Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to (a) identify 5 top developments in educational technology that will be available to California's public middle schools in the next 5 years, (b) determine the likelihood of implementing these technological developments in California's public middle schools in the next 5 years, (c) determine the impact these developments will have on California's public middle school teachers' instructional use of technology to improve student learning by 2017, and (d) compare the findings of this study with Dallape's 2004 study. Methodology. Using a Delphi technique, experts responded to the open-ended question for Round 1 and ranked the likelihood of implementation and impact of technological developments in Rounds 2 and 3. Mean scores for Rounds 2 and 3 were analyzed and ranked. The interquartile range determined expert consensus. Findings. Technological developments with high-ranking means and expert consensus of likelihood of implementation or impact on teachers' instructional use include 1. Affordable and accessible mobile devices to make eLearning more appealing and functional for educators and learners 24/7, 2. More online learning options for students to meet individualized interests, 3. Growth in online learning and a wider use of learning management systems and digital resources, 4. Blended learning environments as an alternative method to improve student productivity and engagement, 5. New professional development to develop teachers to work in online and blended learning environments. Conclusions. Improved technologies challenge education to institute innovative teaching and learning models. Students' need for mobile technology and the demand for online and blended learning options will increase in the future, opening a wide market for learning management systems and open educational resources. New policies will address teacher certification and professional development to optimize the use of technologies to impact student learning. Recommendations. Studies are recommended (a) to identify in 5 years the top 5 technological developments to improve student learning by 2022, (b) to determine the top 5 technological developments that teachers of Generations X and Y are likely to implement into blended learning environments, and (c) to determine the effectiveness of a coaching and online professional development model to implement and impact teachers' use of mobile devices.