The very first filed where technology has application, is education. In fact the base for generation of technology as well as its horizontal and vertical spread is education. As and when there is a release of a tool or device in the field of communication, its application can immediately be seen in educational technology. Globally it has a catch up keeping in view the increasing educational needs. Some of the modern trends are discussed here under

1. Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence exhibited by machines. In computer science, the field of AI research defines itself as the study of intelligent agents: any device that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of success at some goal. Colloquially, the term artificial intelligence is applied when a machine mimics cognitive functions that humans associate with other human minds, such as learning and problem solving. This is promoting individualized learning or self learning. Technically referring, it is the branch of computer science concerned with making computers behave like humans. The term was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Artificial intelligence includes the following areas of specialization:

• games playing: programming computers to play games against human opponents
• expert systems: programming computers to make decisions in real-life situations (for example, some expert systems help doctors diagnose diseases based on symptoms)
• natural language: programming computers to understand natural human languages
• neural networks: Systems that simulate intelligence by attempting to reproduce the types of physical connections that occur in animal brains
• robotics: programming computers to see and hear and react to other sensory stimuli

2. Virtual learning

It is creating an environment by use of computer software, the internet or both to deliver instruction to students. Teacher and student donot share a room but interact with the help of environment created for interaction. It has the potential to improve student achievement, educational access and schools’ cost-effectiveness. The advantage it brings in is that it enables large groups of students to interact with each other as well as within a three dimensional environment.
Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is an online environment of e-resources caters to several disciplines taught at undergraduate and postgraduate level. It is an initiative of Institute of Life-Long Learning, University of Delhi. Conceived in 2012, VLE today boasts state of art material that addresses emerging needs of a diverse student body, not only of Delhi University but other universities as well. Drawing from several successful Moodle models, the multi-media interactive contents loaded on VLE are categorized discipline-wise.
The lessons are developed by highly qualified faculty members across the universities and are continually edited and reviewed, primarily by discipline-expert Fellows employed to edit, oversee and coordinate the content. The content goes through several levels of rigorous peer reviewing and academic vetting to ensure quality and standardization. VLE also contains multimedia repository in form of audio, video and short films to expose students to new technologies in pedagogy.
Virtual learning initiatives are a blend of:

• face-to-face teaching online in real time and self-paced
• video streaming of live classes
• class time devoted to online collaboration, exploration and problem solving, with the teacher offering more personalised guidance and interaction with students
• web forums where students can ask questions of each other, the lead teacher, their teacher, or any other teacher
• online reference resources, assessment and feedback tools

3. M-Learning

M- learning is learning through mobiles. As the use of mobiles is increasing, there are many institutions and companies developing apps for students to access information. This is eventually contributing for an increased user engagement level.
Mobile learning is the delivery of learning, education or learning support on mobile phones, PDAs or tablets. E-learning has provided the ability for traditional learning to break out of the classroom setting and for students to learn at home. Mobile learning has enhanced upon e-learning by taking it a step further and allowing students to learn virtually anywhere a mobile signal is available. The recent advances in mobile technology are changing the primary purpose of mobile devices from making or receiving calls to retrieving the latest information on any subject.

Approaches
Classroom management

• Existing mobile technology can replace cumbersome resources such as textbooks, visual aids, and presentation technology.
• Interactive and multi-mode technology allows students to engage and manipulate information.
• Mobile Device features with WIFI capabilities allow for on-demand access to information.
• Access to classroom activities and information on mobile devices provides a continuum for learning inside and outside the classroom.
• In a literature review conducted by Future Lab, researchers found that increased communication, collaboration, and understanding of concepts was a result of mobile technology applications.
• The mobile phone (through text SMS notices) can be used especially for distance education or with students whose courses require them to be highly mobile and in particular to communicate information regarding availability of assignment results, venue changes and cancellations, etc.
• Mobile devices facilitate online interaction between instructor and student, and student to student.

Podcasting
Podcasting consists of listening to audio recordings of lectures. It can be used to review live lectures (Clark & Westcott 2007) and to provide opportunities for students to rehearse oral presentations. Podcasts may also provide supplemental information to enhance traditional lectures (McGarr 2009) (Steven & Teasley 2009).
Psychological research suggests that university students who download podcast lectures achieve substantially higher exam results than those who attend the lecture in person (only in cases in which students take notes) (Callaway & Ewen 2009).
Podcasts may be delivered using syndication, although this method of delivery is not always easily adopted (Lee, Miller & Newnham 2009).

Work
M-learning in the context of work can embrace a variety of different forms of learning. It has been defined as the “processes of coming to know, and of being able to operate successfully in, and across, new and ever changing contexts, including learning for, at and through work, by means of mobile devices
a) M-learning for work
b) M-learning at and through work
c) Cross-contextual m-learning

a. Learning for work, involves classic and formal education activities, such as training courses, that prepare learners for future work-related tasks. A typical, corporate application is the delivery of mobile compliance training, which can be seen as a viable means to reach geographically mobile employees, such as consultants or staff in logistic and transport systems. Another application is mobile simulations that prepare learners for future situations, for example real-time SMS-based simulations for disaster response training.

b.Learning at and through work, which could be labelled as “just-in-time” mobile learning, occurs in informal education settings at the workplace. Employees can use the mobile phone to solve problems via handheld devices in situ, for example by accessing informational resources (such as checklists and reference guides) prior to customer visits or mobile decision support systems. The latter are popular in clinical settings where they support highly mobile medical staff through rule-based algorithms in the decision regarding more complex patient cases. Their application was associated with learning and in particular with practice improvement of medical staff. Learning through work also occurs by interacting with distant peers via phone. “People tagging” is an approach whereby people assign topics they associate with co-workers. The aggregation of interests and experiences serves not only as a means to raise awareness but also to help find competent experts on demand, for example with context-sensitive expert location systems.

c. Cross-contextual learning that bridges the gap between work settings and formal education formats has perhaps the biggest potential for work-based mobile learning, especially with respect to tertiary education systems. This involves approaches in which learning in the workplace is facilitated and substantiated (for example through formative assessments, reflective questions or the documentation of personal achievements in multimedia learning diaries or portfolios) The so-created materials are later used in more formal educational formats, for example in the classroom or in the discussion with tutors. The value of these mobile phone-mediated learning practices lies in the integration and reconciliation of work-based learning and formal education experiences which otherwise tend to remain separated.

Lifelong learning and self-learning
Mobile technologies and approaches, i.e. Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL), are also used to assist in language learning. For instance handheld computers, cell phones, and podcasting (Horkoff Kayes2008) have been used to help people acquire and develop language skills.

Other

• Improving levels of literacy, numeracy, and participation in education amongst young adults.
• Using the communication features of a mobile phone as part of a larger learning activity, e.g.: sending media or texts into a central portfolio, or exporting audio files from a learning platform to your phone.
• Developing workforce skills and readiness among youth and young adults.

4. Use of laptops, Tablets and Smart phone as teaching/ learning tools

Due to technological interventions, the cost of new devices has become cost effective and accessibility is also handy. Hence teacher and learner are using devices to make teaching and learning effective. Moreover these devices are useful for assignments and home works also.
When using them the lean back and lean forward approaches are involved. One way to look at how students use technology, and hence its potential impact on education, is called the “lean back” vs “lean forward” approach. This model, originally developed by Jakob Nielsen in 2008, considers the position we adopt when we engage with technology and the resultant impact this has on how we use technology, in other words our engagement style. For example, when somebody uses a laptop, she/he naturally wants to sit at a desk. This is referred to as lean forward device usage. By contrast when use my iPhone or iPad , more likely to use it sitting on a chair. This is called lean back device usage.
A lean forward device, like a laptop, typically sees the user more active but with shorter attention spans as they switch tasks and skim content. They are designed to be used with a mouse and keyboard, more often seated at a desk. The benefit of lean forward devices are that they lead to greater activity, with increased brain activity associated with skim reading, searching, and content creation.
By contrast a lean back device, like an iPad, sees the user more passive, but often with longer attention spans as they consume content. They are designed to be navigated with the flick of a thumb, while sitting comfortably on a couch. The benefit of lean back devices are that they lead to greater reading, and consuming of content, especially during “dead time”, such as while commuting or waiting.
When it comes to learning, lean forward and lean back approaches have been around for centuries.
1. Lean Forward 1.0 – The first era, where learning was through conversation, known as Socratic dialogue, was a lean forward era.
2. Lean Back 1.0 – The second era, arising after the invention of the printing press, was a lean back era, as learning increasingly was from books.
3. Lean Forward 2.0 – However with the development of computers and more specifically the Web, we witnessed a return to lean forward once again.
4. Lean Back 2.0 – The development of tablets and specifically the iPad has once more resulted in a swing back towards lean back engagement, with some celebrating this recent shift – “In recent years we are witnessing a return to the “Lean back” mode thanks to the great diffusion of the tablet.” (Whirlpool)
However, while elements of Lean Forward 1.0 and 2.0, and Lean Back 1.0 and 2.0 are the same, there are also elements that technology has introduced that are different. One of these is the impact on attention spans. For example, while Lean Back devices, such as TVs, are considered to have longer attention spans, the newer instantiation of smart phones and tablets has resulted in what is called “second screen” syndrome, where users simultaneously use their smartphones or tablets while watching TV.
While second screen usage allows for users to engage with others about the content they are seeing, from a learning perspective this is resulting in shorter attention spans and increased cognitive load. So, while a useful model, Nielsen’s model predates the rise of smartphones and tablets, and as such doesn’t consider other potentially important aspects that need to be considered, especially when it comes to education

Encourage for social media

Social media in education refers to the practice of using social media platforms as a way of enhancing the education of students. Social media is defined as “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content. In education institutions social media is providing plat form online discussions, conferences, course materials, gatherings and meet ups etc., for sharing of information .

Advantages of Using Social Media for Students in Education
1. Social Media can increase student collaboration. Students become friends with their classmates on social media and are more likely to collaborate on projects. This can lead to higher retention rates as students become more connected to the institution.
2. Faculty can use social media as a way to get students to participate. Many students are naturally shy in person, and many may not speak up in a classroom, but that may not be the case on social media. Today’s students grew up on social media, and for many, it is the natural way to interact. Faculty can ask questions on social media such as Twitter and students can answer those questions, by including a specific hash tag. This not only allows the faculty to find the student answers but also allows other students to see what others are answering and create a dialog. Many learning management systems incorporate a discussion board to accomplish this same educational pedagogy but are just as useful if not more by using a social media platform.
3. Social Media can be useful for team projects. Many colleges stress the importance of the soft skill of working in groups. Social Media sites can be helpful to increase this ability as the students can hold meetings in real time and work on their projects. This enhances the likelihood that they will also spend time together working on projects and may not have to make time to meet in person all the time as the project progresses. Having teams work together using social media only strengthens advantage one and two in your educational activities.
4. Social media can provide a richer experience for resources. Videos, resource websites, and tutorials can be shared very easily with the entire classroom at the click of the button. This eliminates the need for students to copy website links from a handout and have the risk of mistyping. It is much easier just to click a link than to type it.
5. Video Conferencing in the Classroom is also a significant benefit. Using social networking sites such as Google Plus will allow the use of Google Hangouts. These sort of resources can be used to setup class sessions where everyone can collaborate through video in real time.

Smart Board
The Smart Board interactive whiteboard operates as part of a system that includes the interactive whiteboard, a computer, a projector and whiteboarding software – either Smart Notebook collaborative learning software for education, or Smart Meeting Pro software for business. The components are connected wirelessly or via USB or serial cables. A projector connected to the computer displays the desktop image on the interactive whiteboard. The whiteboard accepts touch input from a finger, pen or other solid object. Smart Board interactive whiteboards are also available as a front-projection flat-panel display – interactive surfaces that fit over plasma or LCD display panels. A facility for participatory learning is provided through smart board instructional process. Students can understand the subject by means of writing, teaching and drawing, via tablets and notebooks.

Why SMART Boards are an essential component in the modern day classroom:

1. Provides Flexibility: Interactive whiteboards allow many different forms of media – including photos, illustrations, maps, graphs, games, and video, to be displayed. These tools not only enrich the classroom experience but also help to expand the nature of content that can be used in learning. In addition, SMART Boards makes learning to be more dynamic owing to the different forms of presenting information.

2. Enhanced teaching/learning experience: SMART Boards provide new ways for teachers to teach, and student to learn. These tools support a wide variety of learning styles. For instance, visual learners can watch as their tutors use the whiteboards to project visual elements, whereas audio learners can listen and have discussions. On the other hand, the Boards come with touch screen capabilities that allow tactile learners to touch and interact with the board.

3. Interact and share: The interactive nature of SMART boards offers learners an opportunity to share and participate in the instructional process. Interactivity provides a platform for students to demonstrate their grasp of the subject through touching, drawing, and writing. Every learner has an opportunity to participate or contribute to the presentation and/or discussion via notebooks and tablets. In addition, the boards provide for rapid assessment whereby learners can receive immediate feedback. Teachers and students are able to identify individual strengths and weaknesses in various subject areas and isolate areas/topics that need more focus or review.

4. Low-Maintenance: SMART Boards are neat and easy to use. There are no hassles cleaning or maintaining whiteboards. The data on the screen can be modified using a specialized highlighting tool or pen. There is no need for using unhygienic chalk or marker pens.

5. Access to online information & tools: SMART boards allow learners to easily access a rich database of online resources. Teachers can use the wide variety of online information sources such as knowledge databases, online video and news items to reinforce their lessons. Learners can also quickly access the wide range of powerful tools and resources to conduct research and supplement their usual study material.

6. Going Green: Interactive boards are also environmentally friendly. They offer teachers an entirely different way of presenting information to students, which eliminates the need for writing, printing or photocopying. Which, contribute to eliminate waste and pollution, from over-utilization of paper and ink.

7. Technology Integration: SMART boards allows for integration of various technologies in order to improve the learning experience. For instance, it is possible to attach tools such as microscopes, document cameras, cameras or video cameras to a whiteboard to aid in instruction. It is also possible to integrate the interactive learning tools with a wide range of software applications.
8. Communication: Interactive whiteboards allow for connectivity in different locations; making ideal collaboration and distance learning environments. When using SMART boards, student show to increase student-to-student collaboration and increase overall participation in the lesson.

Cloud technology

Cloud computing is a type of Internet-based computing that provides shared computer processing resources and data to computers and other devices on demand. It is a model for enabling ubiquitous, on-demand access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources, which can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort. Cloud computing and storage solutions provide users and enterprises with various capabilities to store and process their data in either privately owned, or third-party data centers that may be located far from the user–ranging in distance from across a city to across the world. Cloud computing relies on sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economy of scale, similar to a utility over an electricity network.

MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course)

MOOCs is a platform of free online course through internet. With the introduction of MOOC, an evolution in education occurred, especially in distance education programmes. It is a scalable online education programme. An online course (sometimes referred to as a Web-based or Web-delivered course) is a class taught via the World Wide Web. Online courses are a form of distance learning.
It aims at unlimited participation and open access via the web. In addition to traditional course materials such as filmed lectures, readings, and problem sets, many MOOCs provide interactive user forums to support community interactions among students, professors, and teaching assistants (TAs). MOOCs are a recent and widely researched development in distance education which were first introduced in 2008 and emerged as a popular mode of learning in 2012. Early MOOCs often emphasized open-access features, such as open licensing of content, structure and learning goals, to promote the reuse and remixing of resources. Some later MOOCs use closed licenses for their course materials while maintaining free access for students

Video – and the Flipped Classroom
Video is on the rise, both in and out of school, and is the tool that has enabled the “flipped classroom.” In flipped instruction, homework-time and instruction-time swap places. Instruction takes place at home, via video and narrated screen casts, while assignments take place in the classroom. Those assignments then benefit from meaningful teacher interaction and student collaboration, thus increasing the opportunity for creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving.

Flipped classroom is an instructional strategy and a type of blended learning that reverses the traditional learning environment by delivering instructional content, often online, outside of the classroom. It moves activities, including those that may have traditionally been considered homework, into the classroom. In a flipped classroom, students watch online lectures, collaborate in online discussions, or carry out research at home and engage in concepts in the classroom with the guidance of a mentor. This technology intentionally shifts instruction to a learner-centered model in which class time explores topics in greater depth and creates meaningful learning opportunities, while educational technologies such as online videos are used to deliver content outside of the classroom. In a flipped classroom, content delivery may take a variety of forms. Often, video lessons prepared by the teacher or third parties are used to deliver content, although online collaborative discussions, digital research, and text readings may be used.
Flipped classrooms also redefine in-class activities. In-class lessons accompanying flipped classroom may include activity learning or more traditional homework problems, among other practices, to engage students in the content. Class activities vary but may include: using math manipulatives and emerging mathematical technologies, in-depth laboratory experiments, original document analysis, debate or speech presentation, current event discussions, peer reviewing, project-based learning, and skill development or concept practice. Because these types of active learning allow for highly differentiated instruction,[8]more time can be spent in class on higher-order thinking skills such as problem-finding, collaboration, design and problem solving as students tackle difficult problems, work in groups, research, and construct knowledge with the help of their teacher and peers.[9] Flipped classrooms have been implemented in both schools and colleges and been found to have varying differences in the method of implementation. A teacher’s interaction with students in a flipped classroom can be more personalized and less didactic, and students are actively involved in knowledge acquisition and construction as they participate in and evaluate their learning.

Blended learning
Blended learning is e-learning process combined with traditional classroom methods. It is mixing the benefits of in-person, teacher-to-student learning with online resources and new learning approaches such as project-based learning. This option enables teachers and students to personalize their learning models, thus represents, a fundamental change in the way teachers and students approach the learning experience.
The terms blended learning, hybrid learning, technology-mediated instruction, web-enhanced instruction and mixed-mode instruction are often used interchangeably in research literature. Although the concepts behind blended learning first developed in the 1960s, the formal terminology to describe it took late 1990s. One of the earliest uses of the term appears in a 1999 press release, in which the Interactive Learning Centers, an Atlanta-based education business, announced a change of name to EPIC Learning. The release mentions that “The Company currently operates 220 on-line courses, but will begin offering its Internet courseware using the company’s Blended Learning methodology.” The term “blended learning” was initially vague, encompassing a wide variety of technologies and pedagogical methods in varying combinations (some making no use of technology whatsoever). In 2006, the term became more concrete with the publication of the first Handbook of Blended Learning by Bonk and Graham. Graham challenged the breadth and ambiguity of the term’s definition, and defined “blended learning systems” as learning systems that “combine face-to-face instruction with computer mediated instruction.” A researcher by name Norm Friesen suggests that in its current form, blended learning designates the range of possibilities presented by combining internet and digital media with established classroom forms that require the physical co‐presence of teacher and students

References

Assignment

1. Prepare a review report on application of modern educational technology in University education.
2. Collect videos/images/ flow charts pertaining to each of the modern technology and prepare PPT for orientation on modern trends in educational technology.