FORECASTING SKILL NEEDS FOR TEACHERS BASED ONSELECT PATENTS

Abstract

In recent years, technology has entered into the classrooms in a big way, making teaching intensely technology driven. With this, for teachers the scope of enhancing the experiential learning and integrating it in classes has increased tremendously, hitherto limited to classrooms or at best the laboratories. From use of computers for programming to use of devices for online experiments, the incursion of technology has, in fact, expanded and pushed educational frontiers into the infinite cyberspace. In other words, technology has created competition between teachers and virtual teaching/learning, a pointer to change of role of teachers in future. Technologies for which patents have been filed or granted in recent past can well serve as precursors to the upcoming innovations in educational spaces, which in turn can pose need of acquisition of newer skills by teachers. This study is on forecasting such (future) skills that would become important for teachers. For this patent database of select technologies have been examined and skills needed to handle them have been identified. Results on skills for Communication Technologies are presented.