider making changes to provide teachers with a suitable break, so they return to the classroom ready to deliver their best teaching.

Advances in education technology make it relatively easy for schools to amass big data on their student population
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School leaders, government and other organisations which lead the way in shaping our schools, can learn a great deal from listening to teachers. If teachers feel their voices are heard and positive changes implemented, they are more likely to feel happy in their work and less likely to leave the profession.

Data from teacher surveys can often inspire positive change in schools — or at least start useful discussions in the staffroom
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Many schools use innovative assessment tools and software applications to provide real-time data on students’ progress
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Is an Obsession With Student Data Damaging Teaching and Learning?

The pressure of Ofsted and league tables has led to an obsession with pupil progress data. Advances in education technology make it relatively easy for schools to amass big data on their student population and many schools rely on this data to drive improvements in teaching and learning. But is this endless quest to collect more and more student data actually impeding teachers’ ability to teach? If there is no clear purpose for data collection it becomes a pointless exercise which consumes precious time in a teacher’s day and zaps their energy for doing their jobs and doing them well. While some data shines a light on progress which enables targeted interventions and differentiated teaching, focussing too much on it can result in significant losses in other areas.

Budgets are limited for the majority of schools, so ensuring that the most effective technology is in place is vital for maintaining effective teaching
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In a classroom where data is everything, high achievers will be constantly rewarded by graphs trending in the right direction and numbers which signify their success. But pupils who are not meeting expected performance targets will be continually reminded of their underperformance, down to the exact percentage. This could be extremely damaging for the morale and motivation of these students.

Student data can be a valuable resource in understanding progress, adapting teaching practice and improving student outcomes, but using it in isolation can be dangerous. Software can record and analyse quantifiable data but this can often be misleading or give an incomplete picture if it is not viewed in context. And there are certain types of qualitative data that technology is just not designed to gather. No algorithm will record how a nervous child who has always been too frightened to put their hand up in class does so for the first time. Yet this would be an important milestone in a child’s learning and a clear indicator for the teacher that they’re on the right track.

Gathering huge amounts of data simply because we have the technological capacity to do so is pointless and could reduce the resources available to achieve improvements
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Student data is often touted as the ultimate resource for demonstrating accountability. Not just to HMRC but to parents and carers. Parents are bombarded with statistics about how their child is performing in school, how they compare to the national average and how much they need to progress by the end of the year. Some schools even send text updates and photographs so that families can share in a child’s school day. Including parents in their child’s education is a valuable and important role of schools, but it can go too far. Access to endless pupil data can result in parents becoming excessively demanding of the school and the child. Parents should be involved in but not leading their child’s education. Equally, where a child perceives excessive pressure to perform, they may become anxious and depressed.

Schools should continually review the data collection software and hardware they use
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The technology available within schools and to external organisations has allowed access to a wealth of education data. Schools should continually review the software and hardware they use to collect this data. Budgets are limited for the majority of schools, so ensuring that the most effective technology is in place is vital for maintaining effective teaching and learning.

Both school leaders and teachers must carefully consider what data they need to collect and why. Gathering huge amounts of data simply because we have the technological capacity to do so is pointless and could reduce the resources available to achieve improvements. Education data — if used effectively — can significantly enhance teaching and learning, resulting in a more positive experience for pupils and their teachers.

The post Education Data Optimizing Learning appeared first on Tech Trends.

Education is changing faster than ever, with new ideas, technologies and demands constantly emerging. As Artificial Intelligence continues to automate aspects and functions of various jobs, or even eliminate traditional roles altogether, different subjects and skills will be in demand or even become essential in the performance of future jobs.

The digital economy will create more roles that require a combination of technical, interpersonal and creative skills
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Identifying what these are, and making them accessible to students – regardless of their social and economic background or geographical location – is a monumental challenge that can only be overcome by making full use of technology.

Creative Skills for a Digital Economy

The digital economy will create more roles that require a combination of technical, interpersonal and creative skills, and building the foundation for this begins with studying a very broad range of subjects in school.

Breadth of understanding is often as important as depth of knowledge
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The argument for broadening the scope of what merits inclusion in the curriculum is simple yet compelling; nowadays most of us have access to the world’s knowledge via the supercomputers – i.e. smartphones – that we carry around in our pockets, yet these mountains of data are not valuable in isolation. It is the ability to creatively and proactively extract actionable insights from data – and to execute effectively on these – that will become invaluable in the digital economy jobs being created now, and for those which will be created in future.

“Breadth of understanding is often as important as depth of knowledge. Business leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs now need fluency in a broad range of subjects, and these go far beyond what has traditionally been taught at school and universities,” says John Ingram, CEO of Pamoja Education.

In order to thrive in the digital age, he argues that workers must equip themselves with a range of modular skills including areas such as coding and engineering, all the way through to language skills, sales, networking, marketing, design, and even social media influencing. This is effectively the only approach which makes sense in a world where project-based work will become ever more prevalent, and clearly delineated job titles are likely to be eliminated altogether. Fluid and flexible skillsets, coupled with an equally elastic approach, will be essential for the professional survival kit of professionals entering the workforce in the next few decades.

If we equip our young people with modular skills we will maximize their chances of not only weathering the inevitable disruption, but of thriving in it.
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Tackling the Opportunity Gap

Paradoxically, however, in spite of the fact that creative skills are an essential part of building the next generation’s professional profile, arts and creative subjects seem to be on the decline. A Recent Edge Foundation report found that in the last decade GCSE entries in creative subjects have fallen by 20%. This might be due to the additional budgetary and logistics pressures faced by schools in countries like the United Kingdom, where teacher numbers are dwindling. Schools faced with difficult choices often have to prioritize their resources, and the number and quality of specialist subjects on offer is often the first casualty. Yet Ingram believes that this is an area where technology can play an important role, helping to bridge the gap between limited resources on the one hand, and greater learning demands on the other:

“There’s no substitute for classroom teaching, but while schools struggle to find the staff to teach a full range of subjects, we should be exploring the technologies that can allow students to take courses they’d otherwise have to miss out on. Even when schools are well resourced and offer a good range of subjects, there are still often more niche subjects such as Film Studies they cannot cover which could otherwise allow students to follow their passions, stretch themselves, and grow as individuals.”Ingram explains.

So even though most education experts agree that face-to-face teaching cannot – and should not – be altogether replaced by tech-based alternatives, it is literally impossible to square the that circle without integrating technology into long-term strategies for delivering learning outcomes. In practice this means that while it isn’t feasible for schools to maintain the capacity on site to deliver every niche subject that students might want to study, they will now be able to do so.

It is the ability to creatively and proactively extract actionable insights from data – and to execute effectively on these – that will become invaluable in the digital economy
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Making Teaching Resources Go Further with Technology

“Having offered IB courses online to schools across the world for over a decade,we’ve found that online learning can broaden pupils’ digital and collaborative skills, encouraging them to carry out research, co-ordinate group work and discuss material in an online community,” continues Ingram.

Indeed, research has shown that these features benefit students’ wider education by encouraging them to take ownership of their learning process, helping prepare them for their university careers where they’ll need to study independently. That proactive mind-set then ideally carries through to the approach that those pupils will adopt in the workplace, collating and leveraging information towards accomplishing strategic tasks, projects and goals.

The next few years will mark an exponential disruptive shift towards automation, and that will present a threat to new and existing professionals across a wide range of industries
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At its heart, education is about opportunity, and online learning can potentially make crucial opportunities available to those who would not normally have access to them. This is why it is crucial that educators see technology not as a threat, but as a tool for enhancing their own pedagogical capacity.

The next few years will mark an exponential disruptive shift towards automation, and that will present a threat to new and existing professionals across a wide range of industries. Yet if we equip our young people with modular skills by enabling them to pursue a broad range of creative interests from early schooling onwards, we will maximize their chances of not only weathering this inevitable disruption, but of thriving in it.

At its heart, education is about opportunity, and online learning can potentially make crucial opportunities available to those who would not normally have access to them
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This article was originally published on IDG

Can creative #edtech help #teachers prepare #students for jobs in the #digital #economy? https://t.co/sASWwWjBrw @alicebonasio @IDGCN @CIOonline

— IDG Contributor Network (@IDGCN) May 3, 2019

Tech Trends’  Virtual Reality Consultancy services offers support for companies looking to enhance brand strategy with immersive technologies such as Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. You can follow @alicebonasio on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn or subscribe to her Inside VR/AR Newletter for all the latest curated immersive news.

The post Broadening Access to the Jobs of the Future appeared first on Tech Trends.

In a beautifully kitted out room in central Paris, Colin Fillaudeau is teaching a group of youngsters how to build in Mixed Reality.

Even though my French is far from perfect and I’m unfamiliar with the program he’s using, I’m able to follow along quite well, and the same is certainly true for the 14 year olds in the room, who have come here for the day from a deprived area on the outskirts of Paris.

This room – which resembles an open-plan tech start-up office with its multiple screens, robots, VR headsets and Minecraft plush toys and LEGO – and the 3D design concepts they are learning, literally represent a gateway into another world for these students.

This room represents a gateway into another world for these students #E2 #MicrosoftEDU
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It is often said that in order to address the world’s chronic digital skills problem we need to address an endemic gap in access and opportunity rather than talent or skills. The truth of that becomes abundantly clear when you observe the eagerness and engagement with which these students embrace the opportunity extended to them by such initiatives.

Microsoft's immersive classroom sits within the company’s French Headquarters in Paris #E2 #MicrosoftEDU
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Favreau is a Learning Consultant working with Microsoft, and this “immersive classroom” sits within the company’s French Headquarters. It is open for schools to experiment with incorporating digital tools in learning, and has facilitated the delivery of more than 60 free workshops for over 1000 students since opening in 2018.

These digital tools, they’re keen to emphasize, are not just the company’s own, as only about 20% of the tech in the room is Microsoft’s.

The class I was observing was called 3D conception & Mixed Reality, and it incorporates Paint 3D, HoloLens and other Mixed Reality headsets, and 3D printing. Other activities also explore coding and robotics using tools such as Minecraft and Artificial intelligence, where students get to build their own chatbot.

The immersive classroom is open for schools to experiment with incorporating digital tools in learning, and has facilitated the delivery of more than 60 free workshops for over 1000 students since opening in 2018 #E2 #MicrosoftEDU
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The class I was observing was called 3D conception & Mixed Reality #E2 #MicrosoftEDU
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As the market for immersive technology continues to grow in the coming years, the already existing issues around a shortage of creative and skilled tech talent is only going to be compounded unless we start building purposeful learning pipelines that start teaching students like the ones I met in Paris not only the relevant skills, but the right mindset.

What it comes down to is that it’s very much in the interest of companies like Microsoft to foster such initiatives, as they are reliant on building and expanding that talent pipeline for their future survival #E2 #MicrosoftEDU
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To create compelling content in a fast-evolving new medium such as Mixed Reality, you need what’s called a “growth mindset” that builds grit and a tolerance for failure. This does not mean ignoring your mistakes or being blind to shortcomings, but recognizing that success is incremental, and that iterating and improving your approach is an essential part of building a successful product. That means finding out what doesn’t work can be as (or more) valuable than finding out what does.

This broader trend is sometimes also referred to as Social Emotional Learning – an emphasis on the whole package of preparing a human being for work and society. Looking around at a room where young people who were handling these tools for the first time managed to produce interesting and workable content, it’s clear that the approach is one that is much more suitable for getting them ready to tackle the challenges of a modern workplace than traditional schooling.

To create compelling content in a fast-evolving new medium such as Mixed Reality, you need to cultivate a growth mindset #E2 #MicrosoftEDU
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What it comes down to is that it’s very much in the interest of companies like Microsoft to foster such initiatives, as they are reliant on building and expanding that talent pipeline for their future survival. But in doing so they can also help to address many of the issues around access and inequality that have long plagued the tech industry, even if it’s just because – as a CEO once told me at a conference – “there just aren’t enough white guys in the world to do all these jobs.”

This article originally appeared on The Next Web

Stepping into the immersive classroom https://t.co/j82tCZOPjF

— TNWRSS (@tnwrss) April 3, 2019

Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. You can follow @alicebonasio on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn or subscribe to her Inside VR/AR Newletter for all the latest curated immersive news.  

The post The Mixed Reality Classroom appeared first on Tech Trends.