Abstract:

The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) estimates that in future 83% of the course content will be individualized, with only 17% being standardized. Moreover, the role of educators at tertiary level will be split between guiding and mentoring processes (73%), knowledge delivery (19%) and validation of student’s work (8%) (online: http://www.wise-qatar.org/). This means a decisive change in the roles and skills of future educators.

The entire instructional process will undergo huge changes, mainly in the three areas of communication, didactics and technology. Educators at least have to master video production, Social media and virtual classrooms. Video production, concerning either explanatory videos or presentational ones, will be a decisive skill in future to impart knowledge (educational YouTube); the use of Social media will be supportive for didactical reasons (high speed communication) and the professional handling of virtual classrooms (video, chat, whiteboard, sharing of documents) will enable blended learning formats. Imagining this technology in class, teaches have to adjust their didactics. At a huge extent they will have to concentrate on the process by managing diverse student populations. The didactical skills are chunking, framing and designing. Chunk up and down means to present the contents according to their dimension of size, especially essential when working with videos (attention span). Framing means defining the overall contents carefully. At least, designing an entire course by selecting the appropriate exercises and phases (online, on site, self study) completes the process. Alongside with technology and didactics the educator has to be able to change roles and to be flexible in communication. The three future roles of a teacher, moderator and coach will be decisive. Teaching will take place via video instruction, saving the valuable time in class for personal feedback and guidance (coach) of students. Thus educators have to develop excellent communication skills. In virtual classrooms the process has to be directed very precisely, hence the educator turns into the role of a moderator.

Following these three major areas of change, communication, didactics and technology, the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland develops a blended learning course for teacher training within a network of eight partners from Europe having applied for Erasmus+ funding (Strategic Partnerships) in this years’ call. “Future proof your classroom – teaching skills 2030” comprises eight modules covering the topics of future teaching skills. The course meets the needs of educators who start their career as well as teachers, aged around 40, who are still described as “digital immigrants” in contrast to students who are skilled in the use of technology. As a consequence professors, tutors, trainers and lecturers have to be equipped with the competencies and skills in order not to stay behind but to lead this new generation. The presentation will elaborate on the decisive skills and competencies for future educators and gives insight into how they will perform in future.

Keywords:

Future teaching, educational careers, teacher training, ICT skills.