EdTech
The education sector has been falling behind in adopting new technologies and transforming for the better of both the students and the teachers for too long. This sector maintained their traditional ways for years but those ways are slowly becoming obsolete.
EdTech, short for Education Technology, is becoming more and more popular. This trend promises to transform education as we know it by replacing the traditional blackboards and textbooks with technology that will foster involvement and interactions.
Smartboards, eBooks, and online classes are just the tip of the iceberg of what EdTech might introduce in the future. However, this concept is not unknown or new. Even today, we can see mobile apps and other technology that can aid students and teachers alike.
The fact of the matter is technology is experiencing a wider-scale and mainstream adoption in the education sector across the world. With that in mind, here’s why EdTech is such a big opportunity for everyone.
The impact of EdTech
It’s no secret that new technologies can have a major impact on industries that adopt them. At first, this adoption is disruptive, as the industry needs to change the way it operated before. A similar thing is happening in the education sector.
By adopting technology, the entire sector is disrupted because technology changes things and it changes them fast. This is a big opportunity to transform everything. In other words, it’s not just about transforming books or using computers in the classroom.
In fact, it’s about implementing a whole new learning architecture based on modern technology. This is especially beneficial to kids as they grew up surrounded by technology. The new approach will help them learn and develop by bringing education closer to them through means that are already familiar to them.
It’s no longer about one-size-fits-all that education was based on for years. Now it’s about using technology and harnessing the power of the Internet to adjust learning material to the individual’s needs and help them learn more effectively.
Image source: https://www.rawpixel.com/image/765271/free-image-rawpixel
The way forward
Let’s reflect back on the traditional means for a second. Since elementary school, kids would all follow a certain path of development through learning. Each year the learning material became more complex and extensive to the point of overwhelming them.
By the time kids have to make a decision on which path to choose next or which career path they want to chase, they’re mostly confused and uncertain about what to do next. EdTech creates a new environment where kids can explore their interests early on.
The content and learning material is available to all at any given time, and kids can focus on what interests them the most whenever they decide to do so. Therefore if they choose a career in the IT sector, they can prepare in advance.
They can also obtain a diploma in information technology through online courses and get sufficient knowledge and experience they’ll need later on. At a certain point, kids will have to write resumes for their first job, and they will have what it takes to move forward.
Cost-efficiency of EdTech
Another great thing about EdTech is that it can drastically reduce the costs of education. It’s no secret that education in some countries costs a lot more than in others. Moreover, a lot of money is invested in maintaining the traditional methods the education system still holds on to.
The new e-learning approach that EdTech introduces has the means to introduce cost-efficiency as well. For example, with the introduction of online services, such as cloud services, in schools, trends like the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) are made possible.
In other words, students can bring their own computers or mobile devices they’ll use for learning purposes, which helps the schools reduce the costs of obtaining proper hardware for them. This trend alone can cut 60% of the costs schools normally allocate towards their IT budget.
Enhanced student engagement
EdTech can bring education closer to students and make them see education as an opportunity for self-development rather than a burden they have to go through. By using modern means, such as multimedia, apps, virtual and augmented reality, as well as other technologies, students will become more engaged and more willing to learn from various experiences.
For instance, it’s estimated that AI (Artificial Intelligence) will play an instrumental role in this endeavor. In fact, Content Technologies, Inc (CTI) a California-based company specializing in AI technologies is creating an AI-powered service to help personalize learning material for students.
This personalization will not only suit learning material for individual needs but also make it more interesting and easy to comprehend. Students can, therefore, have personalized learning material that will help them understand and cover lectures at their own pace and at their own preferences.
The education system has managed to avoid technology for years, but those days are finally coming to an end. Today, technology will enrich the education system and help revolutionize the entire sector so that both students and teachers can benefit from EdTech, in general.
Author’s Bio: Jolene Rutherford is a marketing specialist – turned blogger, currently writing for technivorz.com. Interested in digital marketing and new technology trends. Love sharing content that can help and inform people.