VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS AND COMPUTER TEACHERS
Survey finds education will take a dramatic twist by 2030

Over half of Canadians believe the learning experience in Canada's classrooms will be very different 15 years from now - ranging from virtual field trips to computers doing most of the work of teaching our kids. 

The survey, conducted on behalf of the CST Learning Project by Leger, focused specifically on Canada's perceptions of classrooms in the year 2030, including what field trips will look like, the evolution of the role of the teacher, the education curriculum and the physical environment of the classroom.

"Digital technologies are changing not only how we work and do business, but how our children are learning.  Innovations are challenging our educators to move at an increasingly rapid pace to ensure the best learning experiences for our children and to help prepare them for the future landscapes of careers," says Martha Turner, Vice President Marketing for CST Consultants Inc.  "These survey results show how important it is for educators to encourage, inspire and develop new ways of learning, which is what the CST Learning Project is all about."

Survey says!

More than half of the Canadians surveyed (56%) think the role of the teacher will change significantly in 15 years; teachers will become more like facilitators rather than instructors with computer doing most of the work of teaching children, respondents said.

Another 60% believe personal tailored learning programs focused on individual children's strengths will replace the standard education curriculum.

With tablets becoming more prevalent, two-thirds (66%) say textbooks and binders will be things of the past.  Just over half of the respondents (54%) believe children will still be learning in a traditional classroom setting.

And even if children will still be headed to the traditional bricks-and-mortar-style classroom, an overwhelming majority of Canadians surveyed (73%) think field trips will be increasingly more sophisticated. Canadians believe that our children's children will be taking virtual trips to places like the Great Wall of China and the Serengeti, not just a school bus to the local zoo.

The Leger survey was completed between March 23 and March 26 with a sample of 1,578 Canadians 18+. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/- 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

About CST Learning Project 

The CST Learning Project is a competition that is hosted by the Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation as part of the CST Inspired Minds project, which also includes Careers 2030, a digital job fair for the future.  The annual competition awards a total of up to $250,000 in prizes to not-for-profit organizations with ideas that advance children's learning in communities across Canada.  These community-based learning activities are essential to the well-being and development of children ages 0-17 years.  There are potentially up to 36 prizes to be given away throughout the competition.  To learn more about the competition timelines, rules and to submit an idea, visit http://learningproject.cst.org/ today!