What’s Next in Edtech?

Article

What’s Next in Edtech?

Education is getting better and better every day, especially with the help of modern technology. Technology can help make education more personalized, accessible, applicable, and engaging – and who doesn’t want that?

Looking ahead, we can expect to see some monumental changes and significant shifts in how we use technology and how it helps us with education.

Here’s what you can expect to see in the coming years.

What is challenging about the education system is also an excellent opportunity for educational technology to come in and make things better.

What is Edtech?

What is Edtech? Edtech is short for education technology, which describes the combination of hardware, software, educational concepts, and the processes and challenges of academics. Edtech solutions solve these recurring and new challenges and help universities and school systems develop better educational programming and environments, thus creating better learning outcomes for all.

Lately, we’ve seen how specific software programs, online learning, and automation can improve the way students enroll, learn, and engage in the classroom. Driven in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools are starting to adopt these technologies faster to promote supportive learning environments, whether in-person or remote.

In 2022 and beyond, we’ll keep seeing education become more and more integrated with technology, with industry leaders and newcomers alike creating tools that will change education as we know it.

Opportunities and Challenges in Edtech

Today, students are digital natives who have spent their time online growing up. This means they almost always welcome technology in the classroom and also enjoy using it. However, administrators, teachers, and school systems are often resistant to these innovations, giving preference to the most traditional lecture model.

According to research from McKinsey, most teachers like their work, but there are aspects they could live without. For example, they don’t enjoy working late at night grading papers, spending hours after school creating lesson plans, and working through piles of what seems to be endless paperwork. This is the main source of teacher turnover annually, which is at 16% in the US.

The opportunities and challenges in Edtech are one and the same – what is challenging about the education system is also an excellent opportunity for educational technology to come in and make things better.

Edtech Trends to Look Out For

If you want to keep up with the rapidly evolving Edtech space, here are the seven main trends you should know about.

Personalized eLearning

Teachers who want to personalize their lessons will have more tools to do so, thanks to new solutions and software that can create more customized e-learning plans based on individual students. Some of the companies breaking into this space right now include Geekie and Smart Sparrow, two different learning management platforms that can accommodate various learning styles through progress monitoring.

While e-Learning has been trending for a while, these more personalized versions will become more popular as developers develop new ways to deliver student-specific content with ease.

Grading Automation

Grading takes up a large portion of the administrative time teachers get, and it’s tedious. Too much of it can lead to burnout, so that grading automation will become a huge plus for teachers everywhere. Electronic grading has existed since the 1970s with the introduction of the Scantron, but automated grading allows for broader assessments of things like essays and short answer assessments.

While automated grading software won’t be able to consider the external context of the responses, these technologies will get smarter every year with the help of AI.

Administrative Task Management

Automated technology has been used across business models, including both the public and private sector, and yes, including education. All of these organizations use back-office practices such as payroll and onboarding. This new technology can eliminate the need for human interaction and completely automate these once-tedious tasks.

Administrative tools like attendance software can take the manual labor out of these tedious processes, allowing students to check themselves into class via a QR code and their phones. Technology may also streamline processes like enrollment, graduation qualification, progress reports, and more.

Blockchain Data Storage

Education, meet blockchain. Blockchain uses Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) to encrypt and maintain accurate records, which can be utilized in education to better track student progress and accomplishments. These records are technically limitless and can be accessed from anywhere.

VR and AR

Virtual and augmented reality is arguably the most impactful trend we see in education as of recent. Especially for remote learners, VR and AR equipment can help students get a more application-based learning experience. They can participate via a virtual classroom, do hands-on lab activities, and explore various worlds and concepts all from the comfort of home. This kind of learning tool, in a post-COVID world, is invaluable so that students don’t have to choose between their health and a supportive learning environment.

Social Media Solutions

Kids are on social media all the time – so why not incorporate it into learning? We’ll start to see more educational organizations using social media to communicate with students in an interactive way. Students can use these social media accounts to discuss specific topics, find homework instructions, or participate in live quizzes by engaging through their mobile devices.

AI Tutoring

AI tutoring is an excellent option for children who need additional support outside of school but may not be able to hire a tutor or for students when their teacher is busy or unable to help. AI tutors work similarly to real tutors – they can learn where the student is struggling, identify the issue at hand, and break down concepts based on progress and understanding.

Final Thoughts

If we can continue down this path of innovation in the Edtech space, we’ll see significant changes for the better in our education systems in just a few years.

We’ll see teachers with more free time, thanks to automated systems. We’ll see learners with better outcomes, thanks to personalized learning and VR tools. We’ll see happier, more fulfilled administrators focused more on problem-solving and sustaining healthy school ecologies. Finally, we’ll see entire educational systems functioning more seamlessly.

What’s next in Edtech? We’ll see.

Other Related Developments

Amphy Revolutionizes E-Learning With a New Way to Browse

Amphy once again revolutionizes how we book online with their new feature: mobile ‘Story View’. Users can now enjoy the full-screen, infinite scroll functionality popularized by social media apps while browsing Amphy’s thousands of live courses, experiences, and events.

The page consists of short video trailers. On your mobile phone, you can scroll through the trailers by swiping up and down with your finger. When you find a session that interests you, simply click the “book now” button to be taken straight to the checkout.

Edtech startup Classplus on an ambitious growth trajectory post $70M Series D fundraise

Based in Noida, India, Classplus recently raised $70M as part of a Series D venture capital round. The e-learning startup has experienced a staggering 400 percent growth yearly, attracting attention from VC firms and education providers.