EdTech is a very broad term. It is used as a synonym for online education, as well as a collective name for any technologies for the educational process (including technologies that help in offline learning, such as interactive whiteboards in school classrooms). Some experts even classify bloggers on Instagram selling educational courses to EdTech as EdTech.
What is EdTech?
The goal of EdTech companies is to make money by optimizing any educational process: from tuition fees and interaction between schools and parents to the creation of global online learning centers and virtual reality technologies. The speed of development and optimization of these technologies is impressive – they are already successfully competing with all other learning tools.
Accordingly, the main skill of a modern teacher is to be able to find the right balance in the use of educational tools that are being developed by tens of thousands of EdTech startups and companies around the world. Therefore, it is important for teachers to follow trends in the field of educational technologies. Along with such technologies, an educational software development company.
What is the EdTech Market?
Now more than 20% of the world’s population is studying in schools and institutes. If you take into account adult education and self-education, then it is clear that EdTech is one of the most attractive markets for modern technology companies. The goal of EdTech companies is to make money by optimizing any educational process: from tuition fees and interaction between schools and parents to the creation of global online learning centers and virtual reality technologies.
To date, the main trends in the EdTech market are various microlearning formats (an approach in which the student receives new information in small portions and then repeats it regularly), VR / AR technologies, and immersive learning (immersion in a virtual dialogue).
EdTech Trends
- Educational programs for children
- Educational apps for adults over 55
- Personalization of learning
- Application of artificial intelligence
- Use of virtual or augmented reality
- Blockchain technologies
- Combination of online and offline learning
These are not all trends. As we have already mentioned, the market for EdTech technologies is developing rapidly. To stay afloat, you need to follow the updates in market trends daily.
Usage Examples
If only authorized comrades who are part of the perimeter of the country’s education system will deal with children. Will it benefit the student? Probably not, but the availability of alternatives, especially those of high quality that have been created over the years of EdTech development, will reduce the quality of education.
IT professionals should be clear that the key to EdTech is API openness, the ability to integrate with other platforms, and the use of a modern technology stack.
Attention, active involvement, or “interest” and feedback are the main components of successful learning. Teachers who manage to put all four functions into action can rest assured that their students will learn as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The main change that the education system has faced over the past 30 years is the availability of information. Unlimited access to information makes the novelty and understandability of information one of the main success factors. In 2021, $87 billion was invested in EdTech.
Detailed Examples
- Replacement. Computer technology is used to perform the same activities as without computers. Instead of giving everyone the same newspaper article, teachers give students the same article in class, but the complexity of the text matches the reading level of the children.
- Extension. Computer technology offers an effective tool for collaborative tasks. Teachers use this to assign articles with the appropriate level of difficulty and support to students.
- Modification. Without this step, there will be no departure from the traditional system. Common tasks for the class are performed using computer technology. Educators use this to integrate assessment into a regular reading assignment.
- Override. There are new pedagogical tasks that could not be solved before. Teachers use this to personalize learning according to each student’s reading level, while still maintaining the essence of the content.
This is a cool example of how rethinking just reading newspaper and magazine articles in school can lead to the creation of a unicorn company.
Conclusion
EdTech makes education accessible to everyone. In 2020 and 2023, online education is at the top of its popularity. Therefore, there are many EdTech startups and new projects, the number of which will only increase.