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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 paidotrib?s (athletics and fitness), the
kitharist?s (music and lyric poetry), and the grammatist?s
(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
