Introduction

There are many new industries that the pandemic is responsible for introducing to humanity. Among these is EdTech, or educational technology. It has become quite popular during and after the pandemic, though it has had a fan base since EdTech’s inception way back. It became a lucrative option for startup owners, businesses, investors, schools, and college students during the pandemic lockdowns.

Freelancing, remote jobs, outsourcing, the explosion of the internet, and related technologies have all contributed to the popularity of EdTech in some way. EdTech companies became popular because of the popularity of the internet and open source technology. Content management systems like WordPress, programming capabilities, and the popularity of Android and Android-based app stores have provided cost-effective solutions for website and native app builders.

Currently, it is changing every aspect of human life that is affected by education, like careers, business, skills, hobbies, and higher education. After the lockdowns, EdTech has become a mainstream technological industry. With governments and universities relaxing rules against online degrees, it has become even more popular among the internet user base. In this article, we will discuss some of the ways EdTech is changing lives, careers, and education as a whole.

What is EdTech?

EdTech, short for educational technology, is the application of technology in education. This technology can be either hardware-backed or software backed. From VR and whiteboards to apps and websites, EdTech is transforming how education works by enhancing both teaching and learning.

Currently, there are hundreds of EdTech start-ups and solutions to virtually every aspect of learning. Learners can attend classes from schools, colleges, and universities through apps like Zoom and Google Classroom. They can interactively learn languages with apps like Duolingo. Also, learners can learn piano, music, games, and cooking through sites like Udemy, and they can learn programming through apps like SoloLearn. Furthermore, professionals can now learn new skills or earn certifications through online EdTech start-ups like Coursera and upGrad. Even professionals can now earn MBA and Masters Degrees online. SNATIKA is an EdTech company that offers UK MBA and Masters Degrees exclusively for senior professionals. Most of these are either software or internet-based. There are many hardware-based solutions for EdTech also, projector screens, modern whiteboards, VR labs, tablets, and laptops, to name a few.

Who is it for?

EdTech is not for everyone. Just like most other things, consumers become bitter or resentful of this amazing solution when it is used by someone other than those in their target market. EdTech is currently better suited for learners who cannot afford or attend traditional educational institutions for a variety of reasons.

How EdTech is changing the world of education

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1. EdTech is changing Companies

Many companies love EdTech solutions because they are easy, cost-effective, and profitable for companies. Skilled employees are in short supply for many industries. Many companies have obtained valuable insights into the workforce after the great resignation. The need for upskilling and aiding employees' academic qualification dreams are among them. Education technology lets companies keep their employees while they pursue their education. The low cost helps companies to sponsor their employees' education. This helps with employee retention after the learners earn their degree, certificate, or diploma. 

2. EdTech is helping company owners

After the pandemic, the economic crisis, and the loss of jobs, many professionals turned to founding companies in this sector. And while the lockdowns provided individuals with more than enough time to reflect on their lives, new startups sprouted like mushrooms once the restrictions were lifted. These included EdTech startups as well. The industry was worth 106.46 billion dollars and had a growth rate of 16.5% per year (Source: Grandview Research). The crisis in education has fuelled many inventions in the industry. Facial recognition, eye movement trackers, personalised learning, new pedagogy, and a complete reinvention of education are all the consequences of such new EdTech companies.

After the rollout of 5G, this industry is expected to see a surge in immersive learning as well as a learner base. Other future technologies, like virtual reality and artificial intelligence, are expected to merge with Education Technology to make it a lucrative, highly sought after educational destination. Moreover, the reluctance of many universities to provide online education was broken by the pandemic. The companies that had previously looked down upon online degrees are now realising the value and quality of online education. Even governments are loosening their laws to allow educational institutions to offer online degrees (Source: Times of India). All of this helps prospective business owners, entrepreneurs, and start-up owners prioritise EdTech in their business options.

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3. It is helping Investors and strengthening economy

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EdTech companies saw VC investments in EdTech companies grow by 22% in the first quarter of 2022 globally. In the UK, companies in the industry have raised $857m in venture funding since 2014 (Source: TechNation). EdTech has become an emerging investment hotspot in the stock market. EdTech companies are rising in popularity with investors and companies alike. This brings more investments into technologically advanced countries, resulting in better economic growth. Investments in EdTech companies give jobs to technical and academic talents in the country, which makes resilient and financially stable societies. Part-time teaching and tutoring can be a side hustle for many teaching professionals. As EdTech gains more popularity and a learner base, investors can enjoy better profits for their money.

4. It is transforming education for students

The fusion of education and technology is making learning easier, more interactive, and even fun. It is changing the perceptions of learners through visual learning. The implementation of gaming interfaces and bite-sized microlearning is increasing the depth of understanding. As a result, the concept of memorization for the sole purpose of passing examinations is slowly becoming unpopular. The true spirit of education, which is to teach the learners to think, act, and live independently, is being popularised.

Adult learners

For adult learners, EdTech solutions offer skill enhancement, academic qualifications, certifications, and knowledge of the industry. Due to the awkwardness of sitting with younger classmates, many adults have postponed learning indefinitely. Online learning bridges this gap, and it only takes the virtual presence of learners. Much of modern pedagogy even sidelines traditional classrooms or one-size-fits-all teaching solutions and focuses instead on individual learners. As a result, adult learners will not experience any age-related awkwardness when learning online.

General learner

For general learners who just need to understand a subject, there are a multitude of destinations for learning. Generally, YouTube is the primary destination for such learners. There are plenty of courses free of charge in virtually all subjects in the world. However, due to clickbait, finding quality-oriented courses is hard for serious learners. If learners have a flair for identifying quality content, YouTube can work wonders.

For more serious learners, specialised sites such as Udemy and Skillshare offer both free and paid courses. This allows learners to learn anything they want without moving to other towns, cities, or even countries in search of an expert.

Working professionals

For professionals, EdTech is a match made in heaven. Due to a full-time job, professionals cannot attend full-time colleges. Family commitments and personal requirements can keep them away from pursuing evening college or weekend classes. In major cities, traffic can eat away at their precious time. Above all, those who work in alternative shifts find it hard or even impossible to consistently set time aside for their learning. EdTech can help these professionals with all the skills and academic qualifications they need. They even provide personal assistance to enhance soft and hard skills, mentor, coach, and train either through software or personally through a video interface. This was not possible until EdTech came along.

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Marginalised individuals

For marginalised individuals like women, rural learners, underprivileged learners, and physically challenged learners, companies on the internet have become a boon. It brings education to the learner instead of making them go for it. In many societies, the ancient patriarchy had kept genders divided and women away from education. It has made female literacy nearly taboo. Thanks to globalisation and the explosion of the internet, women's literacy rates are rapidly rising. Although women now in spite of pursuing higher education more than men, in oppressive societies, are given little to no higher education. The Internet can make it possible for women who seek education and better job opportunities.

Rural learners

Rural areas in developing countries have very little provision for higher education. To pursue a bachelor's degree, rural learners have to travel dozens of kilometres. The distance to pursue Masters Degrees, MBAs, or professional degrees such as medical, engineering, and PhD can range from a few hundred to thousands of kilometres. This keeps rural learners from going further academically. Moreover, the costs associated with travel, accommodation, and food discourages learners from poor families from attending. Travelling such long distances keeps physically challenged learners from attaining academic excellence. All such learners can benefit from EdTech companies and online degree providers.

5. It is aiding teachers

Education Technology is helping teachers in many ways. It certainly helped them during the pandemic lockdowns. EdTech solutions help teachers in the classrooms as well as outside. In classrooms and labs, microlearning and visual learning are transforming teaching by aiding the imaginative powers of the learners. It helps learners understand the subject more effectively. In online classes, facial recognition software negates the need for canning and attendance. This saves time for the teachers. Such facial recognition software is advanced enough to even track a learner's attentiveness. By tracking eye movements, they occasionally remind the learner to focus on the screen.

Outside teaching, it helps teachers in many ways. It negates the need for paperwork and makes teachers more efficient with time. Teaching software tracks the progress of teaching and the learners' progress. It also helps in creating teaching methods, visuals, and auditory aids. Some software helps automate examinations and assessments. This saves time and effort when teaching. EdTech 3D solutions offer a live, interactive learning experience in practical classes. Finally, it helps teachers become more efficient and work without additional stress due to workload apart from teaching.

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6. It is transforming schools and universities

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Currently, only the elite and private schools are implementing smart classroom solutions from technology-based education. Due to a higher competitive edge and investments, it is not hard for such schools to buy expensive whiteboards, projectors, computer labs, etc. Schools in developed or rich countries are financially more resilient and, hence, can afford the range of hardware-based EdTech solutions. However, this is not the case with developing and poor nations. Even now, many countries run schools under the shade of trees, without electricity, let alone a single computer. Most average schools have blackboards and chalk that are not going to be out of fashion, at least for a while.

Universities, on the other hand, are relatively better than schools. Most universities have now realised the power of education technology and the internet in the modern age. Hence, online education has picked up the pace. Nowadays, many universities are collaborating with other digital firms to offer their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees online. Even in their physical classrooms, projectors, computer labs, and other EdTech solutions are being implemented. Prestigious universities are offering popular postgraduate degrees like MBA and Masters Degree programs at inexpensive costs on the internet. This has become a cost-effective solution for universities. Due to the lack of building, staffing, and maintenance costs, such online degrees bring profit without much investment in resources. This takes away the financial burden of introducing new programs for universities. As a result, there has been an increase in online degrees, certifications, and diplomas recently.

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Conclusion

EdTech is changing the world in many ways. EdTech is helping students with homework and lessons. It is implementing a range of modern learning techniques like microlearning, visual learning, and 3D aids to make learning interactive. Many EdTech companies are preparing learners for competitive exams for civil services, medical, engineering entrance exams, and public exams. Immersive learning is transforming learning through a range of technological solutions like VR and smart classrooms. They are teaching anything teachable through the wonder of human creation, the internet.

However, it cannot provide students with the last bench chaos, annual excursions, classroom gossip, friendships, and heartbreaks. It cannot give the privilege of eating others' lunchboxes or infighting with friends. It certainly cannot provide the valuable friendships that schools and colleges do. As a result, EdTech is currently only for some people. Working professionals, those who lack time to attend colleges, those with disabilities, those who are aged and feel that colleges are not for them, and those who have restrictions on going out for learning - for such people, EdTech and internet-based learning can turn the tables. Finally, if you need a prestigious UK qualification like Masters degree programs, Doctorate programs, bachelors programs, Diploma, or certificate programs, visit SNATIKA. We offer globally recognised qualifications to senior professionals. Visit SNATIKA now.

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