In 2030 the school will be digital and completely different

By 2030, every student has a tablet with pen and keyboard. The devices can play songs and movies. That helps to learn a foreign language.

Learn language by speaking

But much more important is the ability of modern tablets to understand language. Not only the vocabulary test is made by the tablet, also grammar exercises can be done orally.

The devices can also carry simple dialogues about stories from the book.

Speech recognition software

It is a problem to use the speech recognition of Google, Alexa or Siri. All data go to America.

Since 2022, we have a European speech recognition. That open source project was developed in collaboration with the Mozilla Foundation.

Politicians have realized that this project is very important for the economy. Now every medium-sized company can integrate speech recognition into their product. The company does not have to ask Google for permission and all data are safe.

Math

Math problems are calculated directly on the tablet. If necessary, the app can provide solutions or explain everything in a video. The calculation is analyzed and corrected immediately. The app suggests new tasks. At the end of the lesson, each student can see how good his was doing.

Direct feedback

Even during the lesson, a teacher can see in real-time which students are doing well with the tasks and which students need help.

Variety

E-Learning can be boring.

Students need variety. The tablets creats many tasks that can only be done in a team or outdoors. Such a tablet knows the weather and also knows whether the school garden is occupied at the moment.

In 2030 we will see many student groups walking around town or in nature all the time.

Various forms of work

Some students like to learn on their own, others in the group and others prefer to work with a teacher. The teacher is completely relaxed. He is always informed about the learning success of the whole class.

Hardly no exams

Most examinations are abolished in 2030. Students move up from level to level. Like they do it in computer games. Regular repetitions are built in. The Tablet knows if a student can solve the quadratic equations.

Teachers only check creative work.

Learning Coach

Today, many runners use smart watches. You can get a detailed analysis of your activities of the last weeks. That can give you motivation.

By 2030, every student has his digital learning coach. He knows how good he is doing with vocabulary.

He is informed: “Did I manage to do 10 minutes of vocabulary every day? Was I good last week, or was I lazy?”

Pupils whose parents have plenty of time do not need such a digital learning coach.

But single parents are grateful. You can see everything on the app. Did your child complete the homework? Does my child need support?

Open educational resources

The digital books are open and free.

The government pays a team of authors.

Everyone is invited to enrich the book with their own contributions. The authors check every text and incorporate all good ideas.

Evolution instead of revolution

Paper books usually remain unchanged for more than 10 years. Digital materials are updated every year.

Syllabuses are no longer being reformed on a large scale, but adapted in many small steps.

Educational app store

In Brussels, there is an App Store for all certified educational content of all EU countries. Publishers may also offer paid content there, but 80% of the materials are completely free.

All languages

A Bavarian mathematics book can be freely adopted and changed by Berlin. Just as we know it from Wikipedia today.

By 2030, every book in Brussels will be translated into all EU languages. So the Portuguese can use the whole book or parts of it.

Of course every child in Brazil has access to these materials.

Good educational for everybody

In 2030 used smartphones are cheap and you easily get good educational content for free from Europe. The world is less unfair.

In a village school in the highlands of Bolivia, only one child has to be smart enough to learn the basics of chemistry on his own. This child can then explain it to his teacher and classmates.

Learning Games

Children learn best when by playing.

Learning games will be an important element of any school by 2030.

Learning can also be fun.

It is not so easy to get good ideas for games. That's why there will be a competition every year from 2020 onwards. The victors receive enough capital from the state to have their concept programmed.

The games are of course open and free. Everyone can customize or develop the games.

Every child should have fun at school, not only rich kids.

Free learning

Today everyone learns the same thing at the same time. In 2030 there will be long periods of free work. Students can choose topics and groups according to their interests.

Even if a group consists only of students, the teachers see in the app whether the group ist working, or whether the students are only looking at colorful pictures.

Even today there are already free forms of learning. But in 2030, free work is so easy to organize that it will be the dominant form of learning in all schools.

Big Data

The tablets see what sort of problems were solved. How much time was needed. What interest does the student have.

In 2030, children will be advised precisely. Should I try harder, or should I slow down?

About 10% of the students put their data anonymously into a cloud. So there is a huge amount of data. We do not know today what we can find in these data. But it will bring learning research into a new dimension.

Protect the children

Tablets can not only control but also protect students. Primary school children do 45 minutes of homework in 2030. Slow children may take 60 minutes. But after that they have to stop learning and play!

Data protection

In the beginning, the data protection rebelled. They tried to stop Apple, Google or Microsoft at school.

Euro Linux

The problem was solved in 2020. There is a European Linux Foundation. The foundation pays software engineers to provide a simple and stable system.

All students work with a Euro-Linux or a Euro-Android.

All data are safe.

What is Dual Boot?

In the afternoon the students can switch to Apple or Microsoft.

But most students are too lazy to change system. So in 2030 Goolge, Apple and Microsoft are no longer dominating the market.

This story is also available as a video:

https://youtu.be/c_SIxk6Ts1Q

Text and images: Robert Plötz

(CC-BY-2018)