Learning's evolving – and fast. 

The educational mainstays are still in place – desks, boards, classrooms, tutors – but the world around them is changing, which means they're changing, too. Chalkboards have become whiteboards; whiteboards have evolved into smartboards. But even though we have a tonne of incredible tools at our fingertips, education is still renowned for resisting technology – the tools in place often aren't used to their full potential. 

So how can teachers and tutors bring education into the 21st century – and beyond? Well, here's just a few ideas: 

Gamify your teaching

We're not talking MarioKart – although it's been suggested that video games increase the cognitive skills needed for learning. The future of learning is all about using contemporary culture to inform teaching and learning methods, and as video games continue to soar in popularity, it makes sense to incorporate them into education. From creating competitive cohort leaderboards to promoting problem-solving techniques, gamifying learning motivates young people to learn and progress.  

Artificial intellegence

AI may seem like a buzzword – but as class sizes increase and pay caps squeeze the education sector, AI could soon become a highly effective way of managing learning. Virtual teaching assistants are already in development. They're designed to aid learning in a range of ways, such as alerting teachers of possible impacts on learning – if they miss a step in an explanation, for example – and providing faster answers to common questions.  

Technology

It's not all robots and video games, though. Innovative edtech is already available in many schools across the UK – but is that state-of-the-art smartboard just being used as a glorified chalkboard? Many teaching professionals don't have the time to test the limits of the tech available to them, so training is essential – as is an easy-to-use interface. Start by finding the best VLE for your organisation, and see how simple it is to transform learning through tech. 

Analytics 

When it comes to deciding the future of learning, there's a whole world of innovation open to you. But how will you know which ones are working for your learners? The answer is analytics. Learning analytics enable you to track the outcomes of different types of teaching – whether through VLE quizzes, AI or gamification – and show you which tools learners respond best to. This is crucial for developing engaging course content and personalising learning. 

Lots of these ideas have been floating around for a while, but they're still in their infancy in terms of development – and they're not being taken up by the education sector very quickly. To deliver amazing learning, though, you need to get ahead of the game. See how you can adapt to the future of learning with these tips and tricks.