The future of remote learning and its role in preparing students for future careers

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The future of remote learning still holds significant potential in preparing students for future careers by leveraging advanced technologies, fostering flexibility and accessibility, promoting lifelong learning, facilitating global collaboration, emphasizing soft skills, personalizing learning experiences, integrating industry partnerships, and ensuring ethical and responsible use of technology. A , and many institutions continue to expand their online offerings with many institutions at least offering some part of their learning online.?

By embracing these opportunities and addressing challenges proactively, remote learning can play a vital role in equipping students with the knowledge, skills and mindset needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving job market. With jobs moving away from the bricks-and-mortar workplace, tomorrow's job opportunities will have fewer physical and geographical restrictions, so if you you can also learn anywhere in the world.

Here's how remote learning integrates into this evolution, by enforcing these things:?

Flexibility and accessibility

Remote learning provides flexibility in scheduling and accessibility to educational resources, allowing students to balance learning with other commitments such as work or family responsibilities. This flexibility mirrors the dynamic nature of many future careers, where adaptability and time management are essential skills. It also allows people who may otherwise not be able to attend a traditional institution in person the same opportunity to learn.?

Digital literacy and technological proficiency

Remote learning requires students to navigate various digital platforms, tools and resources, fostering digital literacy and technological proficiency. These skills are increasingly vital in virtually every industry, as technology continues to transform the way we work and communicate.?

Self-directed learning and autonomy

Remote learning often encourages self-directed learning, where students take greater responsibility for their education, set learning goals, and manage their progress independently. This cultivates autonomy and self-motivation, qualities highly valued in the modern workplace, where employees are expected to take initiative and drive their own professional development.?

Global perspective and cultural competence

Remote learning platforms facilitate collaboration and interaction among students from diverse cultural backgrounds and geographical locations. Engaging with peers from around the world fosters a global perspective, cultural competence, and cross-cultural communication skills, essential for success in an increasingly interconnected and globalized workforce.?

Collaboration and teamwork skills

While remote, students often participate in group projects, discussions and virtual teamwork exercises, honing their collaboration and communication skills in digital environments. These skills are invaluable in many careers, where collaboration across distributed teams and effective virtual communication are becoming increasingly common.?

Problem-solving and critical thinking

Remote learning activities often emphasize problem-solving, critical thinking and analytical skills as students engage with complex challenges and real-world scenarios. These cognitive skills are essential for navigating uncertainty and innovation in future careers, where the ability to analyze information, think critically and propose creative solutions is highly prized.

Adaptability to changing technologies and industries

Remote learning exposes students to a variety of digital tools, software and online platforms, helping them adapt to rapidly changing technologies and industries. By staying abreast of emerging trends and mastering new tools, students develop a mindset of lifelong learning and adaptability, crucial for success in careers that continually evolve.?

Professional networking and career development

Remote learning platforms often provide opportunities for students to connect with industry professionals, mentors and alumni networks, expanding their professional network and gaining insights into potential career paths. Building relationships with professionals in their field of interest can open doors to internships, job opportunities and career guidance, facilitating a smoother transition from education to employment.?

The future of remote learning is poised to undergo significant transformations driven by technological advancements, evolving educational paradigms and societal shifts. Here are just some key trends that may shape the future of remote learning¡­

Hybrid learning models

As we move forward, we're likely to see a blend of traditional classroom instruction and remote learning, known as hybrid learning. This model offers flexibility for both students and educators, allowing them to leverage the benefits of in-person interaction while also harnessing the advantages of remote technologies for convenience, accessibility and personalized learning experiences.?

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)

VR and AR technologies are expected to play a more prominent role in remote learning, offering immersive and interactive experiences that simulate real-world environments. These technologies can transport students to historical sites, enable hands-on experiments in science labs, and facilitate collaborative problem-solving activities, enhancing engagement and understanding.?

Artificial intelligence (AI) and adaptive learning

AI-powered tools can analyze vast amounts of data to personalize learning experiences, identify individual strengths and weaknesses, and offer targeted interventions. Adaptive learning platforms can adjust the pace, content and instructional methods based on each student's learning preferences and performance, optimizing learning outcomes and promoting mastery of concepts.?

Microlearning and bite-sized content

With attention spans decreasing and the demand for just-in-time learning increasing, microlearning¡ªdelivering content in small, digestible chunks¡ªis gaining popularity. Microlearning modules, delivered through mobile devices and online platforms, enable learners to access relevant information quickly, retain knowledge more effectively, and apply it immediately in real-world contexts.?

Gamification and interactive content

Gamification elements such as badges, leaderboards and rewards can enhance motivation, engagement and retention in remote learning environments. Interactive content, such as simulations, quizzes and branching scenarios, not only makes learning more enjoyable but also facilitates active participation, critical thinking and skill development.?

Social learning and collaboration tools

Remote learning platforms will continue to integrate social learning features such as discussion forums, group projects and peer feedback mechanisms. Collaboration tools like video conferencing, instant messaging and shared document editing enable synchronous and asynchronous communication, fostering interaction, teamwork and community building among students and educators.?

Data-driven decision making

The collection and analysis of learning analytics data will enable educators and administrators to gain insights into student progress, engagement levels and learning preferences. By leveraging data-driven decision-making processes, institutions can identify areas for improvement, personalize interventions and optimize instructional strategies to enhance student success and retention rates.?

Continued emphasis on equity and inclusion

As remote learning becomes more prevalent, it's crucial to address issues of access, digital literacy, and socioeconomic disparities. Efforts to bridge the digital divide, provide equitable access to technology and resources, and create inclusive learning environments for diverse populations will be essential in shaping the future of remote learning.?

In summary, by leveraging the opportunities provided by remote learning, students, job seekers and career changers can develop the skills and competencies needed to thrive in a dynamic and rapidly changing job market.

Read more in our blog post 'The advantages of online distance learning'.

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  • A couple sat on a sofa one with a laptop the other with a book; they are both laughing

    How English conversation works

    By Richard Cleeve

    English language teachers everywhere spend time and energy helping students practice their conversation skills. Some may ask whether conversation in English can actually be taught. And ¨C if it can ¨C what the rules might be.

    To explore these questions, we spoke to world-renowned . He is an Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Bangor and has written more than 120 books on the subject.

    What makes a good conversation?

    ¡°It¡¯s very important that we put this everyday use of language under the microscope,¡± he says. He highlights three critical facets of conservation that we should bring into focus:

    • Fluency
    • Intelligibility
    • Appropriateness

    But all in all, he says that people should walk away from a conversation feeling like they¡¯ve had a good chat.

    ¡°For the most part, people want that kind of mutual respect, mutual opportunity, and have some sort of shared topic about which they feel comfortable ¨C and these are the basics I think.¡±

    The rules of conversation

    There are plenty of ways you can teach learners to engage in a successful conversation ¨C including how to speak informally, use intonation, and provide feedback. So let¡¯s take a look at some of the key areas to focus on:

    1) Appropriateness

    Fluency and intelligibility are commonly covered in English language classes. But appropriateness can be more complicated to teach. When preparing to teach conversational appropriateness, we can look at it through two different lenses: subject matter and style:

    2) Subject matter

    ¡°What subject matter is appropriate to use to get a conversation off the ground? There are cultural differences here,¡± he says. The weather is often a good icebreaker, since everyone is affected by it. The key is to find a common topic that all participants can understand and engage with.

    3) Style

    Teachers can also teach students about conversational style, focusing on how to make conversations more relaxed in English.

    There are ¡°several areas of vocabulary and grammar ¨C and pronunciation too, intonation for example ¨C as well as body language, in which the informality of a conversation is expressed through quite traditional means,¡± says David. One example he offers is teaching students how to use contracted verb forms.

    4) Simultaneous feedback

    This is what makes a conversation tick. When we talk with someone, we let them know we¡¯re listening by giving them feedback. We say things like ¡°really¡± or ¡°huh¡± and use body language like facial expressions and gestures.

    Of course, these feedback noises and expressions can be taught. But they won¡¯t necessarily be new to students. English learners do the same when speaking their own language, anyway.

    Keep in mind though, that when it comes to speaking online on video conferencing platforms, it¡¯s not easy to give this type of simultaneous feedback. People¡¯s microphones might be on mute or there might be a delay, which makes reacting in conversations awkward. So, says David, this means online conversations become much more like monologues.

    5) Uptalk and accents

    Uptalk is when a person declares something in a sentence, but raises their intonation at the end. For English learners, it might sound like someone is asking a question.

    Here¡¯s an example:

    • ¡°I live in Holyhead¡± said in a flat tone ¨C this is a statement.
    • ¡°I live in Holyhead¡± said using uptalk ¨C you are stating you live here, but recognize that someone else might not know where it is.

    Now, should teachers teach uptalk? David says yes. For one, it¡¯s fashionable to speak this way ¨C and it can be confusing for English learners if they don¡¯t understand why it¡¯s being used in a conversation.

    ¡°The other thing is that we are dealing here with a genuine change in the language. One of the biggest problems for all language teachers is to keep up to date with language changes. And language change can be very fast and is at the moment,¡± he says.

    When it comes to accents, David is a fan. ¡°It¡¯s like being in a garden of flowers. Enjoy all the linguistic flowers,¡± he says, ¡°That¡¯s the beauty of language, its diversity¡±.