Increasing demand for distance learning sends EdTech skyrocketing - Associated Gamer AG
Increasing demand for distance learning sends EdTech skyrocketing
Posted by Tom Hopkins September 29, 2021
The niche of education technologies is a powerful combination of different tools, software and learning practices. EdTech has been growing in popularity for years, but since the COVID pandemic hit the world in 2019, the demand for more solutions has exceeded all expectations. The need for advanced and more inclusive practices is the main driver of the transformations the industry is undergoing today.
Key Benefits of Integrating EdTech in Educational Institutions
Incorporating different types of technologies into the learning process, whether remote or classroom, is extremely beneficial. It transforms the learning process and the absorption of new information in an advanced and more interesting way. One of the key benefits of integrating EdTech into an organization’s operations is accessibility, availability and the creation of equal opportunities for disabled learners. EdTech makes it possible to reduce teacher workload, create an engaging and motivating environment, simplify the teaching process and more. It is another big step towards making education accessible to people from different walks of life, especially when it comes to developing countries.
According to Statista, spending on education technologies will grow dramatically in the coming years.
The number of students opting for distance education is growing, and so is the demand. Educational institutions were closed for weeks in some areas. That is an important rationale for developing the most accessible and flexible solutions that facilitate the disrupted learning process.
To carry out the remote educational process requires a significant number of different tools and applications. We analyzed the key components that ensure successful participation in the educational process without being present in the classroom.
The influx of innovations in education led to the emergence of e-Learning as an alternative tool and in modern reality it is even more important. The condition eLearning existed, but was not used before 1999. At that time, several schools already offered distance learning. The first introduction of e-learning programs aimed at reducing education costs. But as consumption patterns changed and new service providers entered the market, existing products needed support and updates. The use of the technologies continued to be one of many efficient ways to provide high quality educational services without increasing staff numbers.
It is no longer enough to have an e-learning platform to promote distance education. Users around the world are looking for a unique and individualized approach to learning and assessment. More and more schools are using personalized plans to improve student performance and achieve better results. The use of computers in classes is nothing remarkable or surprising these days, so the industry players are competing for new ideas, thus more value, and to acquire more customers.
Using video conferencing apps
Video conferencing applications as we know them today are a great tool for communication regardless of their purpose. They used to be fun to talk to friends and relatives. But when cross-cultural collaborations came into the picture, they connected millions of people from all parts of the planet. Skype, ZOOM, MS Teams, Google Meet and many more are inextricably linked to most people’s personal and business lives these days. Its use for educational purposes cannot be overstated, especially with the pandemic. Both students and teachers can talk, share information, discuss materials.
Learning Analytics today plays a vital role in the e-learning development process. Its main advantage is that it collects data from students during e-learning. These include test results and scores, their activity during the course, participation in discussions, etc. This tool allows the review of the overall performance or a particular topic and even predicts whether they will pass their final exams. Depending on an e-learning platform, teachers can define the learner’s skills, what they want more, and thus correct what is needed to succeed in a subject by sharing additional resources or materials. The trend focuses on an individualistic approach to education and uncovering strengths in the process.
Social media for educational purposes
Social media is a fun way to entertain and share interests with the surrounding world. For some, they became full-time jobs. The popularization of the various platforms led to the creation of thousands of blogs devoted to all kinds of activities, including education. There are numerous blogs devoted to specific areas of education. Schools and universities create closed pages and groups where students share study materials, discuss assignments, and simply comment on an organization’s activity. This is a powerful weapon that will be used for a greater purpose.
Game Practices and AR/VR
Games have been one of the teaching tools for decades, but are mainly used by small children. But we like games, don’t we? It doesn’t matter how old you are, everyone likes to play, according to NPR. By adding play elements to the learning process, performance is improved and the materials are remembered better.
Creating interactive learning methods is an incentive to involve AR and VR in EdTech. Students participate in enhanced simulation of lab experiments or training, visit art exhibits, and actually have real-life experiences without being physically present. Implementing these technologies will take EdTech to a whole new level.
There are a number of different solutions on the market made by top IT companies. Let’s see here a few examples of one of the E-learning solution providers Agile way.
Unique React Native Application for Higher Education Institution
The main idea of ​​the project was to develop a mobile application that would improve student performance and enable them to study anywhere.
The main components of the platform are: electronic and audio versions of the book, wide range of tests which can be completed after covering a chapter. The features that make this product unique for Ukrainian education are that students can read a book, mark where they end and then continue listening to the material from the place marked by the user. Second, the system automatically checks the test and if the mistake is made, it will take you to the page in the book that contains the answer to a failed task. In this way, students review the materials and get a thorough preparation for their final. The platform serves its educational purpose, is accessible from mobile devices and is inclusive to adapt to the different needs of its users.
Complex web app for business training
The application is an e-Learning solution for business customers who are looking for: training for their employees and customers based on the specific demand of their business niche. The platform is built to analyze key needs and skills gaps. A tailor-made online course is then prepared by the dedicated team and delivered to the customer. It also enables content from the customers to be delivered to the target audience.
What sets this product apart in today’s highly competitive market is that it meets the most essential business requirements by creating an individualized learning plan. It focuses on train the necessary skills, so save a lot of time and resources when covering something that wouldn’t be used quickly.
Convert website into a platform for training as a medical specialist
Our client was a healthcare association that was planning to make a major transformation to their website to become an e-Learning solution. Since the users are medical specialists from all possible medical fields, it was crucial to well-structured platform with dozens of courses and libraries. The aim of the project was to provide professional training that will improve the qualifications of the medical staff.
Both users and the customer were given a complex platform structured in libraries with courses in specific categories. Therefore, the members of the association can not only view all the details of the course they are interested in, but also can book multiple courses and create an individual learning program.
Based on data collected by the analytics tools, the administrators can monitor users’ performance, prepare recommendations for the next courses they might be interested in, etc.
EdTech is a fast growing and promising industry that is developing all over the world at the same time. A variety of applications and platforms offer a variety of approaches to learning based on a user’s needs. Both educational institutions and businesses use educational technologies to improve performance and develop the necessary skills.
One of the main benefits of EdTech is how it enhances learning, making it funnier, more exciting and more engaging. Integration of e-Learning, AR/VR and gaming practices, and the increasing use of video conferencing applications, and social media are among the top EdTech trends improving the educational process and fostering advancement in the industry.
Tom Hopkins September 29, 2021
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