THE RISE OF EDTECH

We’ve invited technology into every aspect our lives, and we won’t be bidding it farewell any time soon.

Banking apps, home automation systems, and online shopping – we want things made easy, more accessible and instant. And after a pinch of innovation and a dash of creativity, that’s exactly what we have. Today, technology does more for us than we could ever dream of – hey, it’ll even drive your car for you.

But what's next for edtech?

We all know teachers are irreplaceable, so when it comes to edtech, there’s a lot more to think about than gadgets and giffs. Education technology is designed to improve student achievement and save teachers time on paperwork, planning and marking. And it’s a pretty booming business generating over $5 trillion a year globally – but it’s hugely overshadowed by other areas of the market. For example, last year, more was invested in Uber alone than the entire edtech industry.

We've been stuck in our ways.

Over the last 150 years, most learning models have stayed the same – a teacher stands at the front of the classroom explaining a topic while students listen. Learning materials haven’t changed much either – we still see boring handouts and hefty textbooks.

But things are on the up.

We’re now seeing a flux in how investors choose to spend their money. The financial forecasters have predicted a huge rise in education and learning investments – up to $252 billion globally by 2020 – which means digitisation is here to stay!

Technology is starting to transform today’s classrooms. More and more students are using tablets and smartphones instead of pens and paper, and teachers are turning to interactive screens throughout their lessons.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Thousands of new edtech products are being launched every month, which is great news for the education and learning sector – as well as the UK economy. In fact, edtech contributes more than £1 billion to the UK economy every year, so it’s a pretty big deal. Our edtech team has taken look across the market to find the most exciting Edtech products out there.

1. eBeam

The eBeam takes interactivity to a whole new level. By integrating with your existing equipment, it can transform any flat surface into a plug-n-play, interactive teaching experience.

2. Raspberry Pi

Dedicated to putting power of digital in your hands, Raspberry Pi provides low-cost, high-performance computers to help you learn, solve problems and have fun! They also develop free resources to help more people access the digital world.

3. SmartScope

Explore the hidden world around you with SmartScope. This handheld digital microscope is easy to use, compatible with both PCs and MACs and takes microbiology to a whole new level.

4. ST Math

A game-based instructional software, ST Math takes a visual approach to learning, and taps into the the user’s spatial temporal reasoning to help them visualise and solve maths problems. Whether in a classroom, computer lab or at home, the learning continues wherever you go with ST Math.

5. OneFile eportfolio

Perfect for internal training, apprenticeships and CPD, OneFile manages all your training and assessment needs in one paperless system – bringing learning to life every step of the way. And as it’s beautiful, easy to use and can be completely customised, there’s no wonder it’s the most used and most loved eportfolio in the education market.

These fantastic products are leading the way for innovation in education technology, but they’re just a drop in the ocean. There are also so many apps and gadgets out there to help you connect to the digital world.

Find out more about OneFile’s Eportfolio.

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