Which are the EdTech trends that will redefine the industry this year?

• Self-paced learning has become more common especially with students attending classes from their homes.
• Educators are planning to develop many games through VR that will improve the learning experience whilst retaining the quality of education.

The education industry has witnessed a dramatic shift in its way of operating since the outbreak of coronavirus.

Be it producing learning material or the delivery of the class, educators and students are foreseeing a rise in the use of technology in education.

According to the latest reports, digital spending in the market is expected to reach over $350 billion by 2025.

Across the different segments of the sector, the adoption of technology has increased massively.

Considering its pivotal role in the industry, it is crucial to address the question – what are these EdTech trends, and how will they potentially shape the market? 

Artificial intelligence

In recent years, artificial intelligence has dominated the tech industry. Across diverse sectors, millions have found multiple uses from AI. One of the common uses of AI is facial recognition. Therefore, this can be a useful tech tool to secure the campus infrastructure from authorised bodies.

This can also be used to track attendance and prevent students from falsely claiming their presence. Other implementations could be during exams where invigilators could use AI for the identification of cheating. Such a digital tool can solely conduct exams without the intervention of teachers or invigilators.

Some ways to do so is by incorporating the feature of video proctoring that will allow remote invigilation to capture the candidate’s actions and sounds. While this may seem slightly far-fetched right now, it wouldn’t be a surprise when students are monitored by technology in the near future.

Self-paced learning

Learning is a very subjective process that differs from student to student as it mainly depends on their strengths and weaknesses. With the aid of technology, traditional classroom-based learning can be overcome.

Studying at one’s own pace is almost like a student’s secret wish as it does not put immense pressure on them, but at the same time, allows them to truly understand the subject. Thanks to these tech-driven tools, self-paced learning has become more common especially with students attending classes from their homes.

With universities incorporating online courses, students can effectively grasp concepts with personalised and online learning methodology.

Moreover, many higher education institutions have come up with a range of new short programmes that are exclusively delivered in the online mode. In such programmes, students can view the recorded sessions, participate in live chat with both professors and classmates.

Virtual reality

For most industries, virtual reality has become one of the most cost-effective tools to experience active learning.

Through VR, students can produce a simulated environment that resembles a similar environment. This can be extremely useful for students who are pursuing their higher education.

For instance, medical students can use VR to imagine a 3-dimensional skeleton. With special aid, students will be able to experience and understand the subject better, thus, enhancing one’s learning experience.

With VR becoming cheap, educators are planning to develop many games with this concept that will improve their learning experience whilst retaining the quality of education.

Under the umbrella of edutainment where both learning and entertainment are fused to better equip the students with both academia and practical knowledge.

Video-based learning

According to a report by Cisco, by the end of 2023, an average population of 66 per cent will have access to the internet. This means the total number of internet users will grow to 4.7 billion by the end of 2021.

Another research analysis suggests that 7 out 10 youngsters use the YouTube platform to find insights or fixes to small issues. This means video has become one of the most evolved and popular streams of viewing content.

Hence, it wouldn’t come as a surprise when higher education providers invest in building educational videos with an array of interactive elements. Due to the pandemic, video-based learning has become one of the highly efficient forms of teaching.

Along with this, such methods of learning improve student imagination, enabling students to test their creative flair through the medium of learning. In line with this, many corporations are building video-making tools and applications hoping to form mutually beneficial partnerships with universities and schools.

In the coming years, we can see higher education institutions will quickly adapt to the changing technology and can implement it effectively, thereby, building a reputable education brand. While it is a hard time for most industries on the business front, perhaps the education industry will be redefined with the strong support of technology and other digital tools. 

• Dr Vikas Nand Kumar Batheja is the Co-Founder and Director of Capital University College, serving over 20 years in the industry, and an Award-Winning Entrepreneur. He is on the Advisory Board for several colleges including London College of Arts and London College of Management.