Education technology can revolutionise the future of learning

While newspaper headlines remain focused on eye-catching new developments in tech, such as Google’s recent announcement of a quantum computing chip that has ‘accessed parallel universes’, education technology, also known as EdTech, is a quietly booming sector that promises to revolutionise the future of learning.

According to statistics published by BlueTree, the EdTech market is already worth over $142 billion, a figure projected to reach $348 billion by 2030 based on a 13.6% compound growth rate.

As further evidence of the strength of the sector’s growth, EdTech usage in schools has increased by 99% since 2020, illustrating the extent to which technology use has rapidly become the norm in the classroom.

Undoubtedly, artificial intelligence will significantly change how we learn over the coming years. According to research published by Open Access Government, over 47.7% of teachers in the UK have reported using generative AI to help deliver education programmes.

As for school students, a whopping 86% reported using AI in their studies, according to an August survey conducted by the Digital Education Council.

Our approach to classroom learning was radically altered by Covid-19, which saw students around the world confined to their homes.

Teachers and students rapidly migrated to video conference platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, whose usage during the pandemic surged to 300 million daily users in the case of the former, and by over 90% for the latter.

While students have since largely returned to classroom, there’s no denying that the pandemic has altered our approach to schooling for good. Hybrid learning, which combines in-person classes with online learning, has proved particularly popular with students, providing students with flexibility and autonomy in their personal lives.

In a sure sign that hybrid learning is gaining wider traction, the first ever UK-wide hybrid school, Duke’s Education, opened its doors – or learning platform logins, for those choosing to study from home - to students in September 2024, requiring pupils to attend a minimum one day per week in person for practical subjects, sports and social activities.

The burgeoning market for hybrid learning solutions has led companies like Dahua Technology to enter the EdTech market with innovative products designed to leverage the lessons of the pandemic to improve learning outcomes.

One example is Dahua’s DeepHub Class, a smart interactive whiteboard system that integrates cloud storage and third-party platforms to provide students an immersive hybrid learning experience.

And of particularly value to teachers who have struggled to keep track of student performance online, Dahua’s software provides real-time status updates on distance-learning students to create as seamless a transition as possible between the two learning modes.

Artificial intelligence in EdTech

As with any modern technology, AI promises to revolutionise EdTech, transforming student learning experiences both in the classroom and online.

As AI transforms all aspects of our lives, there is no doubt that the practical skills required to use it effectively will be at the heart of our curricula moving forward.

But in the immediate term, there are three important areas where AI-powered EdTech solutions can improve the learning experience – both for students, and for educators.

First, companies such as sAInaptic and Graide have developed AI-powered software that can support homework and coursework marking, freeing up valuable teacher time for lesson planning and delivery.

This is especially pertinent given current teacher shortages. The UK, for example, has struggled for several years to recruit adequate numbers of teachers, with a recent review finding that only three curriculum subjects had been adequately resourced.

And teacher shortages are a global problem: according to a 2024 UNESCO report, there is an urgent need for 44 million primary and secondary school teachers by 2030, placing Sustainable Development Goal 4 – to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ – in jeopardy.

Second, AI-powered tutors may reduce the longstanding educational attainment gap between rich and poor students by providing access to personalised learning outside of the platform. The Khan Academy’s Khanmigo platform and Duolingo’s GPT-4 language training provide a glimpse into the enormous potential of this software.

But a third reason, often overlooked due to EdTech’s natural focus on classroom results, is in school management. While methods to improve learning outcomes are rightly debated at length, it is often forgotten that schools are large, complex organisations that must make the safety and well-being of their students their top priority.

That’s where systems such as Dahua Technology’s Multi-School Management System, which integrates AI behavioural analysis into video surveillance to identify unauthorised individuals entering school premises in real-time, can be invaluable.

Artificial intelligence will revolutionise all aspect of our daily lives, and education is no exception. And with the range of new technologies being developed to transform the learning experience – both in the classroom, and online – there is no doubt that EdTech is a fast-developing sector with excellent growth prospects.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes