Education Technology Services

The best isn’t always the best-suited: Assessing edutech tools

An educational or training institution deploys the latest educational technology tools for pedagogical needs, yet it fails to deliver the right outcomes. The solution lies in evaluating educational technology services and tools. Often, the latest or the best technology may not be best suited for you. An assessment of the quality of educational technology tools can ascertain if the technology does what it needs to do. Moreover, a business must recognise the leading trends and how they shape the demand for new learning products.

Leading trends in educational technology

The global edutech market is growing at a CAGR of 17.8% and will touch $319 billion by 2029. Increased investment in edutech tools and services, low-cost internet, and increased mobile penetration around the globe have spurred its growth. Here are some of the trends driving the edutech industry that can shape the designs of educational technology tools and products.

• Growing demand: Post the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, people have realised the ease and effectiveness of e-learning. Moreover, legitimate MOOCs (massive open online courses) and online training are affordable, ensuring easier upskilling. Students can now access various online courses and study faster.
• Content quality: Learners demand quality content pedagogically and technically, such as better audio and video quality. A recent study found that bad audio affects focus and engagement during learning. The demand for video content is steadily rising as research reveals that video-based learning environments improve engagement, retention, and student satisfaction.
• Gamification for learner engagement: Gamification in e-learning has improved learner engagement and motivation. It also works to provide clear and quantifiable goals for tracking learning outcomes. As gamification services improve comprehension, the demand for such services has been rising steadily.
• Mobile learning and microlearning: ‘Snackable’ info on the go is gaining popularity as people struggle to absorb extensive data. Microlearning — dividing educational material into small lessons for easy comprehension — makes it easier for learners to keep up with the course and helps them absorb the subject knowledge. Educational material on mobile provides easy access to students, enabling continuous learning.
• Multifunctional edutech solutions: As the adoption of edutech services rises, the software used for one purpose may not integrate with the digital system of an organisation. Hence, schools and learning organisations now prefer multifunctional, interoperable, and easily integrable edutech solutions.

Eight ways to assess the quality of your edutech tools

The leading trends in the edutech industry provide pointers on determining the quality of educational technology tools. Here are eight ways to evaluate the quality of the edutech tools before deploying them.

Functionality:

The educational technology tool must augment and facilitate learning. The edutech solution should be capable of basic functions such as lecture streaming, automated attendance, online assessments, and LMS (learning management system) integration.

Accessibility:

An educational technology tool must cater to a broad group of learners from diverse backgrounds. It must be accessible in terms of costs as well as content. An accessible educational technology covers students with different learning capacities, making it independent of social or regional factors.

Technical compatibility:

Ensuring broad technical compatibility is essential to a well-used and functional edutech tool. Technicality includes essentials such as internet access, hardware, and software requirements.

Mobile access:

On-the-go learning is catching up. For many students and employees, mobile is the most preferred mode of accessing technology for learning and day-to-day use. Hence, evaluating the edutech platform solutions for mobile friendliness has become essential today. Accessibility to various tools on the platform, a simple user interface, and a stable architecture can enhance teaching and learning quality.

Scalability:

Edutech tools must cater to groups of various sizes. Scalability is essential to ensure all users can access information, take online assessments, and engage with teachers without technical obstacles.

Multifunctionality:

An edutech service that seamlessly integrates with other digital systems is preferable. Moreover, schools and businesses should consider having an integrated solution that can help them with various processes such as back-office administration, admission process, data mining for accreditation, and integrated LMS.

Security:

The credibility of educational technology services also depends on their security level. Students and educators share a lot of personal data on these platforms. Hence, users must trust the learning environment, which should be designed to be safe and secure.

Learner analytics:

One of the most significant advantages of educational technology is tracking learning outcomes. Data analytics helps students understand their strengths and weaknesses and allows teachers to find new ways to impart knowledge. It can also help academic institutions to evaluate trends and identify areas that may require course correction.

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How can Infosys BPM help?

Infosys BPM combines deep domain knowledge with strategic process management to offer efficient and productive edutech services and enterprise solutions to meet diverse learning needs.