CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES 2
Abstract
Technology has been a part of the education experience in most classrooms for many years.
With the global pandemic, technology allowed the classroom to become a virtual setting where
education continued to take place without face-to-face instruction taking place. The future of
technology in the educational arena will only continue to grow as new innovations are constantly
emerging. Artificial intelligence has begun to leave its mark on the classroom, allowing students
to broaden their view of the world and engage in learning as never before. With these changes
come challenges as well, how to best use the technology without causing harm to the students
and still protecting their privacy and learning potential. Remote and hybrid learning are also
expanding the opportunities for students and teachers both in and out of the classroom. Schools
are adjusting to better serve students in new ways to make learning accessible and engaging on a
daily basis. Cybersecurity has become an integral part of making these options available but still
safe for students, teachers, and schools alike.
Keywords: artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, hybrid learning, remote learning,
virtual reality
CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES 3
Challenges and Possibilities for the Future of Educational Technology
Long before the global pandemic changed the face of institutional education, the internet
and computers were being introduced into the classroom as aids in learning and engagement
(LaPense’e, 2020). With the pandemic creating a global educational crisis, new ways of
integrating education into the classroom, and into the home, were developed literally overnight
in some cases (Cheung et al., 2021). Traditional classrooms were converted into centers of
online and hybrid learning. Teachers became online instructors and asynchronous curriculum
developers, many with little or no training (Crittenden et al., 2021). While the worst of the
pandemic has passed, online education and technology in the classroom have remained at the
forefront of educational leaders and education technology experts (Reis-Andersson, 2022).
Technology has gone from the fringe of learning to the heart of the classroom, from basic
software teaching about the life of the early pioneers in The Oregon Trail game to current AI
integration offering students the opportunity to travel all over the world from the comfort of their
classroom (LaPense’e, 2020). Teachers use technology to support their lessons, reinforce
concepts, and allow students to create alternative assessments (Strecker et al., 2018).
Technology has changed the traditional classroom into a learning laboratory with digital assistant
teachers (Horizon Report, 2022).
Current Landscape
While technology is now a common part of almost every citizen’s life, it does not enter
the classroom without bringing some issues and challenges. Resources and training are required
to make the technology effective in the classroom (Kaminskiene et al., 2022). Safeguards must
be put in place to protect students, and their personal information, from the cyberworld beyond
the school walls (Mugariri et al., 2022). Each core subject comes with a list of benefits and
CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES 4
challenges to using technology in the classroom. Much research has been done to examine these
benefits and challenges while offering improvements and alternatives to making classrooms
more technology-friendly and effective (Efstathiou et al., 2018).
Professional development and additional resources are two of the greatest obstacles that
educators face when implementing technology into the classroom (Horizon Report, 2022;
Vinnervik, 2020). The technology is only as effective as the teacher using the system. If the
teacher struggles to use the resource, the effectiveness of it has been reduced in the classroom,
and also the teacher’s willingness to use the resource again will be diminished (Khahro & Javed,
2022). Teachers must plan their lessons with the technology use in mind from the beginning so
that the lesson is not just about the technology but utilizes the technology to bring the lesson to
life (Horizon Report, 2022).
While technology can bring students information and images from around the world and
allow them to tour ancient Egypt or modern-day New York from their desks, the distractions of
technology can be a detriment as well (Pozos-Perez et al., 2023). Students are more than willing
to misuse the equipment and can be off on a different search of their own design more quickly
than teachers may realize (Szymkowiak et al., 2021). Students must be taught to be digitally
responsible, while security measures must be in place to prevent them from checking out other
websites with not-so-educational content (Google.com, n.d.).
Recent Developments
Technology, both hardware and software, is changing almost daily. The increased
development of artificial intelligence (AI) is one that will greatly impact classrooms in the near
and distant future (Perri, 2022). The internet of things (IoT) is becoming more impactful in the
CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES 5
educational arena, offering the ability to link devices, systems, parents, teachers, and
administrators together to create a greater digital network to better support students (Schrum &
Sumerfield, 2018; Crittenden et al., 2018). Some of the opportunities are creating challenges for
both schools and families, as they attempt to utilize newer technology (Holmes et al., 2022).
Current Issues Facing the Field
Technology only exists in the classroom and at home for the students if there are
resources available to purchase and provide the equipment necessary for them to have access
(Vinnervik, 2020). Lack of funding for these purchases as well as outdated or inadequate school
internet infrastructure can create significant challenges for teachers trying to integrate new
technologies into their classes (Szymkowiak et al., 2021). Lack of internet access or digital
devices at home can also hinder the student from using the technology outside of the classroom.
Administrators often struggle to secure funding for additional resources in the classroom based
on the location of the school, the number of students attending, or the political climate where
they are located (Selwyn, 2022).
Emerging Trends in K12 from a Global Perspective
Due to the changes brought about by the pandemic, the Horizon Report (2022) recognizes
the redefining of instructional modalities as a change that is now taking place and will have a
greater impact on classrooms in the next three to five years. Many schools are moving from the
traditional face-to-face model for instruction to multiple new modalities, including hybrid
classrooms, flipped classrooms, and virtual learning (Perri, 2022). While these models are not
problematic in and of themselves, many teachers are classically trained and have little experience
in converting curricula to best fit online or hybrid learning (Kaminskiene et al., 2022). Flipped
CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES 6
classrooms require significantly more preparation by the teacher to be effective, including
lessons created in video format (Strecker et al., 2018). Student buy-in can also be a factor in
some of these new instructional methods, considering they must be self-motivated in order to do
much of the work outside the direct supervision of the instructor ((Szymkowiak et al., 2021;
Horizon Report, 2022).
Along these same lines of thought, hybrid learning spaces are an emerging trend in both
K12 and higher learning institutions, which will continue to impact education for several years to
come (Google.com, n.d.). Hybrid learning spaces require restructuring traditional classrooms, if
possible, and sometimes even constructing new spaces specifically designed to accommodate
hybrid learning (Horizon Report, 2022). According to the Horizon Report (2022), microphones,
speakers, two-way screens, and cameras are needed to integrate online learners into the physical
classroom, eliminating barriers to their participation in learning activities. Teachers in these
hybrid environments will have to be trained to be independent of the IT personnel, able to
activate and monitor all the equipment in the room, as well as the instruction of the lesson
(Khahro & Javed, 2022). Students must also be willing to interact within the confines of this
arrangement, to be both seen and heard from their seats in the classroom or from behind their
video screen at home (Horizon Report, 2022).
Remote learning offerings from K12 schools are another trend that is slowly emerging as
a new alternative to traditional classroom instruction (Efstathiou et al., 2018). These remote
classes would allow students to learn from wherever they are whenever they have access and
time to engage in the lessons. While this has been a part of higher learning for many years, the
idea that K12 schools could begin to offer this is relatively new. Students would have to be
motivated and methods of accountability would have to be developed (Mugariri et al., 2022).
CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES 7
While the potential for greater equitable access to the classes is important, faculty and parent
buy-in would be critical for success (Horizon Report, 2022; Perri, 2022). Faculty might be more
reluctant to participate in this form of instruction given their recent experiences teaching during
the pandemic shutdown (Pozos-Perez et al., 2023). Building relationships with students, which
is considered important for younger children, would be more difficult using this mode of
instructional delivery as well (Zhang et al., 2022).
Future Directions in Education
There are many different ways technology will impact education in the future. Artificial
intelligence (AI) will have a definite impact on the classroom for many years to come
(Google.com. n.d.; Horizon Report, 2022; Perri, 2022). While personal assistant devices now
play a role in many students’ lives, the potential for AI to make an impact on the learning and
instructional process in the future is much greater (Perri, 2022). According to the 2022 Gartner
Hype Cycle, two definite trends that will impact education in the future are the use of AI for
learning analytics and data analysis, as well as AI-powered learning tools, such as writing
coaches and virtual reality (Perri, 2022).
While some AI still depends on a human-generated framework to analyze data, future
versions of AI will be able to mine, store, and effectively analyze vast amounts of student data
without human limitations on the scope and delineation of the information (Cheung et al., 2021).
AI will be able to keep online and cloud-based information organized and create data reports that
provide valuable information to administrators and teachers regarding students and their
academic success (Selwyn, 2022). There are barriers to the future success of AI in this capacity.
Many schools lack the capability to collect and store these amounts of data (Mugariri et al.,
2022). Also, a current obstacle that will have to be addressed is the lack of understanding by
CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES 8
staff as to the importance of this information (Pozos-Perez et al., 2023). Training, buy-in from
stakeholders, and building relationships between departments of education, teachers, and IT
departments will be necessary for this type of useful AI in the future (Holmes et al., 2022).
Learning tools powered by AI already exist in many schools and homes. Students
already ask Siri and Alexa for help with their homework (Crittenden et al., 2018). However,
there are greater uses for AI than this in the classroom. Potentially, AI could analyze students’
work in the classroom or at home in real-time, based on teacher-provided parameters, and offer
feedback and corrective directions as the student is working (Horizon Report, 2022). This form
of interactive AI intervention could improve student outcomes tremendously, as well as freeing
teachers to spend more one-on-one time with students who may be struggling with the material.
Some universities already have AI writing coaches that can analyze student writing samples and
offer immediate feedback and corrections that might be necessary (Horizon Report, 2022;
Vinnervik, 2020).
Virtual reality, while part of the AI capabilities, offers different options within the
classroom beyond real-time feedback (Schrum & Sumerfield, 2018). Students can become fully
immersed in a 3-dimensional virtual reality, allowing them to experience environments,
locations, and situations which they might not otherwise ever experience (Crittenden et al.,
2018). Solving real-world problems in a virtual reality world allows students to experience the
stress and excitement of reality without the risks and dangers that might be associated with the
real-world scenario (Perri, 2022). Much of this can be done through virtual reality headsets,
which can be cost-prohibitive in some school situations (Crittenden et al., 2018). Also, teachers
must be able to monitor the learning process, so that the experience is not just fun, but also
educational (Szymkowiak et al., 2021).
CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES 9
Safeguards
There are some ethical concerns regarding AI integration in the classroom (Holmes et al.,
2022). Opportunity, equity, privacy, and security are all concerns that come with this type of
technology integration into the classroom (Selwyn, 2022). Questions that must be addressed
include ownership of the data that is collected using AI; are students safe and is their privacy
protected when they are using these methods of instruction; is this form of instruction accessible
to everyone, or just a select few? (Perri, 2022). Funding may also be a challenge to the
integration of AI into the classroom since this technology is relatively new and still can be quite
expensive on a larger school scale (Reis-Andersson, 2022).
Cybersecurity is a great concern when considering the integration of technology into the
classroom (Perri, 2022). What students are exposed to, and the potentially harmful information
they might find must be monitored and eliminated as much as possible (Mugariri et al., 2022).
Parent and student data must be secure from threats of hackers and other security breaches.
From a Christian perspective, students must be guarded against exposure to the evil of the
world for as long as possible. Eventually, they must make their own choices about the internet
and what they will be exposed to, but until that time, precautions about the internet and digital
responsibility should be part of the lessons where technology is prominently used. Google.com
(n.d.) asserts that digital responsibility is one of the top eight concerns regarding technology in
education today. While the internet is not bad in and of itself, too much exposure can be
detrimental to anyone, including students. According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:12 (ESV Bible,
2001), “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for
me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.” Just because technology and the internet are
helpful does not mean they are always the best thing for students to be using, especially without
CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES 10
supervision. They must be taught to be responsible in their online time, using it for good
purposes, not for things that could bring them or others harm (Google.com, n.d.; Horizon Report,
2022; Perri, 2022).
CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES 11
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