My list of EdTech Trends of 2021
The end of the year is coming and naturally we all – consciously or unconsciously – reflect on the past year, mixing it with dreams and plans for the year to come.
On a personal level
This year I became a blogger and opened myself to the world – ready to grab every opportunity that knocks on my door. Huge step forward for me – DONE!
Next year, I’ll focus on growing my audience. I’m here to make a difference on a large scale by spreading the importance of learning experience in the EdTech space.
Another goal is to help people apply the insight in practice; if you know a project or a product that can benefit from enhancing their learning experience, contact me right away.
The wind of optimism is here
2021 was an unpredictable, scary and remarkable year for EdTech. Covid-19 shook the education system and accelerated change that otherwise would have taken ages to be made. It also induced a country-wide effort to adapt education to the digitized reality.
In the end, however, there is optimism in the air. The EdTech community is buzzing with conversations of new opportunities and technological abilities – and overall, is excited about new levels of cooperation among educators and policymakers. Education is finally starting to receive the attention and resources it deserves. The mood is up, and everyone is rolling up their sleeves for the next challenge.
Most popular EdTech trends of 2021
There are countless articles about EdTech trends out there, so I will mention only those that are significant to my occupation or deserve distinction.
Globalization - There is no need to explain how we ended up grounded at home. Interestingly, this limitation only incited a globalized effort to adapt. Zoom conferences, hybrid work environments, digital learning platforms are all working to erase geographical borders.
Digitalized learning - This one is not new – but the scale is now completely different. Online learning creates novel business models for education that can be used for tutoring, homeschooling or independent learning.
Immersive learning and gamification - Both of these trends address the challenge of engagement and aim to transform learning into an active, immersive experience.
AI in education - AI is a hot topic these days. Some companies brag about their AI-based marketing edge, while others conceal their company’s use of AI due to the fear and stigma associated with the subject. To clarify, I gathered a list of cases that demonstrate how AI is most commonly used for educational purposes:
AI-based adaptive learning - adapting path and content level based on learners’ previous performance.
AI tutor assistance - providing feedback on a mass scale; copying a “good teacher” to different rooms/environments or reaching a greater number of students at the same time. This is done by modeling teaching styles/strategies and protocols that can be mimicked and improvised by AI algorithms.
AI for outsourcing - freeing teachers from time-consuming tasks like checking essays, administration, FAQ’s, etc.
Harnessing big data - identifying students who need help by using big data analytics to understand product usage preferences and competitive analysis.
Ethical aspects and policy-making around AI in education - create a global code of ethics and law that protects us from possible misuse and inhumane decisions of such powerful technology. Read more about the challenges around AI ethics here.
Underlooked EdTech trends and themes of 2021
While the trends above usually get the spotlight, others stay in the shadows. The following topics have been main topics in discussions among professionals, but haven’t received enough publicity at the end-of-the-year media announcements. Enjoy!
Role of emotions and wellbeing in learning - SEL (Social Emotional Learning) methodology formed in 1994 has gained popularity in the past year within the education sector. Lately, however, SEL has become a hot subject in Edtech and learning experience. It is no longer considered “an important but separate” area of soft skills. The latest realization is that SEL is a key component to success in learning and child development in general.
A healthy mind, strong body, full belly and a loved heart all lead to effective learning. The following topics promote the role of emotions and wellbeing in learning ability:
SEL for learning - A child can’t learn effectively when he/she is dealing with an emotional issue. Think of Maslow’s hierarchy – real learning (that is not essential for survival) can take place only when the first two levels of needs – physical and safety – are met. Starting from the third level and up, a child is receptive to learning, as social interaction, personal growth and achievements are important parameters that build the child’s self-esteem. Edtech has immense potential for creating tools that strengthen SEL muscle.
SEL for teaching - The many tools and solutions for managing and educating about SEL in the classroom signify the increased attention this topic is receiving in the education space. Some examples are The Mindful knight by Mindcraft, RoboKind, Peekapack, 7mindsets. For more, check SEL in Digital Life Resource Center by Common Sense Media.
Role of sleep in learning and memory retention - The discussions about how sleep benefits memory, the importance of forgetting things, the value of taking breaks, and the potential damage of sleep deprivation to learning and developmental processes have been everywhere. Check out the latest research here.
Involving parents in their child’s learning ecosystem - Involving parents adds an emotional dimension and consistency to children’s education. The boundaries between school and home are getting thinner as technology provides new channels for communication. A famous example is ClassDojo, which provides a platform for seamless communication between kids, educators and families.
Cognitive biases The awareness of cognitive biases’ existence is growing and steadily entering our professional lexicon. In short, cognitive biases are a fancy name for the sets of beliefs and assumptions that form our perceived reality. Cognitive biases allow our brain to think in shortcuts and be more efficient. Take a look at this l cognitive bias cheat sheet to help simplify and make sense of the subject.
The fact that discussions about the cognitive biases were in different fields and contexts could be a good sign that we are questioning our operating systems. We are getting more educated and mindful about our fragrant realities, which are greatly affected by our relatively new digital habits. By recognizing our cognitive biases, it shows that we are less willing to be manipulated and are ready to invest in the basic understanding of this complicated subject.
Regarding learning and technology, the connection is less obvious. Here is the list of cognitive biases that are common in learning. Cognitive biases can be used to play with our will and attention, which is often used in marketing – EdTech marketing included. Edtech products, as in other industries, are measured by usage and engagement. As students are treated as customers, and not as learners, we will see commercial use of cognitive biases for capital gain. The evolution of learning products should be by redefining the KPIs and by including learning acquisition as a major indicator of success; to do this in a humane and profitable way is much harder. I hope to see how EdTech products can use cognitive biases in their design to promote natural learning mechanisms and deepen the mind’s capabilities.
EdTech has been upgraded to the national and international level
Children’s rights online and offline - One of many significant examples in the past year is the Design For Children’s Rights, which released a guide that aims to inform professionals involved in designing products for children about how to design with children’s best interests in mind.
Accessibility of education to every child - One superpower of technology is its ability to provide new opportunities to a broader audience. With technology, more people around the world can benefit from a better education. Ensuring education is accessible to all children is an important and challenging mission. Luckily, there are organizations like the EDC and others that are working to make it happen.
Digital citizenship - What does it mean to be a digital citizen? What are our rights and duties? How do we educate the next generation born into this hybrid reality?
Learner-centered approach
Personal autonomy in the learning process - Enabling a sense of control is a known strategy often used in the gaming industry to motivate and engage players. In learning, besides engaging and motivating, a sense of control adds a metacognitive layer that strengthens learners’ thinking abilities and prepares them for real-life challenges. In e-learning, control has traditionally been associated with time and pace flexibility. Recently, learning experience designers are daring to give learners partial control over content management, and sometimes even content creation.
UX of learning - UX and design standards for learning products are finally improving. More teachers and instructional designers are adding design to their skill set – including visual thinking, UX, storytelling – you name it. Design skills are improving due to the understanding of its effective impact on the success of learning outcomes. Hurray!!!
Look & feel - As competition in the EdTech space grows, we will see companies using look & feel to their advantage – increasing product usability and beauty. Soon, designing for learning will become an esteemed design niche.
Content is getting more visual - Effective content is not only more beautiful, but it’s also supported by visuals that deepen understanding of the subject. Sketches, pictures, videos, gifs and more are more often being integrated as the main course of the “learning meal.”
Last but not least - Community Learning!
Communities are finally evolving to overcome digital loneliness. We are social creatures and social learners. One of the weaknesses of online learning has always been loneliness because it lacks the social level of traditional education. Combining great content from world-class educators, the convenience of learning from anywhere and at your own pace, mixed with social support, networking and interaction with the community might be the recipe we were looking for.
A brief search for community learning solutions reveals that the majority of solutions currently offered are designed for professionals and higher education. I believe we will be seeing more community-based solutions in the near future, also for younger children.
P.S.
We need each other to make sense of the world. Working on this piece helped me organize my thoughts and get better at writing and expressing myself. I would love to hear your thoughts. Is there any trend worth following that I’ve missed?
Yours,
Polina Lulu