Technology and the Rapidly Changing World of Teaching and Learning

Anthony Chow, PhD, Director and Professor, School of Information, San José State University

As an educational psychologist and instructional technologist, Anthony Chow is constantly amazed by the evolving interplay between teaching, learning and emerging technologies. This inspires him to reflect on the responsibilities as educators and explore how they can effectively harness these innovations to enhance the teaching and learning, particularly in the K-12 environment.

Through this article chow emphasizes on the evolving role of educators in an era where technology, particularly AI and Extended Reality (XR), is reshaping how knowledge is accessed and learning is facilitated

The Role of Teacher is Shifting but Still Essential

As a higher education professor for the past 25 years and a father of three adult children, I’ve witnessed a remarkable transformation in how we access and interact with knowledge. I’ve moved from teaching exclusively in-person, where I was often the primary source of expertise, to teaching almost entirely online. Meanwhile, my children now fact-check me on their phones during family vacations. In fact, as the family’s designated driver, I rarely get asked questions anymore—instead, my children share intriguing facts they’ve found online or through tools like ChatGPT and other AI-powered platforms.

This shift mirrors what we see with our students. Educators are no longer the sole gatekeepers of knowledge and expertise. Instead, we’ve become guides, ensuring students navigate the vast sea of information effectively, fostering critical thinking and personal growth and creating inclusive learning experiences where no one is left behind.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time technology has been viewed as a potential replacement for teachers. When television gained popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, many “experts” predicted it would replace educators, arguing it could bring the best instructors to every student while addressing teacher shortages. A similar narrative emerged with the advent of the Internet and now we’re hearing it again with AI and the rapid rise of Generative AI-powered systems, including humanoid robots.

But here’s the truth: while these tools are transformative, they will never replace the essential role of human teachers. Our students need us—not just for knowledge, but for mentorship, guidance and human connection that no machine can replicate.

“While these tools are transformative, they will never replace the essential role of human teachers. Our students need us—not just for knowledge, but for mentorship, guidance and human connection that no machine can replicate.”

Gaining and Keeping Attention is the Precursor to Learning: Analytics, AI and Extended Reality (XR) Technologies are Significant Allies

One of the most impactful courses I ever took at any level of education was led by a professor who openly shared the unscripted and “lucky” nature of his life and career. The course, a seminar for doctoral students, became a treasure trove of wisdom, with all of us feverishly jotting down his reflections and lessons. His stories illustrated a profound truth: our “real” lives are often messy, unpredictable and full of nuanced decisions. The application of knowledge in such dynamic contexts is rarely straightforward or black and white.

This complexity mirrors the challenges of education, where individual student analytics have long been a cornerstone of personalized instruction. Real-time data is especially valuable in tailoring teaching approaches, as each student learns, processes and demonstrates understanding at different speeds and depths. Capturing and maintaining students’ attention remains one of the most difficult aspects of instruction and knowing where they are in their learning journey is critical to guiding them effectively.

Programs like Khan Academy’s “AI Tutor for Every Student” pilot exemplify the transformative potential of generative AI in education. These AI tutors can deliver the individualized instruction educators have long envisioned but often lacked the time, resources and energy to provide. While challenges, including software glitches and ethical concerns, are inevitable, generative AI tutors hold immense promise in supporting mastery-based learning and adapting to students' unique needs.

Extended Reality (XR) technologies, particularly browser-based virtual reality (VR) platforms, are redefining engagement in education. Award-winning projects like San José State University’s Seeking Immortality, Children Draw War, Not Flowers and Freedom to Read exemplify how immersive storytelling environments empower students to explore content in non-linear, gamified ways. These spaces combine text, visuals, audio, video and interactive elements to create rich, multimodal learning experiences that captivate and inspire.

Such innovations keep students actively engaged and open new possibilities for exploration and discovery. I predict that browser-based VR will become as ubiquitous and essential as websites within the next five to ten years, fundamentally transforming how we create and deliver educational content.

A Brave New World

You may be reading this and thinking, "There's no way I can do this." The good news is that AI and XR tools are rapidly becoming integrated into the everyday technology we already use—Word processors, email, smartphones, search engines and more. These advancements are putting the ability to reach our students more effectively, understand their unique needs and help them achieve higher levels of mastery learning within our grasp.

As educators, just as we encourage our students to make the most of the resources available to them, we too must embrace and leverage these tools to enhance our teaching and improve student outcomes. This is a transformative, albeit daunting, time to be an educator. Yet, it’s also an exciting opportunity to reimagine how we teach.

The journey won’t be without its challenges. There will be mistakes, missteps and plenty of learning moments for us as we adapt to these new technologies. However, the payoff will be significant: higher levels of student achievement and more time for us to focus on designing meaningful, impactful and personalized learning experiences.

If you’re feeling unsure, remember to be courageous—not just for yourself, but for your students, who are counting on you to guide and inspire them. This is a chance to grow as educators and to create extraordinary moments of teaching and learning that leave a lasting impact.

Virtual Reality