What is going on in digital education?

With the emergence of COVID-19, the education sector was one of the worst affected domains due to the pandemic. Digital penetration in different industries has become faster than ever before, and every organization is trying their best to adapt their services to support online/digital channels. It’s the only viable way to sustain their businesses in the crisis.

The education sector is also one of the traditional domains that are evolving rapidly with the current evolution of technology and the changes in global trends. People are exploring new ways and channels to learn what they are passionate about. This has provided great opportunities for businesses to invest in the digital education sector and evolve with technology while adding value to their businesses as well as the livelihood of people.

Nowadays, online classes are the lifeline of the education systems all around the world as a result of COVID-induced lockdowns. The inaccessibility to physical classrooms has prompted the teachers and students to reach out to EdTech solutions. In this article, we will look into some of the latest EdTech trends around the globe which should be adopted in the years to come.

eLearning complements & empowers classroom learning

Online learning has been growing in the past decade. Digital education platforms are not geographically restricted and have global availability, which does not require any travel. According to Guru 99, even before the pandemic, students undertaking a fully online degree increased from 3.8% in 2008 to 10.6% in 2016. (2)

Here are some other interesting e-learning statistics:

An exploding market

• The global e-learning industry has since its birth grew by 900% globally.
• Since its inception, the online learning market fact suggests that by 2025 to hit the $325 billion mark with over two decades.
• Between the years 2020 to 2025, this market will experience a 200% increase.

Why does eLearning work so well?

• Microlearning (a small-sized model of e-learning) in 2018 already accounted for 60.7% of -learning.
• At least 60% of internet users have indulged in online learning. This is because they can comfortably do it at the comfort of their time and place!!
• E-learning takes 40% to 60% lesser time for employees and students than conventional learning.
• E-learning enhances the learners’ retention rate to 25% to 60% retention, unlike while having one-on-one tutoring, which has a retention rate of 8% to 10%. This is because one can quickly revisit what they learned, and they tend to have more control over the process.

Virtual channels and classroom eases the process of expandability, whereby classes can be added or removed as a function of fluctuating demands. Unlike the classic school/college systems, Digital education systems are available for the global audience.

So what are the key trends in EdTech?

McKinsey provides some interesting answers here. Which technologies are having a positive impact on student outcomes? What is the optimal amount of time to spend using devices in the classroom and for homework? (1)

Key findings from recent work help answer these questions and suggest potential links between technology and student outcomes :

• The type of device matters—some are associated with worse student outcomes.
• Intensity matters—students who use technology intensely or not at all perform better than those with moderate use.
• Geography matters—technology is associated with higher student outcomes in the United States than in other regions.
• Who is using the technology matters—technology in the hands of teachers is associated with higher scores than technology in the hands of students.
• A school system’s current performance level matters—in lower-performing school systems, technology is associated with worse results.

The promise of technology in education is great: enabling personalized, mastery-based learning and equipping students with the digital skills they will need for 21st-century careers. 

According to Powderkeg, people do like to learn continuously and try to be up to date with the current trends. This specifically requires up-to-date knowledge-sharing materials from education providers. As a result, the EdTech companies that provide useful and up-to-date knowledge materials would easily win over the competition.

Machine Learning and AI helps teachers and improves e-education tools

One of the significant computing advancements is the use of Machine Learning (ML) and other forms of Artificial Intelligence (AI)  of increasing sophistication. ML and AI are increasingly applied to different business domains and for different purposes. Edtech is no exception. 

We have seen interesting use cases where ML and AI can significantly improve the complex EdTech systems to make them more manageable and easy-to-understand. 

This article from McKinsey elaborates on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on Kindergarten to 12th-grade Teachers. Interactive User Interfaces (UIs), chatbots, and virtual assistants can be implemented leveraging these technologies. Investing in these technological is often a sustainable investment as more and more advancements can be achieved automatically, as the computer is “trained” on its increasingly large data set. 

Gen-Z prefer interactive learning

Since the early 2010s, the boom in mobile technologies and the social media revolution, have significantly impacted device use. The newer gen-z kids are often more interested and enthusiastic about digital versus in-person interaction.

Gen-z likes to interact in gamified applications because it makes the learning process interesting and competitive. The Edtech segment is now exploring how to make use of this largely unused opportunity to attract the newer generation of students who will surely stay longer on platforms if they find it interesting.

EdTech is here to stay!

Edtech is becoming an increasingly important industry set to hit the $404 billion mark by 2025

This is no surprise given that  E-learning takes 40% to 60% less time than conventional learning, and enhances the learners’ retention rate to 25% to 60%. Moreover, microlearning, a small-sized model of e-learning, is one of the most popular formats, hitting  60.7% mark already a few years ago. 

Ed Tech business will work to continuously provide up-to-date learning with excellent platforms, engaging and gamified. The advent of COVID 19, only enhanced EdTech’s growing relevance. 

At TechSpark Academy, we will continue to work on latest generation microlearning models adapted to the level of each student. Our mission is to make sure that educational technologies benefit students, enthusiastic learners, teachers and parents alike. Stay tuned!

REF:

1. McKinsey “New global data reveal education technology’s impact on learning” , June 2020
2. Guru 99; “Must Know Online Learning Statistics in 2022”
3. McKinsey, “How artificial intelligence will impact K-12 Teachers“, June 2020