Edtech Apps Archives

Posted on May 24, 2022 by Edsys

Educational technology simply means technology aided education. It can include use of computers, computer programs, or learning systems to provide education and training to students and professionals.

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Technology was introduced to education as a part of keeping pace with the innovations in the field. So, edtech has been around for a while, from the time computers were used in education. Then with the wide use of Internet, online courses were introduced, thus making edtech part of remote learning, distance learning or online learning.

The use of edtech has only progressed with time. The pandemic and the field of education adapting to the changes, there has been a sudden boom in use of edtech. Today, there are many technologies that are sources of learning, teaching and communication between students and mentors that edtech has become more accessible and efficient.

Also Read: (12 Best Edtech Companies Around the World)

Is it Cost Effective?

Let us be honest here-Technology is expensive.

But if you compare the efficiency, you might understand that edtech has an upper hand over the traditional education systems. Most of us are used to the traditional way of learning and we ourselves have experienced how the method lacks in many ways.

Edtech is more inclusive. It accommodates all kinds of learners and helps in closing the gaps in traditional method of learning. This helps students to learn on their own accord, while making the most of all learning resources—something they might not get to do in a traditional classroom setup. In short, every penny spent on learning becomes worth it.

Edtech also helps to cut down extra expenses, in terms of infrastructure costs, labor costs, and much more. All you need is a stable internet connection and a mobile device. The best part is you do not necessarily have to go to an institution. Learning is possible even within the comforts of your home. This has contributed to a significant decrease in costs spent on hardware, which makes up to 60% of the IT budget of educational institutions.

Also Read: (Online Learning The Present and The Future)

Advantages

As mentioned above, edtech definitely has an upper hand compared to the traditional way of learning as it closes many gaps that exist in the traditional teaching and learning system.

There are many advantages of using edtech.

Edtech makes learning easier, efficient, affordable and accessible to all students, despite the learning differences. It also helps educational institutions to stay innovative, while reducing the extra expenses. For educators, edtech serves as a huge relief, taking many of the additional responsibilities off their shoulders, while helping them to carry on their tasks with efficiency and accuracy.

What more does edtech have to offer?

Let us have a closer look.

Promotes Immersive Learning

Edtech provides learning resources that are not only informative, but keeps learners engaged at a deeper level. Also, the interactive content helps students understand the concepts in a better manner.

One good example is teachers using Google Maps while teaching their students about a country and its geography. Teachers will be able to take students on a virtual tour and the visual experience will help students to understand the subject better.

There are many similar learning applications and platforms that cover almost all important topics of different subjects. Many of these applications even use virtual reality or augmented reality for students to virtually experience the concepts.

Allows Personalized Learning

Our traditional educational systems do not really acknowledge the fact that every student is different. Some are fast learners, while some need their own time to learn.

Some cannot wrap their head around the theoretical concepts taught in school and might need some extra attention. There are also students who are differently abled. But there were, many a times, the traditional way of learning could not accommodate all of them.

Edtech, on the other hand, encourages self-paced, personalized learning. Many platforms provide learning resources that the students can refer to whenever they want. Also, it helps teachers to focus on each student individually and in real time, and keep up with their progress.

Some of these applications or platforms also collect information, with regard to the performance of the students, so that teachers can evaluate each student’s performance individually and help them in areas that need improvement.

Accessible Learning Resources

Every time you have a query, the first place you go searching for answers would be the Internet. There is lot of information available online in various forms, be it eBooks, videos, online platforms or forums. Using the same resources in a learning environment makes it easy to access and use for students since they are already familiar with the different formats.

Also, educators can make use of the different online tools available for lecture. The use of advanced technology and gamification in the applications also provide efficient and engaging learning resources to students.

Better Creativity and Engagement

Edtech makes learning fun and gives room for students to be creative and visualize. Use of gamification and advanced technology, like virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence keeps students interested and adds fun to learning.

Today, we can see many educational apps that include gamification elements. The games cover important concepts in different subjects and an opportunity to learn and relearn while having fun. Apart from games, there are also other alternatives like interactive videos that manage to boost the interest of students in learning.

Improved Teamwork and Communication

Technology allows people from different parts of the world to easily connect and collaborate. Different students can work together on a school work or project at the same time and teachers can also ensure that all students equally participate in the project.

There are many online tools that allow students to work on group projects and assignments, and also encourage collaboration. When students work on a project or school work, they not only understand the concepts, but also learn to communicate and work as a team.

Prepare for the Future

In the traditional way of learning, you learn all important topics, but it is nowhere near the real work environment you will have to experience in the future. Today’s jobs are based on continuous learning, which does not end with just a degree you attain. You will have to keep acquiring technical knowledge and keep up with the innovations, all which can be achieved easily with the help of technology.

Edtech includes a variety of digital tools that gives students a chance to familiarize with them. Also, there are many online courses that students or professionals can take up for training and upskilling, preparing them for the next step.

Reduce the Burden of Teachers

Edtech makes things easier for teachers as well. Teachers can depend on the infinite number of resources available online to make progressive changes in their teaching process.

They can also make use of the different online tools, virtual lesson planners, grading software, etc., for example, which are easily accessible, to work in a more efficient manner.

Teachers can also make use of the different applications to evaluate the performances of their students, focusing on each student separately. This can help teachers understand the areas each of their students need improvement in and help them.

Keep Pace With The Digital World

Today’s world is pretty much digitalized and it is important to keep up with it. From work front to daily life, everything is dependent on gadgets and technology that it is important for students to familiarize with it from an early age, and edtech helps them with that.

When children learn to use technology while learning, they also learn to be digitally responsible and also understand the dos and don’ts of tech life and online etiquettes they need to follow in a deeper manner.

Current Trends

Using edtech is not enough. It is also important to understand what is happening in the world on edtech and what new innovations are to come up in the field. That way, education providers, students, educators and parents can make the best use of it.

So, what is trending in edtech in 2022?

Let us have a look.

Gamification in the Forefront

Gamification is already a part of edtech. This year will see more investments for gamification in education. Games will be part of lectures and evaluation of the progress of students.

With the elements of gamification, educators will be able to focus on each student individually and analyze their knowledge in an interactive manner.

Extended Reality (XR) in Daily Learning

Extended Reality or XR is an umbrella term that sums up virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality and everything in between. Edtech already includes the use of advanced technology in education and it has managed to keep students engaged at a deeper level. So, we might soon see extended reality become a part of daily learning.

XR can be used in lessons, assessments and also provide a virtual lab experience to students to encourage practical learning.

Focus on Learners

Since the pandemic and the necessary changes in the field of education that followed, the priority was to adapt to the new changes with the help of technology and to ensure that the needs were met. Now that educational institutions, educators and learners have adapted to the new norm of learning, this year would all be about the leaners.

Edtech will focus on ensuring personalized learning to students that provide better results.

More Homeschooling Startups

Though homeschooling has been another method of acquiring education, it had not got enough attention of learners or parents. But, ever since the pandemic happened and technology-aided education has become prominent, it had given a chance for parents to rethink their notions about homeschooling.

As a result, there has been a consistent increase in students relying on homeschooling and new edtech startups are emerging to provide technology-aided homeschooling experience to students

eLearning Will Continue to Trend

eLearning has done its magic in 2021. It has made it easy for educators to provide lectures to as many students as they wanted, and making education accessible to students from across the world in the midst of the pandemic and lockdown.

Even online tools that were not really meant to be used for education were also used to provide lectures and connect educators and students. And the best part was that it cost lower than how much it would for a traditional classroom setting. That is why many reports predict that the eLearning market worth would surpass $1 trillion by 2027.

With many universities offering 100% online courses for bachelor’s and masters degrees, and other courses for training and upskilling, eLearning will continue to stay with more innovations adding to it with passing years.

More Investments in Edtech

In 2020, the total global capital investment in edtech amounted to $10 billion. Another $87 billion is expected to be added to it by 2030.

There has also been a surge in sales of edtech-related products and services over the years, which would definitely contribute towards the increase in investment amounts in the coming years.

At present, most top edtech companies are located in Asia. With edtech trends gaining momentum, we can expect rise of more edtech startups from other parts of the world as well, especially Europe and USA.

The Future

As per reports of 2021 (https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/02/01/2376551/28124/en/Global-EdTech-Market-Outlook-Forecast-Report-2022-Market-Size-was-Valued-at-254-80-Billion-in-2021-and-is-Expected-to-Reach-605-40-Billion-by-2027.html ), the edtech market size was valued at $254.80 billion. It is expected to grow in the coming years with the arrival of artificial intelligence and digitalization.

By 2025, the total global expenditure on edtech is expected to be $404 billion, which is double the amount than what it was in 2020—$227 billion. (Source: https://www.holoniq.com/edtech/10-charts-that-explain-the-global-education-technology-market/ ) Another expected change is integration of artificial intelligence and extended reality as part of all major learning processes becoming main stream.

They are already part of many professional upskilling and training processes. But in the near future, we might be able to see more of advanced technology in formal educational environments.

With many reports that are predicting greater usage of edtech and its growth, in terms of innovations, revenue and investment, it is safe to say that edtech is here to stay and is definitely important.

Posted on May 2, 2022 by Edsys

The COVID -19 pandemic has set out a new kind of normal in different sectors, education being one of them. Online learning has become more prominent so as to not interrupt students from attaining education. The result is thriving edtech companies that have been continuously churning out different apps that aid learning.

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Edtech industry has seen a steady growth since the pandemic. According to statistics, the global education technology market size was estimated at $237.6 billion in 2021, and it is expected to hit $998.4 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 17.3%. This explains the springing up of lots of new edtech startups. (Source: https://catamarcanews.com/education-technology-market-is-expected-to-reach-998-4-billion-by-2030-says-ps-intelligence/)

The Top 12

There are plenty of edtech companies in the market today, combining all kinds of innovative technology with education to give the best of online learning to students, while lifting the burden off the shoulders of educators.

Here are the best 12 edtech companies that are reigning the industry at the moment.

1) Byju’s

Located in Bangalore, India, Byju’s entered the edtech industry in 2011. Byju’s started off as a simple learning platform back then. At present, the edtech startup is known to be one of the established names in the industry, still spreading its presence across the world.

As of reports of March 2022, Byju’s app has 150 million users—a sudden leap from 80 million in early 2021. The app has also reported over 2 million downloads worldwide in Google Play as of September 2020. (Source: https://mobilemarketingreads.com/byjus-revenue-and-usage-statistics-2020/)

Byju’s app provides online video lessons to students from Grades LKG to 12th through their mobile and web apps. It also provides study materials for students to prepare for common entrance exams in India.

The video lessons come with gamified representation of concepts that keep the learners engaged and make learning fun. Statistics of 2020 reveal the amount of time spent by users who used to spend 70 minutes per session on the app twice or thrice per week has increased to 100 minutes per day.

What keeps Byju’s at the top of the list of popular edtech companies is that they continuously keep innovating to create great learning experience for students.

2) Blackboard

Founded in 2011, Blackboard is a Washington- based edtech company that is one of the giants in the industry. The company aids educators in providing quality education to students through its enterprise technology and solutions for teaching, learning, and student engagement.

Blackboard is one of the biggest edtech companies with a total valuation of $700 million. Through its services, the company aims to revolutionize the way online learning works.

Blackboard has a variety of products and services that serve higher education, K-12, businesses and government. They help educational institutions succeed through their services, such as marketing and enrolment, LMS, etc. Blackboard also helps K-12 communities to teach, learn and stay connected. Their products and services are also used by businesses and government to provide skill training.

Also Read: (15 Best Educational Software Companies in India)

3) Coursera

Based in California, USA, Coursera is a well-known MOOC platform that connects learners with over 150 universities. They offer over 4000 courses across different subject areas, thus helping students acquire the best education at their own pace.

Coursera provides on-demand video lectures to learners through their mobile and web platforms. They also have community forums that learners can make use of to interact and learn.

As of the reports of early 2021, Coursera had a total of 82 million registered users. The pandemic saw a rise in Coursera users, many of whom resorted to learning online for their degrees or professional skill upgrading. As a result, the company had recorded a 40 to 50% increase in revenue over the first two financial quarters in 2020. (Source: https://www.thinkimpact.com/coursera-users/#7-impact-of-the-covid-19-pandemic )

Coursera is one of the biggest startups to provide education through eLearning. The company has raised $313 million through a total of nine funding rounds. Coursera’s total valuation stands at $7 billion.

4) Chegg

Founded in 2005, Chegg is an online learning platform that provides students a wholeseome learning experience. As of the statistics from 2021, Chegg was reported to have 7.8 million subscribers, which is expected to grow with the latest innovations introduced by the company.

Chegg mainly works in three major areas of learning. The platform provides learning resources to students. Learners can opt for online tutoring on the platform. Chegg also helps students with their homework and in self-learning. Students can also buy, rent and sell books in the platform.

Last year, Chegg had introduced Uversity, a platform that allows educators to share learning content. Using student data and AI, the platform provides relevant content to learners, be it in the form of flashcards, videos, quizzes, math, or writing support, to give them a personalized learning experience based on their needs.

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5) Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Pay Teachers aka TPT is an edtech company created by teachers for teachers to interact with each other, share content and tools for teaching.

At present, TPT’s community includes 7 million educators and a catalogue of over 5 million pieces of educator-created content to support students in learning as well as to learn from each other.

The company aims at creating connectivity within the teacher community. Teachers can use the platform to sell and buy worksheets, lesson plans, and additional material from their peers.

A popular online marketplace for original educational resources, Teachers Pay Teachers generates annual revenue of $25 to $50 million.

Also Read: (Top 12 Language Learning Apps for 2023)

6) Instructure

Founded in 2008, Instructure is another edtech start up that provides to the teaching community. Instructure combines LMS and MOOC to provide education to students.

Teachers get to create new courses and also allot assignments. There are also 3000 universities listed in the platform.

At present, Instructure supports over 30 million educators and learners at more than 6000 organizations globally. It also has over 6 million consistent users.

7) Knewton

Knewton is a New York-based advanced edtech company that focuses on providing a personalized learning experience to learners through adaptive technology.

Knewton encourages smart learning by allowing students to realise their strengths and weaknesses, while helping them improve in the areas they are weak at. The platform provides analytical reports regarding students’ performance to teachers.

Knewton aims at making eLearning easy. They provide personal recommendations to students with regard to what they have to study, analytics to teachers to support students in a better manner and content insights to publishers to create better learning products.

8) Dreambox Learning

Dreambox Learning is an eLearning start up based in Seattle, USA, that makes math learning exciting through adaptive learning technology.

What makes Dreambox different from other education-based companies is that while others create solutions for comprehensive learning, they help students learn math using technology. The combination of education and technology makes learning easy and fun for students.

Dreambox allows students to learn at their own pace without having to go out of their comfort zone. For that, first, they analyse the level of knowledge of the students and then, assign courses to help them in areas that need improvement.

At present, Dreambox has 3 million users and has $21.4 million revenue.

9) Simplilearn

Founded in 2010, Simplilearn is one of the few edtech companies that provide professional education. It provides professional certifications to those who complete the courses provided in the portal.

Simplilearn helps employees to learn more about the field they work in and upgrade their skills. This helps professionals to keep pace with the innovations in their field and also look for better job prospects.

At present, Simplilearn is a popular platform that actively provides professional training. It has managed to collect $31 million in funding through four funding rounds.

10) Donorschoose

Donorschoose is a non-profit edtech company that prioritises practical learning. Through Donorschoose, students get funding from donors for their projects.

The company connects donors with students and helps students to go on with their projects without worrying about financial constraints. Through this, they create a learning environment where practical application of relevant subjects happens.

Donorschoose has generated $7 million from three funding rounds.

In the years to come, we might see more edtech companies coming into existence, owing to the popularity of the edtech industry that is expected to continue in the future as well.

11) Go1

Go1 is an edtech company based in Brisbane, Australia, founded in 2015. It is a learning platform that comes with a curated learning and development library containing learning materials and tools from some of the best training providers.

The library is integrated with LMS and HRIS and serves as a one-stop solution for learning and development needs of businesses. There are over 1 50 000 pieces of content available in the library from about 1000 publishers and creators, with more content being added on a weekly basis.

At present, 3.5 million learners use Go1. The company has also integrated communication platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams with the features of Go1 platform to ensure that learners benefit the most from it. Go1 has generated $83.7 million over eight funding rounds.

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12) Udacity

Udacity is a popular MOOC platform that offers technology courses. They help professionals attain all necessary tech skills that businesses are looking for in their employees.

Udacity aims to make education accessible and affordable for everyone to achieve their career goals, be it getting the job they want or to advance in their careers. They offer different nanodegree courses and programs in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics, as well as data science, autonomous systems, and cloud computing.

As of 2020, Udacity had a total of 14 million users, which is likely to have increased owing to the changes instigated due to the pandemic.

Why is Edtech Popular?

There are several reasons for the sudden boom in edtech industry.

Edtech is the new normal

When the pandemic started and changes in the education field in order to ensure uninterrupted learning had become a necessity, even educators that opposed the use of technology in education could not help, but comply.

Since then, technology has had a permanent role in education and its role has only stepped up with time. From learning management systems and similar technology for school management even before the pandemic to applications that support learning, edtech has now become main stream.

Educators are in support of edtech

Many educators, who were used to traditional learning settings, struggled with edtech in the beginning. Though some still refuse to acknowledge it, there are many who agree that edtech already had a role in learning even before the pandemic happened.

There were speculations in the beginning that edtech would replace educators. But when use of edtech became prominent, educators began to see how edtech helped them to fill the learning gaps and guide the students

Instead of taking full control of the learning process, technology has helped to reduce the burden of educators while encourage students to self-learn, while building qualities like responsibility and determination in the process.

Learning and technology innovations go hand in hand

When the field of education started adapting to the pandemic-related changes, more than going with the situation, it was an actual realisation that the field really needed a revamp. Classroom learning had its own limitations and sometimes, left a huge gap when it came to things like inclusiveness and adaptive learning.

Including technology in learning in a prominent manner has given a greater purpose to education than just learning the lessons from the textbooks. It teaches students to realise their strengths and weaknesses, get creative, to communicate and so on.

However, too much of anything is not good. So is technology. Though they struggled in the beginning, education providers and educators have managed to create a balance between learning and technology over the years. They have adopted edtech and combined it with traditional way of learning to fill in the gaps either methods have.

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In the future, things might go back to how they were before. Classroom learning might make a comeback, but, surely, it will not take the shine off edtech. Students can resort to both methods to make learning easier and comprehensive, and it can help reduce the burden for educators.

So, edtech will continue to stay as it does now, with many more companies coming up with further advanced technology backing up the education industry in the future.