Today, the way of teaching in schools and colleges is very different from how it was a while ago. A child who goes to school nowadays lives a very different reality from children 20 years ago, because the new ways of thinking and the countless technological innovations have taken over the teaching method in most institutions. This method is known as EdTech, that is, the fusion between education and technology. In it, applications, online courses and new platforms are used, seeking a more practical and efficient way of teaching.
The constant advance of technology is something that impacts several areas, especially education. This is a medium that has been growing a lot, both in terms of its methods and its own industry. In the past, it was very common in schools to have a blackboard and chalk for teachers to write on, but nowadays this is seen as a centenary and very old vision, because the reality in today’s schools is quite different.
To understand more about this technology that aims to improve teaching for students and teachers, be sure to check out the full article. Enjoy your reading!
What is EdTech?
EdTech is the name given to the development and use of technology to enhance learning in education through products, applications, and tools (such as software, hardware, and processes). These include:
Virtual reality
Virtual reality is an environment, created by means of computers, that shows scenes and objects very similar to the real ones, and immerses people in the reality of the environment that has been created.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence refers to systems or machines that approximate or try to reproduce human intelligence in order to get tasks done and improved.
Gamification
Gamification is a method in which challenges, games, and ranking, among others, are incorporated into teaching or training activities, so that knowledge is passed on in a playful and more interactive way.
To summarize it, EdTech is a practice that facilitates learning and improves performance through the use and management of appropriate technological resources and processes. In other words, it is a junction between technology and education, to make these two items more present in the teaching environment and more efficient in learning methods.
As for the labor market, EdTechs can name all those startup companies that operate simultaneously in two markets, education and technology, with the goal of incorporating the use of new technology in learning methods or in the management of institutions, either through products, software, applications, or other tools.
Rise of EdTechs
EdTechs have been so successful that many large internet companies are already showing interest in this area and some are already active in it. As an example, we have Google, a huge company that already has several EdTech products and aims to invest more and more. One of the most used technologies by Google is cloud computing, which is becoming more successful every day because it is a great way to store data. Google’s interest in this type of service began when it had a huge demand from teachers, who claimed that their students use their platform a lot and wanted it to also help organize information in the classroom.
Moreover, according to a research done by Global Security Verification (GSV), in the United States, venture capital investment in education companies has grown about 45% in the last 5 years, reaching almost $2 billion in 2014. In Brazil, the scenario is also very positive, as several states are already investing in this method and it is already being adopted by schools and teachers.
What does an EdTech do?
As said, EdTechs develop technologies for the educational sector in order to make it more efficient. However, it is not only this function that EdTechs have, they can also perform other tasks such as: creating solutions focused on marketing, administration, and operations in general in the context of educational institutions, thus serving the entire process, from attracting a student to evaluating them.
Types of EdTech
Some types of EdTechs are:
Educational finance
In this category, Edtechs are directly related to ensuring the democratization of education and have as their main goal creating better financial conditions. That occurs through scholarships and funding.
Education platform
In this category, startups seek to offer various types of systems and platforms for companies, professionals, and students to have their own educational solutions. An example of this category are distance learning platforms.
Learning and new ways of teaching
In this category are those startups that seek learning and bring new ways of teaching. And their main goal is to bring improved results and learning through augmented virtual reality. In other words, the use of these tools is made with the intention of allowing access to information and experiences in a totally simulated environment, through computers, in order to facilitate the practice of the content.
The benefits of EdTechs
Having seen what EdTechs are, now see what the main benefits brought by these educational technologies are:
Adds fun to learning
In very monotonous classes, in which teachers only talk about the subject, it is very common for students to get bored. So many schools choose to use technology to bring more fun into the classroom and make it more entertaining with elements of gamification. As a result, students learn in a fun way and become more engaged.
Better prepare students for the jobs of the future
Most jobs today require people to have technology skills to varying degrees, and because of the use of technology in the classroom, students are already beginning to have a greater affinity with these devices and building their technology skills, so that they can excel in the marketplace in the future.
Provides more immersive learning
In the digital world, there are many resources available that can be used by teachers to enrich their lessons and make them even more engaging and deep learning.
Easy access to more learning resources
Most of the time, when students have doubts about a subject or need to solve something, it is very common for them to search the internet to find solutions to these situations. So, to take a ride on this habit that is very common among students, many teachers get them to interact with search engines, e-books, instructional and instructional videos, online platforms and forums, in order to make the class more attractive and efficient.
Increase collaboration
Increased collaboration is also something that can be done through technology, as it becomes possible to contact people all over the world, either through phone calls or messages, and allow them to take part in online work with others simultaneously. In the classroom, it becomes possible to hold online classes and provide tutorials for students to participate in.
Personalize learning
In a classroom, there are different types of students, so in order for a teacher not to have to make a lesson or test dedicated to each of them, many institutions use technology for this, since it can help with the diversity of learning styles, allowing teachers to track student growth individually and in real time.
What education looks like in EdTechs schools
Brazil is a country with a large number of students and a large number of teachers, which makes it a place where it would be ideal to implement this new educational system, so that both students and teachers would have even more opportunities. However, for this to happen, it would require a negotiation with the government, which is seen as a great challenge.
However, even facing some difficulties, there are already some states in Brazil that have already started to adopt this method. From 2019 to 2020, there was a 26.1% increase in the opening of startups in this sector, resulting in 566 active companies, according to a survey done in 2020 by the Brazilian Association of Startups (Abstartups).
Currently, these companies are mostly found in the southeast region, where there are 55.2% of them. The three states with the highest concentration of this method are: São Paulo, with 34.3%, and Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais tied, with 9.4% each.
Distance learning
Every day distance learning gains more visibility and more people are looking for distance learning courses and classes. This is because students are currently preferring this method to be able to reconcile work, studies, and personal life. These courses or online classes can be oriented to several areas, ranging from preparatory courses to graduate courses.
This method of distance learning started to gain visibility, mainly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, because during the quarantine it was the method adopted by schools and colleges so that they would not have to stop for so long. Then, many people started to create a great proximity with the teaching system, because of its flexibility, as students can watch the class from wherever they are, and most of the classes are recorded to watch later.
So, nowadays many people opt for this type of education, because of these advantages and because it is possible to find a wide variety of courses through the Internet. In addition to the savings that people have, because the online method spends much less than the face-to-face one.
How are EdTechs revolutionizing education?
As stated earlier, EdTechs can act in a number of ways in the learning environment, such as:
Tracking pedagogical progress
EdTechs provide resources that allow them to monitor the pedagogical progress of each student, through activities made available to them, in which mistakes and successes are analyzed and evaluated. Thus, teachers are able to clearly visualize the performance of each student, in each content, to identify where students are having difficulty in order to create appropriate interventions to solve them.
Adoption of new teaching resources
With the adoption of several didactic resources, EdTechs make students understand each topic more quickly, so they are more entertained and engaged in learning. Besides dynamics, quizzes and activities, the technology also allows the student to have contact with an inaccessible reality, which is only possible through the internet.
Teacher training with EdTechs
For this teaching to work well, it is necessary that teachers keep up-to-date with new technologies. Then teachers can have access to successful courses and teaching methods. This happens through distance learning, so that it becomes more practical and flexible for teachers, as all they need is an internet-connected device to access the classes.
Individualization of teaching
Another advantage of EdTechs is the individualization of teaching, because adaptive platforms are made available in which the system itself can identify which content the student has the most doubts about. Then, based on this, learning activities are proposed so that these doubts can be solved and the student can master the content.
What is the importance of EdTechs?
The daily growth of technology has totally changed consumer habits, which has made it necessary for educational methodologies to also change and adhere to EdTech. The main advantage of adhering to this new model is that in it, theory and application are merged, and through technology a system is developed so that students can learn in a much more practical way.
The most commonly used tools that have helped EdTechs in their development are:
- Innovative methodologies;
- Open online courses;
- Know Your Student;
- Webinars;
- Blended Learning;
- Educational mobile applications;
- Practical methodologies;
- Artificial Intelligence;
- Markets for private teachers;
- Virtual reality;
- B2B tools for professional education;
- Robotics;
- Generation of new learning media;
- Development of educational materials;
- SaaS platforms as a student environment;
- MOOCS.
These digital solutions can solve existing problems in the educational sector, helping students overcome their obstacles and improve their activities. In other words, the insertion of technology in the learning environment enables experiences that would not be possible in any other way, and provides the necessary support for the transformation of the traditional model into a more current one that meets all the new demands of society and its students.
How Monitora can help your EdTech
If you are looking for a quality company, with professionals specialized in development and technology for EdTechs, choose Monitora. We are a Brazilian digital solutions company with international impact and we have successful cases in the education area with clients in several countries.
Through our services, it is possible to tie technology to development and education, being able to improve all your educational systems and increase the effectiveness of all of them.
Transform your educational journey with an EdTech right now and ensure all the benefits described throughout this article: generate immersion and greater participation in learning, make the educational process interactive, personalize teaching, and much more.
Visit our page and understand how we can help you!
Text automatically translated from Portuguese to English