10G, the broadband network soon delivering superfast symmetrical internet speeds, has the potential to transform how we live, work, learn and play. Education is a field particularly ripe for fresh tech solutions, with new and emerging advancements helping to match a wide variety of learning styles.
NCTA partnered with the Future Today Institute (FTI), experts in researching trends and calculating how they will disrupt business, government, and society, to imagine what some cutting-edge changes might look like with 10G. The resulting report honed in on four areas: entertainment, healthcare, education, and agriculture.
How Will Education Be Transformed?
New technologies will bring education beyond the classroom to engage students’ curiosity in the world around them, unleashing a lifelong love of learning.
In the Classroom
The 10G platform will support new immersive technologies, with low latency enabling real-time conversations with virtual tutors and other digital tools.
- Augmented and virtual reality will allow students to travel around the world without leaving their desks, immersing students in foreign languages and cultures.
- Light field displays like holograms will bring history to life, allowing historical figures to appear before the class.
- Digital and virtual tools will expand the options for student creativity, bringing digital brushes and virtual canvases to life via wearable smart glasses.
At Home
Ubiquitous next-generation speeds will help bridge the gap between schoolwork and homework, busting the myth that learning stops at school walls.
- Robots and virtual assistants will serve as teachers' aides, helping to keep children on task while studying at home.
- Synthetic tutors will assist students with homework, helping kids get past obstacles they otherwise might not be able to without an instructor's presence.
- Parents and teachers will have access to their children’s developmental data, allowing them to work together to give students the focused attention they need.
Advanced Higher Ed
Symmetrical gigabit speeds will support lightning-fast processing in the cloud, enhancing secondary and college lectures and discussions.
- A.I. will power real-time translations of live-streamed discussions, enabling learning across language groups, geography, and backgrounds.
- During lectures, intelligent conversational interfaces will display additional information that is relevant or helpful.
- Digital assistants will also offer personalized support for students and weekly study groups with guided discussions.
As the 10G future gets closer to reality, most Americans already have access to gigabit networks and even faster speeds are just around the corner. To learn more about the ways 10G might impact key industries, the FTI’s complete report is available on 10Gplatform.com.