Education meets technology – since the COVID pandemic the EdTech market is posivitely booming. Just last year, more than 17 billion euros have been invested in the market all around the globe. That is thrice as much as before the crisis. An increasing number of global EdTech startups are now joining the fray.
But – what is this all about? EdTech, a blend of the words education and technology, refers to innovative tools that help with various learning processes. This includes apps for private lessions, e-learning platforms, or learning management systems. Our article gives you the most important EdTech trends in 2022 – and insight how the potential can be leveraged.
EdTech Trend #1: Extended Reality
Visiting ancient rome, travelling to Mount Everest, or traversing the Sahara. Using modern technology, you can do all of that at home, at least virtually. Tools like VR goggles or VR headsets provide both students and employed people with an immersive experience within their own walls. Learners can interact with virtual objects which activates multiple senses at the same time. The gap between dry theory and engaging practical experience becomes ever smaller. This has different advantages:-
- Risk & cost: Whether it’s a chemical experiment or a surgical intervention: By using extended reality, the costs for expensive laboratories or the risks of malpractice can be mitigated.
- Efficiency & quality: Learners don’t simply consume another form of media, their senses are activated for an immersive learning experience. This doesn’t only lead to more efficient results but also raises motivation.
- Vireed is offering a VR platform for medical students. Users can practice medical interventions in virtual scenarios and prepare themselves for real emergencies. The Hamburg EdTech startup is already cooperating with several hospitals.
- StriVR is focussed on VR training for the working population. The EdTech startup from Stanford sells VR goggles, various training scenarios, and analyzes the results an a platform. Large companies such as Walmart or the Bank of America already have used their services for the onboarding of their employees.
EdTech Trend #2: Personalized Learning
Different skills require different approaches. Sounds logical but the concept isn’t usually heeded in regular education. While some students despair in the classroom, others are waiting excitedly for the next task. Companies offer their employees uniform training courses without taking the area of expertise into account. In contrast, personalized learning is about quality instead of quantity. AI applications design the learning process specifically for the needs of the individual. Personalized learning speed, individual content, adjusted teaching methods – the potential is huge:- On e-learning platforms, everyone can decide for themselves when, where and at which speed they want to learn. This is especially helpful to employed people.
- Learning analytics use algorithms to analyze learning behavior – in real time. They can correct mistakes and offer solution while people are still working on the assignment. The data can subsequently used by teaching personnel.
- SoSafe helps companies to train their employees in cybersecurity. For example by sending the company personnel simulated phishing mails that are form-fitted to their industry sector and individual work field. More than 1.500 organizations are already using the service of the Cologne EdTech startup.
- Masterplan has specialized in advanced education for working professionals. The EdTech startup from Bochum offers companies an automatically generated summary of their employees’ learning successes. Additionally, individual learning paths can be created for the employees. The service is already in use at large companies such as Siemens and VW.
EdTech Trend #3: Blended Learning
The secret is in the blend. Before the pandemic, it was the classroom and the office, during the pandemic the nursery and the home office. Both online and offline learning have their strengths and weaknesses. Why not combine the best from both worlds? That’s the blended learning approach. The big idea: structured attendance learning one the one hand, flexible online learning on the other. Both types of learning are not only combined with each other but are intricately meshed. This has enormous advantages:- Engaging: Blended learning combines regular teaching with interactive learnign methods. Charts, videos, graphics – especially a younger generation responds well to digital tools.
- Efficiency: Online tools can be used for planning projects in advance which are subsequently realized in attendance. Especially larger groups can be administrated more efficiently with digital tools.
- Deutschfuchs helps students who are learning German as a second language. Their portal offers assignments that are adjusted to the corresponding schoolbook. By using the Cologne startup’s software teachers can switch between attendance and online at any time.
- RiseUp offers companies and learning institutes a service that combines e-learning and attendance courses with each other. The startup from Paris relies on personalized courses, virtual classrooms, and a forum for sharing ideas.
EdTech Trend #4: Gamification
Learning and fun – not many people would say those words in the same breath. The EdTech sector is changing that perception. More and more platforms are using playful elements which help to make learning more entertaining and exciting. Fun and games instead of work and hard effort. This especially increases the motivation of school students enormously. Gamificiation elements are also already being used in professional training of employees. The advantages are numerous:- Learning progress can be tied to points and rewards. Learners can compete and compare in a ranking. The competition motivates participants to remain on the ball.
- Playful elements help to convey complex ideas in simpler terms. Additionally, there are mini-games, like a pop quiz to check the learning progress and that help anchor everything that has been leaned so far.
- A visual representation of the learning process (e.g. through chart bars) help users to track their state of training. That way, leaners always see what and how much they still need to complete.
- Codary wants to introduce young people playfully to coding. The startup from Berlin is using the popular game Minecraft, among other methods, to accomplish that goal. By using a programming language, the children can for example create a building in the world of Minecraft and immediately see the success of their coding.
- ClassDojo offers an app where students are evaluated according to their behavior. The students can collect points and choose their own avatars. The EdTech startup from California is considered to be a Unicorn with its valuation at 1 billion Dollars. Their services are used in 180 different countries.
EdTech Trend #5: Cloud-Plattformen
As much advantages as it has, in the education sector modern technology suffers from a massive disadvantage: They use up an enormous amount of resources and can only be used at specific times. The overall costs can quickly skyrocket – if only conventional servers are being used. Cloud platforms offer a solution: Companies and learning institutions can set up their learning environments on virtual servers and save a lot of money that they would have had to spend on complex hardware and their own computing centers otherwise. The cloud is consequently considered to be the foundation for the digital education of tomorrow. There are several ways to use cloud platforms.- Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) enables learners to collaborate anywhere. The effort and costs of setting up such a service are often very low.
- Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) is a model that offers companies and learning institutions to outsource their complete IT infrastructure. According to the pay-per-use principle they only pay for what they actually use.
- CoachHub offers companies a SaaS solution that makes personalized coaching for employees possible. Indepently from their department and career level, the employees are assigned coaches who support their professional job development. Large companies such as Bosch or Coca-Cola are among the Berlin startup’s customers.
- GoGuardian offers a SaaS tool for schools to administrate their complete learning environment. Everything can be digitally monitored, from administrative task to the mental state of the students. The systems also allows for parents to be involved in the interface. The EdTech startup from California is counted among the international Unicorns.
Let's Look At Our Ecosystem
Our regional B2B startup ecosystem in Ostwestfalen-Lippe has players that are already leveraging the potential of current EdTech trends for their business models.
- The Paderborn startup StudyHelp distributes state-of-the-art study materials and online courses for students on the market.
- Our alumni startup edyoucated from Münster helps teams of any size by creating personalized learning paths so that they can acquire the skills they need today.
- The Paderborn startup Studygood offers a complete e-learning management system (LMS) combined with an online store function.
- Our alumni team Veed with their knowledge sharing platform for university students achieved an exit to Berlin startup Studydrive.
There's still room for improvement in the EdTech scene!
Which is why we've launched the initiative EdTech Next in collaboration with EDUvation. We want to actively support EdTech startups in their launch phase and strengthen a startup ecosystem in the sector education technology.
You are another player in the regional EdTech startup scene but no one has you on their radar? Then register with us and, additionally, with dealroom.co so that we get more and better data on our regional startup ecosystem.
