What is educational technology?

Before diving into the main technology trends within the educational domain, it’s vital to understand what exactly this technology is. Educational technology, or EdTech, refers to the combined use of computer hardware, software, and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning. Simply put, it’s the practice of introducing IT tools into the education sector to foster a more engaging, inclusive and individualised learning experience.

Why is EdTech important?

These digital tools are becoming a significant factor in providing students with the flexibility, access, personalisation and information they need to succeed. In fact, a report from Brookings found evidence indicating that technology can accelerate student learning when it’s used to scale up access to quality content, facilitate differentiated instruction, increase opportunities for practice and review or improve student engagement. These advanced solutions can also serve as an important supplement to learners’ coursework — driving student achievement even further.

Top technology trends in the education sector today

Higher education institutions are intent on seeing their students succeed. However, in today’s modern education system, that might require implementing the technology trends that are giving other universities a powerful competitive advantage. If you’ve been on the search for educational technology trends that can benefit learners, educators and the institution at large, here are some of the key tools to consider:

Online learning

Online learning has quickly become a new staple within the learning process — which was unquestionably accelerated by the pandemic. However, as digital tools continue to evolve and daily routines return to normal, the fact remains that online learning is here to stay. Online learning, often used interchangeably with eLearning, blended learning, distance learning and virtual learning, is a method of education whereby students learn in a virtual environment. This enables students to engage with an academic institution and other students despite geographic location while providing greater flexibility as they work towards a degree or certificate.

Digital credentials

Another example of these emerging trends involves education institutions introducing verified digital credentials. Digital credentials are essentially the digital equivalent of paper-based credentials — which are tamper-proof and can be verified cryptographically. This trend aims to make the issuing, sharing, accepting and verifying of credentials simple and secure for learners, institutions and other third parties. Learners can even collect verified digital diplomas, digital certificates or digital badges they’ve earned in a digital wallet — which can be easily accessed when needed.

Student analytics 

When it comes to the learning process, education institutions and educators have quickly found that utilising robust data and analytics is a key factor in driving student achievement. Learning analytics rely on the pillars of researching, tracking progress and analysing data — ultimately helping institutions make more intelligent decisions with the collected information. This data-driven trend offers a number of valuable benefits including:

• Improving the quality of learning and teaching.
• Helping educators measure a learner’s growth and predict academic success.
• Identifying students at risk of failing or dropping out — empowering institutions to intervene before it’s too late.

SSI 

Self-Sovereign Identity, or SSI as it is commonly known, is an approach to digital identity that gives individuals control of their digital identities and personal data. This new trend has a few main elements to note:

• SSI credentials are verifiable anytime, anywhere.
• Personal data is decentralised.
• An SSI solution aims to eliminate the need for multiple passwords.

This digital trust solution ultimately enables the sharing of data in a new, controlled and trusted way. Not only does SSI benefit learners, but institutions can expect to see a number of advantages as well. An advanced SSI solution can help universities increase efficiency, improve security and trust, increase user control, lower costs and, maybe most importantly, mitigate the risk of fraud. Implementing strategies to reduce fraud and increase security as digital identities and remote learning expands will prove essential, considering the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) found the education industry ranked 5th out of 23 different industries for reported fraud.

Gamification

For institutions looking to increase student engagement, gamification is a leading educational technology trend that can quickly elevate the learning experience. In fact, statistics from Zippia show that 67% of students agree that gamified learning is both more motivating and engaging than traditional classes. Gamification essentially refers to applying game-like mechanics to educational content where students can engage with the learning material — ultimately reducing fatigue and disinterest. Institutions that implement gamification also typically utilise award systems in the form of digital badges, to encourage engagement even further — where learners can leverage these “awards” to their advantage in the future. 

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)

A number of higher education institutions have also started introducing opportunities for AR and VR to enhance their learning environment. Augmented reality and virtual reality aim to transform the classroom into a more interactive and immersive experience. These digital tools can help universities:

• Engage learners’ senses.
• Allow students to view environments and learning material in a new light.
• Provide a more enjoyable learning experience.
• Make complex topics and subjects seem more approachable.

AR and VR investments within the educational domain are anticipated to be significant in the coming years considering 97% of students claim they would like to study a VR course, per statistics from The App Solutions. In fact, VR in education alone is predicted to be a $700 million industry by 2025.

The benefits of utilising educational technology

These emerging trends likely represent the tip of the iceberg of how educational technology will be able to flip a traditional classroom into a more engaging and immersive learning experience. While introducing new digital tools in higher education certainly requires work and effort on the part of the institution, along with its educators, the results speak for themselves. Utilising educational technology and advanced solutions can provide valuable benefits including:

• Introducing improved accessibility: The evolution of digital tools and solutions in the educational domain has led to a significant improvement in accessibility. Not only can learners access content 24/7, but it also removes the barrier of geographic location from the equation altogether — so students can learn from anywhere, anytime. 

• Offering students greater flexibility: A growing desire for learners is the flexibility to learn when and where they see fit — considering all students learn and interpret information differently. Leveraging emerging technological trends enables students to learn at their own pace and tailor courses to their capabilities.

• Helping educators and institutions stay organised: Managing content, data, analytics and credentials can be a daunting task for educators and institutions. Introducing improved solutions for collecting, tracking and reporting this valuable information can quickly streamline the process for management and future use.

• Having a wider range of materials at your disposal: With the vast array of educational technology that’s available today, taking advantage of these tools can offer students options to choose what’s best for their unique learning needs — which ultimately leads to more successful academic outcomes.

• Providing an enhanced experience for students: As new tools are introduced into the educational domain, the ultimate goal of institutions stays the same: promote student learning, provide the best experience possible and drive learning success. This overarching theme is true across these emerging technological trends, which aim to elevate the learning experience by giving students the exact tools they need to succeed.

• Implementing personalised learning opportunities: All learners are different, and new educational resources are opening the door for educators and students alike to tailor learning plans for a more personalised experience. Modifying learning paths and offering the opportunity for students to work at their own pace is an effective way to support unique learning journeys.
• Improving instructor productivity and efficiency: Overall, digital tools are a valuable option for educators to achieve new levels of productivity, expand learning opportunities for learners and increase student support and engagement. They streamline the process for both instructors and learners to upgrade learning experiences and improve the chances of academic success.

Leveraging advanced technology in the education sector with Digitary 

If your institution is ready to implement some of the most valuable trends in digital tools and emerging educational technology, Digitary can help. With an understanding that learning is a lifelong journey, Digitary aims to facilitate this progress while helping education providers give their learners an unparalleled experience.

Digitary CORE is a secure online platform that enables the world’s leading institutions, employers and government agencies to certify, issue, accept and verify academic credentials worldwide. While simplifying this process for third parties, learners also benefit from a streamlined process for sharing their digital credentials online quickly, securely and easily. This trusted credentialing solution makes verifying and managing official documents simpler than ever. Within the platform, digital credentials provide users with greater control, mitigate fraud and increase efficiency and credential management overall.

Digitary has been a trusted partner for over 150 leading institutions globally, helping education providers streamline some of their most arduous processes and promoting student success. If your organisation is ready to leverage powerful solutions such as digital credentials and SSI, contact us today for more information to get started.