Making better use of educational technology is a goal actively pursued by both software and hardware companies.
Keeping students focused in today's distracting world can be a challenge, and teachers often have to contend with competing gadgets like tablets and smartphones that distract students from group instruction.
However, technology such as smartboards and AI-enabled presentation devices, if used correctly, can reshape learning and create a positive learning environment for students.
Getting your customers' attention and keeping them interested is key, and many companies are dedicated to creating and selling solutions to accomplish that task.
According to Mariam Hasani, Acting Head of Trends and Innovation at the Early Childhood Education Authority (ECA) Abu Dhabi, the report said the global EdTech market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 12.9% through 2032. North America led this growth with a revenue share of 36% in 2022.
“The proliferation of EdTech is transforming the learning journey and providing innovative solutions to challenges such as stimulating curiosity in STEM. [science, technology, engineering, and math] “We offer a range of education and customized lessons for children with special needs,” she told TechNewsWorld.
It's not just early childhood and special education students who can benefit from innovative educational technologies. The rapid technological revolution is changing nearly every aspect of our lives, and education at all levels is no exception. Technological education tools with AI capabilities are increasingly helping educators make complex concepts easier to understand and more relatable at all instructional levels.
EdTech Driving the Latest Learning Trends
EdTech is constantly evolving, with some exciting trends emerging, says JQ Sirls, co-founder and CEO of Storytailor, whose product personalizes content for students' unique experiences.
“Personalized learning through AI will make education more tailored to individual needs,” he told TechNewsWorld.
Gamification transforms learning into an engaging experience, and the growing focus on inclusivity and accessibility ensures that modern learning tools are available to all students, regardless of background or ability.
“These trends are changing the way we approach education, making it more dynamic and inclusive,” Searls added.
Smart Technologies is a great example of how computer-based methodologies can make educational technology more effective. The company is pioneering learning solutions that empower educators around the world to make crucial connections using a wide range of products.
To be more effective, schools need to be more thoughtful in the process of adopting innovative technology. According to Jeff Rowe, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Smart, it's a two-step process: first identify the software tools you need; then find the ideal hardware to make them available in the classroom.
“The formula is very simple: start with the teaching-learning practice, and the next step is to look at the software — which software will align with the desired outcomes and help enable the teaching-learning practice,” he told TechNewsWorld.
Achieving this involves three key elements, he added: The company's product developers discuss with client schools the need to select the right edtech tools for their students, identify their specific needs and select tools that align with their curriculum goals.
“The current state of EdTech is that this formula is often not followed, so it's not as efficient or effective. It's looked at the other way around. We're a hardware company that does hardware and software, so we're part of the equation,” Lowe warned.
Practice and training are needed to get the most out of EdTech
Lowe said schools sometimes buy the latest and greatest technology without clearly thinking about how teachers and students will use it or how it fits into teaching and learning practices. It's often a haphazard decision that prioritizes hardware. School administrators then have to decide how to apply it and what software to run on it.
The final step in the technology adoption process is training and professional development. Training should focus not only on how to use the technology, but also on how the technology supports teaching and learning practices.
“I think we all know training is important, but so much of the training is about technology,” he added. “Instead, we need to focus on the outcomes we want for students and teachers and how technology can improve those. That's a different type of training.”
Rowe pointed out that Smart Technology’s products are primarily trained by teachers for teachers – the company has a large staff of current and former teachers, resulting in a wide range of technology implementation skills to serve its customers.
The challenge is in scaling that insight. Training can't be effective if it's simply delivered as a one-day professional event, which Lowe warned is an obstacle to success.
“For the most part, it's a teach-the-teachers approach, recruiting true advocates within a school or department, having them undergo very thorough training, perhaps by us, and then making it their mission to train many other teachers within their schools,” he said.
Scaling up the training will be key to its success, Lowe said, and school officials need to roll it out to principal-level and school-based technology directors.
“So all of these things need to be coordinated, but if we don't think through the process, we're not going to get the full benefit. Otherwise it just becomes a crowded space and there's more pressure on teachers. Not just with the new technology, but with everything else that's going on in teachers' lives, there's more pressure on teachers' time,” Rowe suggested.
Ensuring EdTech success and adoption
That's a real problem schools need to solve, and Smart Technologies is helping them achieve that goal through its Ambassador Program. The company's products are used around the world, and thousands of teachers from around the world join the company-sponsored online community to help each other.
Teachers can post questions, and everyone using different software programs and hardware tools forms a community of mutual support. Lowe says it's been very effective to have community-level experts from around the world supporting each other in different languages. In addition to training, they've also been effective in providing best practices for using technology and building websites for self-paced learning.
Usefulness is not something to be underestimated; it is essential to success.
“Once educators realize this is no different from what they already do, using edtech won't be another addition to an endless list of things expected of teachers,” Rowe said.