Thoughts on the last decade in Edtech
Over the next few months I am re-entering the world of consulting – more on that elsewhere, but I am excited by the prospect of helping clients in the edtech and wider technology space navigate the increasingly noisy world of digital technology. You will see that it is a decade since I last posted my thoughts on this blog – a decade where I have been engaged in supporting schools digitally around the world, a decade where technologies have come and gone, and a decade where the impact of Covid is still playing out.
I thought I would take the opportunity to restart my blog by sharing some thoughts on the state of the EdTech sector as we enter 2024. I will look at three key areas – the impact of Covid, the impact of shifts in the technology landscape and how the narrative is being shaped by PE/ VC investments.
Firstly, as has been widely noted, the Covid 19 pandemic has driven a shift in the take up of technology in schools. For years, education has lagged other industries in using technology to deliver its core product, driving improved learning outcomes (Note I will expand on this is a future blog – schools are highly technology enabled in other areas). However, Covid has driven a step change in digital take up:
Originally published in The Adaptation Advantage: Let Go, Learn Fast and Thrive in the Future of Work, by Heather E. McGowan and Chris Shipley, with a Foreword by Thomas L. Friedman.
These changes fall into three areas:
- Creating a digital environment for schools. The overwhelming majority of schools now have a digital environment within which the manage both the school infrastructure and communication and collaboration with learners. And the vast majority have plumped for Microsoft of Google environments. All suppliers to schools need to work out how to integrate with these systems
- Workflow enhancements – schools are now using technology in many more areas of the school ecosystem, – from managing staff, to improving communication with stakeholders and the provision of online parents evenings
- Delivering digital learning and monitoring attainment. Throughout Covid learning went online with a variety of levels of success – some tools delivered well (e.g. simulations, online “tests” and video content), others were clearly a stop gap (ebooks/ worksheets). But the majority of schools are now able to support learners at home to some extent. The education system is more resilient
However, as we move out of the pandemic, towards a “new normal”, some of these changes are more embedded. (1) and (2) above are here to stay whilst there is a shift back to blended learning. More schools are using flipped learning to maximise the value of face to face time, and many are looking to digital formative assessment to support differentiation in the classroom – but these are based around the classroom model. In the absence of conclusive evidence from the sector, this is based on schools’ experience of what is working.
Running alongside this narrative of a changing classroom is the current hysteria around generative AI. Again, I will look at this in more detail in a future post, but I believe there are three areas where Generative AI will have an impact on suppliers and educators:
| Suppliers | Educators | |
| Workflow enhancements | Will be able to use AI to enhance customer support, better market portfolios and to improve education services – e.g. in delivering marking services | Schools will be able to use AI to better understand the wider needs of their learners, and communicate more effectively with stakeholders |
| Content generation | Will be able to build content to support customers, and build quality content on the fly from reliable content banks. Suppliers will also be in a position to quality assure content generated in this way | Teachers will be able to build learning content around specific requirements – however it will need quality assurance |
| Transforming learning | Understanding learners needs based on rich datasets owned by education suppliers has the potential to support teachers and learners | Working with suppliers and internal datasets educators will be able to provide more effective learning to pupils |
It is important to note that I believe that traditional content owners will continue to have a major role to play. Whilst schools can generate content, publishers, exam boards and edtech players will be able to “kite-mark“ learning content and provide coherent programmes.
I compare the noise around generative AI to the two other technologies that were predicted to transform education in the last decade- adaptive learning and blockchain. The hype around Knewton, and the vast amount of investment raised, did not replace the teacher as many predicted. Adaptive learning platforms are now a part of many courseware solutions, but are no longer the focus of the investment community. Similarly, the crypto/ blockchain revolution was slated to change the way education and credentials were delivered. This may happen, but there is no real sign of it yet.
Which brings me to my last point – the market for provision of digital solutions that truly support learning is being distorted by PE/ VC investments. Driven by technology trends and by the need for relatively short realisations of return, the investment community seeks start up players that aim to use these technologies to disrupt education. And schools’ expectations are heightened by the hype around these services. However successful companies (traditional and startup) know that it is a long game with tight margins, that trust is at the heart of education supply, and that switching resources in and out is hard. And moreover, that success in the education world still is driven by old fashioned skills such as supporting teachers in managing classrooms, building a great channel to market and providing content that educators can trust.