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Tech-enhanced learning: edtech trends, AI and the future of education

What is the purpose of learning? Education means many things to many different people, and the only definitive answer to the question of its purpose seems to be an ambiguous one: it depends — on cultural and historical contexts, social and political factors, philosophical views, educational theories, individual preferences, and disciplines (STEM or the humanities, for example). Even linguistically, education is synonymous with a range of related notions — teaching, schooling, training, development, coaching, improvement, instruction — that differ in subtle ways.

In Classical Athens, for example, elementary education included the paidotribēs (athletics and fitness), the kitharistēs (music and lyric poetry), and the grammatistēs (reading, writing, and arithmetic), whereas mediaeval grammar schools combined Classical learning with a decidedly Christian dimension. Based on the ideas of Alexander von Humboldt, the eighteenth-century German notion of education (Bildung) emphasised lifelong selfdevelopment in contrast to skills training (Ausbildung).

Closer to our own time, education is no longer the privileged domain of the wealthy, no longer available only to (young) men, and no longer primarily associated with religion, but many challenges nevertheless remain in terms of aims, rationales, and accessibility, especially when we add the digital classroom and tech-enhanced learning into the mix. And yet, despite the challenges, education will continue to serve as a cornerstone for skilling and reskilling, empowering individuals and societies to navigate the complexities of our rapidly changing world.

AI-powered learning in our post-COVID era, for example, underscores the complex intersection of education and technology, one that necessarily presents both challenges and opportunities for students, educators, and policymakers. In the following article, we’ll explore how emerging technologies, particularly the confluence of edtech and AI, are already re-shaping the future of learning, and, along the way, highlight a number of innovative European edtech startups taking the lead on the use of technology to enhance and support education.

Excerpt extracted and adapted from: https://www.eif.org/blog/all/techenhanced-learning-edtech-trends-ai-and-the-future-of-education