ideo conferencing and remote teaching tools are providing a more flexible approach to education all across the globe. Logging
in to a university lecture remotely or watching a prerecorded class is now often more common than attending in- person. Taking the UK as an example, schools across Britain have seamlessly deployed tablets to help pupils catch up on basic maths and English. More than ever, resources are plentiful and suppliers are copious. The market for hybrid and remote- learning solutions is a flourishing one. More than 1000 companies are active in the educational-technology (edtech) market in England alone, employing up to 49,000 people and generating approximately £4 billion in value for the economy. The Covid-19 pandemic evidently came packaged with a clear and direct message: access to blended and digital learning tools is a necessity, and any institutions lacking such technology are antithetical to educational attainment. “Schools and further educational establishments have been through a time of twofold change. It’s been a powerful period of transformation. We still need massive investment in digital infrastructure. Yet many school improvement journeys over the last few years have been powered by edtech. It’s been remarkable,” explains Ty Goddard, the executive chair of Edtech UK.
of UK schools use tech in everyday teaching DID YOU KNOW? 64%
MORE THAN 1000 COMPANIES ARE ACTIVE IN THE EDTECH MARKET IN ENGLAND
A simple scroll through the EdTech Impact website shows that nearly 1700 educational technology solutions are now available. The UK is a hotbed of remote and hybrid learning tools. Word of mouth and adopting best practice from other establishments has helped teachers navigate precisely what works. Many institutions also test drove a variety of solutions throughout the pandemic era. It’s why the EdTech Evidence Group was founded several years ago by a small group of leading companies, who believed there needed to be a change in the level of proof around tech-driven solutions. “The sector has to be much better at articulating and pinpointing impact; we need caution around tech evangelism. As hybrid and remote learning becomes the norm, seamlessly embedding tech into our educational processes, it becomes harder to measure impact, especially in schools and settings where it’s more mature,” states Ty Goddard, also co-founder of The Education Foundation. “For many establishments, it’s a journey.” MEASURING SUCCESS
“Hybrid and remote education tools have extended learning time. They better prepare young people, boosting digital literacy. They also allow teachers to conduct rapid tests on pupils’ abilities. Tools and content can prioritise and save educators time – they’re a game changer.”
ONLINE CLASS Learning has revolutionised since the start of the pandemic
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