Edpuzzle Blog

Illustration by Edpuzzle Staff

For an institution that’s been around since Babylon (give or take an ancient civilization depending on who you’re talking to), it’s fairly remarkable that the education system continues to reinvent itself even millennia later.

But it’s also inherent in education that we continue to learn, innovate, and grow, making things just a little bit better for each generation of students coming up through the system.

Whether you’re a teacher, admin, student, or parent, here are the biggest education trends for 2022 you’ll want to look out for!

1. Hybrid Classroom

What did teaching look like at your school in the 2020-2021 school year? We’re betting that at some point your classroom followed the hybrid model.

A 2021 Edweek Research Center survey found that 24% of US schools are still employing the hybrid model for the 2021-2022 school year.

For teachers, however, the same study found that an overwhelming 93% would be delivering their instruction on-campus, whether their students are in the physical classroom or connecting remotely.

One thing about the data is crystal clear – the hybrid classroom isn’t going anywhere in 2022.

2. Extended Reality

Are you ready for the metaverse? Surprisingly, it’s not something you missed in the Marvel movies.

After Facebook unveiled its plans to create a metaverse, an online playground combining virtual and augmented reality, you can expect to hear more about the concept of extended reality in the world of education.

According to Dr. Luke Hobson and Professor Peter Shea, “XR, or Extended Reality, is a term used to capture all the previous 'realities'—augmented reality, mixed reality, virtual reality—under one umbrella. XR describes a virtual space that 'extends' the real world with digital materials.”

While 2022 might be a bit early for you to be giving classes via Oculus headset, who knows? If there’s one thing the past few years have taught us, it’s to expect the unexpected!

3. Soft Skills Training

On the opposite end of the spectrum, class quarantines and lockdowns have also taught us the importance of face-to-face human connection.

While it might feel antiquated to teach the art of a good handshake, it’s important to prepare students for real world scenarios like job interviews, conflict resolution, and building relationships.

Helping students hone their soft skills like public speaking, communication, teamwork, and time management will set them up for success in their futures, especially in the world happening offline!

4. Microlearning

Have a minute? Then you have time to learn something new! That’s the whole idea behind microlearning.

Your students are used to going to YouTube to learn how to do just about everything. To harness the power of learning via video, try a platform like Edpuzzle that allows you to embed questions right into the video so you can get analytics on what your students are taking away from these bite-sized lessons.

5. Learning Analytics

Speaking of analytics, one of the biggest education trends for 2022 we’re seeing is learning analytics. In other words, how can you use student data to improve their learning?

Beyond just grades on assignments and tests, do a deep dive on your students’ performance. If you’re using Edpuzzle, for example, you can find out how much time students spend watching your videos and which parts they rewatch, not to mention if their answers were right or wrong.

Think about ways to measure your students’ engagement, like exit surveys or interaction with extension materials. More data = more power!

6. Personalized Learning

The next trend, personalized learning, relies heavily on the previous trend of learning analytics. This is all about what you do with the data from your learning analytics.

If we’ve known for ages that all students learn differently, how can we employ that knowledge to better serve our students? The answer is personalization.

Whether it’s via choice boards, flexible student projects, or simply giving your students more agency in what they’re learning day in and day out, you can expect to hear more about personalized learning throughout 2022.

7. Online Learning

It may not be a trend, because online learning is here to stay, but there’s no way to talk about the landscape of education in 2022 without mentioning online learning.

The versatility of online learning is what has made it such a staple. Even if your students are back in the classroom, they could experience online learning at home as a part of the flipped classroom model.

It could also become the main learning model if your class gets quarantined or if a student has to be absent for a long period of time.

It might also be the way you as a teacher finish up your PD hours or work on getting an advanced degree. We don’t see online learning going anywhere soon!

What are the biggest trends you’re following for the next school year?

Start 2022 with Edpuzzle