Future of Education Technology - Q1 2021

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Future of Education Technology

Q1 / 2021

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Building edtech strategies for the future

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As we look forward beyond the unpredictability of COVID-19, how can we learn from the shift to remote education?

“Technology can be used to not only deliver content but to support engagement.”

F

Julia Adamson, Director of Education, BCS

06 “Edtech has helped teachers reach and teach their students.”

WRITTEN BY Phil Blackburn, Past Chair of the Board of Management, Naace

Nina Iles, Head of EdTech, BESA

08

WRITTEN BY Laurence Boulter, Chair of the Board of Management, Naace

“For most, smart connectivity is no longer a nice to have, but a necessity.”

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rom the onset of the pandemic, the speed of change towards remote learning strategies was something none of us could have ever predicted. Despite the many challenges and prolonged unpredictability experienced by educators and learners alike – schools across the UK have demonstrated extraordinary resilience and adaptability.

The impact of COVID-19 on UK education Following the first wave of the pandemic, Naace surveyed over 1,000 educators in the COVID-19 Education Impact Report to find out more about the challenges and successes being experienced.

Some of the findings included: • 87% of respondents agreed they had learnt new skills using edtech.

• 74% of educators surveyed disagreed they were more confident students are learning.

• Only 28% of respondents believed their mental health has not been affected.

• 62% of educators believed no more than 60% of students were engaged in remote learning.

• 61% of participants said their school will change its approach to edtech.

The value of active edtech strategies Educators told Naace about mixed experiences with remote learning, but one thing that was clear is where schools had robust edtech strategies in place, they found the move to remote learning easier. By having active edtech strategies, schools found they

Education is evolving.

Our digital services are too.

One thing that was clear is where schools had robust edtech strategies in place, they found the move to remote learning easier. could be more resilient and were able to adapt more quickly. Many schools who had standardised technologies benefitted from a whole school approach and learning opportunities between staff when switching to remote learning.

The case for change As schools make a more permanent move back to classroom environments, there are several key considerations to make in relation to edtech strategies: • Is your school edtech strategy sufficient?

• What software and technology will you keep?

• Will you adopt a standardised approach to edtech?

• Do your school technologies integrate well together?

• Does your edtech strategy evolve with the needs of your school?

Although the shift to remote learning has been a significant challenge, it presents us with new opportunities for a refreshed approach towards the use of edtech to improve outcomes.

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IN THIS ISSUE

Built in partnership with teachers and students from schools and academy trusts across the country.

Say hello to the future. Say hello to ActiveHub.

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Reassess our priorities in the classroom... without compromise As the UK education system continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to showcase the balance of sustainability with access to good quality education technology.

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hile the notion of recovering the UK’s education gives schools the chance to reassess their priorities and put sustainability side-by-side quality based on what technology they use, it’s easy to imagine this comes attached with a weighty series of compromises.

What is clear however is that while technology has helped to bridge the learning experience gap during the lockdown, it will also play a pivotal role in revitalising UK education.

the learning experience?

Optimising the learning experience Shaftesbury school in Dorset included interactive projection in their model ‘classroom of the future’ to help bring the optimal learning experience to life for its secondary school students.

This not only enabled full screen visibility for students across the classroom, but it’s given teachers access to four different content sources simultaneously and has allowed students to experience interactive lessons with tools such as Mozaik 3D software.

In the early years foundation stage, East Ayrshire Council fitted numerous Early Childhood Centres with a new interactive projection prototype so that children could interact with content on the floor or the wall. The ‘Duo Flip’, developed by IT and AV solutions specialists Efficient IS (EIS), can be easily manoeuvred around the classroom while connecting wirelessly to a PC and demonstrates the needs of children being put first, without compromise.

Links between test scores and screen visibility According to research commissioned

by Epson prior to the pandemic, 40% of teachers notice a correlation between pupils being unable to see a screen properly and lower test/exam scores1, while further research reveals that 58% of students can’t read content on a 70-inch flat panel screen.2

WRITTEN BY

Richard Wells Head of Business Sales, Epson UK

©IMAGE PROVIDED BY EPSON

40% of teachers notice a correlation between pupils being unable to see a screen properly and lower test/exam scores.

As the UK lockdowns forced us into home learning, the subsequent surge in demand for home printers only reinforced the importance of print in education.

Despite this, 79% of teachers are still using flat panel displays, including whiteboards, blackboards and TVs, in the classroom. This suggests a significant risk of ‘cheap seats’ in UK classrooms, an unwelcoming thought as schools make efforts to seat children even further apart from one another to help maximise social distancing. So, what are schools doing to avoid compromising

Maintaining access and sustainability As the UK lockdowns forced us into home learning, the subsequent surge in demand for home printers only reinforced the importance of print in education. But how can the education sector, which has remained a frontrunner in addressing eco-trends, make sustainable choices when it comes to printing?

There are two main printing technologies, laser and inkjet. While both may look the same to the naked eye, you’ll always know once you’ve used a laser printer because of the warmth of the machine after it’s printed something and the extensive waiting time to print its first page.

By contrast, inkjet printing is a heatfree printing technology that uses fewer consumables and therefore less packaging. By switching from laser printing to inkjet technology, European businesses could save enough energy annually to power 800,000 electric cars for a year, cut €152m in energy costs and lower CO2 emissions by 410 million kilograms, an amount it would typically take 19 million trees a year to absorb.3 References 1. https://www.epson.co.uk/insights/article/classroom-tech-isnot-making-the-grade-poor-screen-visibility-is-impactingstudent-exam-results1 2. Leading 70-inch class 4k resolution flat panel in a 22’ (width) by 27’ (depth) classroom-style arrangement. When asked to copy down six short items of information from slides being displayed, 58% of students ages 12-22 copied at least one item incorrectly.

Based on U.S. research conducted by Radius Research.

3. Based on Epson calculations. Methodology verified by TÜV Rheinland, based on ‘Typical Energy Consumption’, defined under and/or simulated with reference to the Energy Star test procedure and presented in kWh per year. Models identified using IDC HCP tracker 2019Q2 (2015Q1 to 2018Q4 data), and 2018 installed-base in EU22 businesses reported by IDC 10 (“Installed Base by Vertical, 2019Q2”). Comparative calculations can be found here: https://www.epson.eu/neop-footnotes.

Epson has been leading the industry shift from laser to business inkjet printing for the last couple of decades and we’re pleased that having secured a position on the NEPA (National Education Printer Agreement) framework, the education and public sector now has more access to sustainable technology, no caveats, no compromise. epson.co.uk/heat-freetechnology

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The education revolution is here Teaching and learning have evolved dramatically over lockdown. Where do we go next? Now we have a 21st century platform, what will teaching look like?

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Teaching and learning is evolving Any fear or mistrust of teaching technology has been replaced by mass-adoption. The focus has moved to understanding how to adapt pedagogy for the best impact in the online and hybrid world. We have seen major changes in teaching practice and it’s still evolving. A new pedagogy is emerging as is a new way of learning. Our students are digital natives and have become adept at blended learning, enjoying more control and independence.

Transformation in education We’re at the beginning of a journey of enormous transformation in education. Government is starting to wake up – the APPG on EdTech reports imminently on ‘Lessons from Lockdown’. It will evaluate tech winners during lockdown and how to roll them out further. But will this address the wholescale change that we need?

At BettFest in January, Sir Anthony Seldon’s address about the Fourth Education Revolution drew a large crowd. Seldon believes we must move away from homogenised, 20th century education towards personalised learning. But more than how we teach, Seldon talks about what we should be teaching.

The workplace of the future I agree with him. Why are we still teaching and testing the cognitive skills that AI can so easily replicate?

The accelerated change in working environments and future jobs brought by lockdown and COVID-19 requires a whole new set of skills.

The workplace of the future needs innovators, analytical and critical thinkers, creatives, designers, problemsolvers and leaders. Our curriculum must focus on emotional intelligence, reasoning, evaluating and problem solving, preparing people for society.

Bett’s community hub, webinar series and Bett Academy provide free resources and training for the global education community bettshow.com/communityhub

WRITTEN BY

Sarah Marshall Global Head of Content, Bett Portfolio

©OSKER14

n the past 12 months teachers at all levels have adapted beyond any imaginable measure. First was the dash to online. Today we see a hybrid model, teaching students simultaneously at home and in the classroom.

How do we deliver effective remote teaching?

Teachers and students have risen to the challenges of remote delivery, now the focus should be on engagement and addressing the ‘digital divide’.

H WRITTEN BY Julia Adamson Director of Education, BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT

ome learning has now been in place for almost a year and during that time we’ve seen a change in the way remote lessons are accessed. Schools have reviewed their approach with many secondary and further education settings now significantly shifting to timetabled live lessons.

Ofsted has recognised that it is “harder to engage and motivate pupils remotely” and that feeling part of the school community is key to engagement.

Technology can be used to not only deliver content but to support engagement. Projects and challenges can build community - getting physical, being creative or nurturing wellbeing can be amplified with technology, such as tracking exercise on an app, sharing a social group or joining an online session together.

A blended approach Schools are thinking about a blended approach and the key is to make the time spent online really impactful.

Precious live interaction should focus on tutoring and giving feedback. Time away from the screen can be used to embed learning.

Teachers are the experts in their subjects and in how to teach them in the classroom, but they may need support to translate that knowledge for remote and blended delivery.

Sharing good practice Many schools and teachers have shown great innovation, now is the time to share good practice in professional networks and shape a strategic approach to remote teaching.

Office for National Statistics and Ofcom estimate that 2% of households with school age children are not online, and around one million learners rely on a mobile phone to access the internet.

But the effectiveness of remote teaching is not only about teaching.

Access to connectivity and a suitable device is vital.

Office for National Statistics and Ofcom estimate that 2% of households with school age children are not online, and around one million learners rely on a mobile phone to access the internet.

Digital access is vital Lack of access, including a lack of digital competence to use technology, widens inequality. Finding ways of maintaining engagement over the long term and addressing digital access is a challenge. This has been recognised by initiatives from industry, the media, and charities, as well as the Department for Education’s £400 million investment, to support access to remote education and online social care by securing laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people.

If COVID-19 has shown how much can be delivered quickly in extraordinary circumstances, then we can be positive about the future and opportunities to really shift the emphasis to use technology to enhance teaching and learning.

Computing at School, a teacher-led network and part of the National Centre of Computing Education (NCCE), enables teachers to share ideas and resources.

Barefoot provides free teacher-led lessons, online and screen-free activities to deliver the computing curriculum.

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We have been introducing digital tools to help schools tackle the complexity of the task before them, providing software solutions to drive all facets of a school’s recovery.

How technology is leading the way for schools in the 21st century As schools across the world begin to recover from a period of extreme disruption, technology can offer the support staff and students need.

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he pandemic presented education with arguably its biggest ever challenge: how do you create a provision for children and young people when the learning environment has changed beyond all recognition?

WRITTEN BY

Lord Jim Knight Chief Education Adviser, Tes

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Rising to the challenge Within days of school closures being announced, teachers moved from classrooms to conference calls.

Planning, assessment, pastoral care, and delivery of teaching were quickly shifted to digital platforms. Leaders who lived and breathed the school campus made themselves at home in a new virtual world.

It was a huge achievement, but even greater challenges are still to come.

Early research suggests that some pupils will return with significant gaps in literacy and numeracy and there will be a substantial emotional impact. The entire community will need support like never before.

Enhancing support for staff We want to play our part. For more than 100 years, we have supported schools and been a champion of great teaching. We have been introducing digital tools to help schools tackle the complexity of the task before them, providing software solutions to drive all facets of a school’s recovery.

Reducing the burden on teachers and leaders is at the heart of what we do and this is made possible through our conversations with the sector and by accessing expertise across education.

As a result of these discussions, we have identified the following areas where support will be needed most:

1. Lost learning

Through no fault of their own, some children will have lost ground in their learning. The task for teachers is complex, requiring assessment, carefully planned interventions, academic and emotional feedback and keeping parents informed.

The digital tools that have become established in the past 12 months will be crucial to ensuring all of this is possible without putting unnecessary strain on teachers’ workloads.

2. Supporting staff

The needs of staff will require a renewed focus, with many having faced prolonged disruption at work and at home. Introducing digital tools can assist communication with staff and the monitoring of mental health.

Providing bespoke packages of expert CPD will also demonstrate an on-going commitment to their development and ensure they have the right tools for the task they are facing.

3. Safeguarding students

The pandemic highlighted schools’ crucial role in safeguarding young people: staff have provided food, support and safety throughout the past year. However, the full needs of students may only become visible when pupils return full time.

School safeguarding leads and all staff will need support as they unpick the effect the pandemic has had on vulnerable children and the whole school community. An increase in cases is likely, so making sure staff are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge will be paramount.

4. Behaviour support

Readjusting to the traditional school routine will take time, and together with safeguarding challenges, it is clear that behaviour will need to be supported for every child.

To do this effectively, staff will need to track, monitor and assess behaviour regularly and have access to tools and solutions – including up-to-date research – to ensure every child has the right environment for learning.

5. Increased flexibility

The recovery curriculum will require greater flexibility to incorporate interventions and address the expected increase in pastoral concerns.

This will require leaders having the ability to adapt their timetable and schedule parent meetings quickly and with flexibility. Having digital solutions in place will make this more feasible, while reducing both cost and workload.

In the past year these types of tech solutions have proven their worth, not just in coping with the challenges of teaching remotely, but in improving school operations and education outcomes in the long term. They will have a huge part to play in this period of recovery and in the years to come.

Find out how innovative software solutions from Tes can support your school at: tes.com/edtech

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Learning beyond the classroom: why stop now?

Enhancing teaching with technology

One year on from the start of national lockdown, the use of edtech and blended learning is here to stay.

Last December, Hollywood superstar Forest Whitaker announced Jamie Frost the winner of the Global Teacher Prize COVID Hero Award for his website Dr. Frost Maths. Ahead of EduTECH Europe, BESA’s Nina Iles caught up with Jamie.

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hat’s the story behind Dr. Frost Maths?” asks Iles.

“I originally did my degree in Computer Science at Oxford” says Frost. “Then I moved to New York and worked on bond algorithmic trading at an investment bank.

“I was living in a lovely apartment with a Statue of Liberty view, and it sounds fascinating, but it was soul destroying.”

WRITTEN BY

Nina Iles Head of EdTech, British Educational Suppliers Association

Helping teachers reach and teach pupils from afar Education technology (edtech) has played a pivotal role in supporting the delivery of remote learning, student and parental communication and student safeguarding, during recent months. Many teachers have explored, embraced and used edtech on an increasing scale, albeit at varying degrees, depending on ease of access and training in the use of such systems.

From lesson planning, content creation and sharing, to pre-recorded video lessons, online class quizzes, and virtually navigated field trips – edtech has helped teachers to reach and teach their students.

Passion for teaching Frost left to do a PhD and discovered his passion for teaching, when a student told him his tutorials were his favourite part of the course.

“It brought a tear to my eye!” says Frost. “I contacted my old school straight away, Tiffin School, and I’ve been working there for nine years.”

“I registered Dr. Frost Maths as a blog and resources website a month before I started teacher training.”

“I realised people were most interested in the resources and these gained millions of downloads.”

“To branch out further and bring in proper technology I applied for funding from the Mayor of London’s Office.

“Since the beginning of lockdown in 2020, I’ve had a 600% increase in traffic from thousands of schools.”

Realising its potential to identify catch-up needs As we move out of lockdown and schools open more widely, I hope school leaders will continue to explore and embrace the many opportunities that efficient, evidence-led edtech

Edtech tips “You sound incredibly busy!” says Iles.

“What was lockdown like for you as a teacher?

“Really hard - having to completely rethink how you teach”, says Frost.

“But if you take each individual aspect of teaching, you can emulate it with tech and sometimes do it better.” “[The] setting of work can be automated and I can see straight away who has got questions right or wrong.

It’s immediate feedback you can’t get in the classroom.”

“Collecting homework is much harder without technology. Tech can automate tasks, save time and enhance our teaching as well.”

To hear the full interview and Jamie’s thoughts on hybrid learning, his virtual world tour and plans to register as a charity, log onto EduTECH Europe Virtual this April 28-29: https://bit.ly/3byC3uC INTERVIEW WITH

Jamie Frost Global Teaching Prize Covid Hero Award Winner 2020 & Founder, Dr. Frost Maths WRITTEN BY: Cormac Cronin Martin Director, EduTech Europe

©FIZKES

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ere we are: one year on from the start of the UK’s first COVID-19 related national lockdown, which saw schools in England closed to all children, except those of key workers, for over two months.

Much has been written, and rightly so, on learning loss and the many ensuing challenges associated with the equal provision of online learning to all children during lockdown.

Yet, challenging times have a way of forcing us to do things differently and sometimes, new ways turn out to be game changers.

Challenging times have a way of forcing us to do things differently and sometimes, new ways turn out to be game changers. solutions afford them as they work to identify and address increased attainment gaps, staff and student wellbeing, and manage the transition back to in-person learning.

I hope that the bonds between education suppliers and the schools they support remain strong beyond lockdown. Industry stepped in and stepped up to provide free access and hours of training and support to educators in need of additional staff training around the use of equipment, software and platforms. As well as for those who had not fully appreciated or utilised the full scope of the technology they had to hand.

Is blended learning here to stay?

It will be interesting to see which hybrid practices are sustained by schools, students and parents in the long term. There have been many studies conducted on what worked well, including one by the EdTech APPG. Ultimately, we should not forget the remarkable effort of our educators this past year and we must ensure that they continue to have access to training, funding and choice when it comes to edtech that solves problems, saves time and eases workload.

BESA’s LearnED Roadshow: free CPD events for teachers wanting to learn about the effective use of EdTech from their peers. besa.org.uk/events/ learned-roadshow-2/

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Affordable ultrafast broadband for the edtech revolution Increased use of cloud-service back-office functions and online learning resources is straining some schools’ internet connectivity; but the introduction of ultrafast broadband is set to provide supersized edtech opportunities for schools.

WRITTEN BY

David Tindall CEO, Schools Broadband

Broadband bandwidths under pressure In many cases however, cloud services are causing extra pressures on school internet connections, resulting in slow, frustrating broadband services. There is no question though, the cloud is now of fundamental importance in the effective running of a 21st century school.

It is more secure, cheaper to run, affords greater collaboration, allows remote working and provides data storage and recovery that can get your school up and running in a flash in the event of a data breach.

The birth of ultrafast broadband Until now, the cost of broadband speeds required to support the heavy demands of multiple cloud services

©IMAGE PROVIDED BY SCHOOLS BROADBAND

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ndustry experts believe the tech sector is now a million times more advanced than it was just 20 years ago. And there is nowhere keener than the edtech world in adopting better ways of working and exploring new, exciting ways of delivering learning.

Whether it be through virtual, immersive experiences, platforms to personalise learning, or even basic VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone services, we are already experiencing the early benefits of an edtech revolution like never before.

In readiness for this, coupled with the pandemic accelerating adoption of cloud services, we are witnessing a mass cloud migration of schools. As a company we’re seeing multi academy trusts (MATs) in particular taking advantage of our cloud services, enjoying cost-effective scalability, ease of central control and the added economic benefits of a cloud network. Whether a MAT or individual school, when schools subscribe to cloud services, there is no longer a requirement to purchase or maintain expensive onsite equipment.

Schools Broadband is a specialist internet service provider to the education sector specialising in network security, content filtering and Private Wide Area Networks.

To check ultrafast broadband availability for your school, contact Schools Broadband: 01133 222 333 #3 or register your details for an availability check.

E: info@schoolsbroadband.co.uk www.schoolsbroadband.co.uk

has been prohibitive for most schools Ultrafast internet speeds for less and tantalisingly out of reach for An ultrafast connection allows others. However, a brand-new suite full deployment of one-to-one of technologies known as ultrafast devices throughout a whole school, broadband is sweeping its way whatever its size and provides across the country at a rapid rate, enough bandwidth to support a full providing incredible migration of all bandwidth and school services to connection speeds the cloud. Ultrafast at very affordable FTTP uses full fibre Broadband speeds provided prices. connectivity direct This technology to school premises; by ultrafast technology are is already proving the network is of such significance, they can to be a gameexpanding at a rapid changer for schools, in some cases, replace costly pace and is already with FTTP (Fibre leased line connections, saving well-established to the Premise) covering over 25% schools thousands of pounds connections of the country. annually in the process. providing up Broadband speeds to 1000Mbps provided by ultrafast (Mega-bits per second or 1Gbps) for technology are of such significance, around the same price or sometimes they can in some cases, replace costly less than a 100Mbps leased line; a leased line connections, saving schools staggering ten-fold increase in speeds thousands of pounds annually for less than the cost of a 100Mbps in the process. leased line.

Paid for by Schools Broadband

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Setting standards for ethical professional practice in edtech The past year has seen use of learning technology on an unprecedented scale across all sectors. Now we must address the challenges that have arisen from it.

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echnology has been a hugely positive tool for us in these difficult times. Learners of all ages have been making use of technology to continue to be able to access education.

That said, it’s certainly not without its difficulties. It’s important for us to consider and deal with the unforeseen consequences of education technology: cyber security and privacy concerns, particularly for younger learners, are a big issue.

Students all over the world have been expressing concerns regarding tools like proctoring software and surveillance, like techniques used to track learning and engagement.

Edtech ethics are growing in importance Our members have identified a gap between institutional ethical policies and efforts developers and providers are making - calling for an overarching ethical framework that can be used by individuals, institutions and providers.

Ethical codes for the use of learning analytics were established years ago, however, ALT’s professional accreditation framework was expanded to include ethical considerations for professional practice and research last year. There is, as yet, no solution for practitioners and professionals for scaling up the use of learning technology.

Developing a new ethical framework ALT has established a working group including student and industry voices, with the aim to develop a new framework that’s fit for purpose and will support the ethical deployment and use of technology in education and training.

The framework will include practical tools including a checklist, case studies and reflective questionnaires for individuals, institutions and providers.

Key to the new framework is to evaluate not only the impact on learning outcomes, but also the governance and implementation of technology used in education. We recognise the wider context of learning technology policy, theory and history as fundamental to its ethical, equitable and fair use and this will be reflected in the framework.

ALT offers free, fortnightly CPD webinars and resources to all practitioners, see alt.ac.uk , and provides accreditation via its professional framework, CMALT for more info please visit alt.ac.uk/certified-membership

WRITTEN BY

Dr Maren Deepwell Chief Executive, Association for Learning Technology (ALT)

Smart devices… Smarter learning Smart devices play a huge role in our daily lives, but now they are also enabling us to learn smarter through fostering motivation and engagement.

WRITTEN BY Andy Lancaster Head of Learning, CIPD

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personal smart devices. However, considerations of security and support, or a resistance to change, often results in the response of “… the computer says no!”

The necessity of smart devices in learning Learning theorists have long known that some self-determination in learning is highly motivational.

Personal curiosity and interest drives learning engagement, transfer and persistence if things get tough. So, not to foster some individual choice in development activities is senseless.

In the context of consumer choice, the smart device has been the gamechanger. Within seconds, a search retrieves a host of intelligent and creative options. For most, smart connectivity is no longer a nice to have, but a necessity.

In most learning settings the best technology is now owned by the learners. We invest in our personal devices more frequently than the organisation, which often lags woefully behind.

If we are serious in harnessing the benefits of self-directed learning, it’s time to lever the advantages of

Organisations must catch up in supporting personal growth Organisations with more far-sighted visions for learning are proving it can be done. Bring your own device (BYOD) or choose your own device (CYOD) schemes are on the rise with the recognition that personal technology enriches developmental opportunities.

Through mobile connectivity learners have more accessibility to relevant information. Through artificial intelligence, searches yield insightful, personalised responses.

It also enables learning collaboration beyond the immediate four walls and access to experts.

Smart devices provide the selfdirected learner with fingertip access to a rich learning tapestry of apps, videos, podcasts, audiobooks, blogs, vlogs, communities and even augmented and virtual reality.

There’s little positive resulting from COVID-19, but it has speeded the digital learning revolution. That new seedbed provides opportunities for learners to move from dependency, to interest, to involvement and ultimately to self-direction.

The smart device empowers smarter learning.

n our consumer-driven world we expect choice. We’ve come a long way since Henry Ford offered cars in any colour, providing it was black. The world of learning now has sophisticated consumers who frequently know what they want to learn and where to access it. Yet in schools, colleges and organisations learners suffer straight-jacket rigid curricula and programmes with few personalised learning experiences.

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The world is in the biggest crisis in education of the century COVID-19 has exacerbated the global learning crisis, but also offers opportunities to reimagine education and realise the future of learning through smart uses of new technologies.

WRITTEN BY

Omar Arias Lead Economist and Manager for Global Knowledge & Innovation, Education Global Practice, World Bank

WRITTEN BY

Robert Hawkins Senior Education Specialist, World Bank

The dire impact of COVID-19 on learners Smart uses of edtech focus on learning today jeopardises their future by amplifying human connections Before the outbreak of the pandemic, Education at its heart is about human the world was already tackling a interactions between teachers and learning crisis, with 53% of children students, as well as parents, principals in low- and middle-income countries and the broader community. From living in learning poverty, that is, the COVID-19 pandemic, we have being unable to read and understand discovered that while remote learning a simple text by age 10. can ensure learning continuity The learning poverty crisis has and serve as a good complement been exacerbated by the outbreak of in-person education, it is not a of COVID-19, which has resulted replacement. Teachers remain at in widespread school closures. At the heart of learning. Empowering the peak of school closures in April them with technology and digital 2020, 94% of students – or 1.6 billion skills is critically important to keep children – were out of basic education our children’s learning up during worldwide. There are still around 700 these challenging times, as well as to million students today unable to attend prepare them for a digital future that school and with very limited access to increasingly relies on digital skills and remote learning opportunities. learning through connections beyond Due to learning losses and increases school walls. in dropout rates, this generation of However, the huge digital divides – students stand to lose an estimated from connectivity to digital skills – and $10 trillion in inequalities in the earnings, or almost quality of parental 10% of global GDP. support and home Countries will be learning environdriven even further ments is amplifying However, the huge off-track to eliminate learning inequality. digital divides – from learning poverty – Education policies which may rise to and initiatives that connectivity to digital 63%- and achieve utilise edtech should skills – and inequalities their education embrace an inter-reSustainable in the quality of parental lated set of five prinDevelopment Goals. ciples to maximise support and home human engagement.

Education technology That is, edtech should learning environments can help tackle today’s be used: with a clear is amplifying learning challenges and realise purpose and focus on the future of learning improving learning; inequality.

The crisis has comto reach all learners pelled countries to at scale; to empower teachers; to engage re-examine their education models to an ecosystem of partners; and rigorousmake them more resilient, equitable ly and routinely use data to learn what and higher quality, with investments strategies, policies and programs are and policies today to realise the future effective to maximise student learning. of learning. Investments in edtech can The future starts today. There is a help education systems achieve this window of opportunity to build on vision, making them more resilient to the lessons of the pandemic and to future shocks and helping reform and use today’s investments in edtech to reimagine the way education is delivbuild back an education system that is ered to all children. equitable, where all schools and homes In pursuit of this goal, the World have the conditions and support for Bank’s approach to effective uses of learning at and beyond schools; that is education technology (edtech) aims to effective, where teachers and schools discover evidence-based technology are equipped to support each student at solutions in education, diffuse this the level they need; and that is resilknowledge widely across policy makers, ient, with education services that are and support countries to deploy these well-managed and ensure continuity in solutions through investments and the learning process between the school capacity development. and the home and community.

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The truth is that educational establishments have always viewed IT has something of an afterthought, but the pandemic has outlined the crucial role it plays.

How universities can fit into a hybrid learning future The university campus as we know it is evolving to offer students a more flexible hybrid education experience.

W INTERVIEW WITH Renee Patton Global Director of Education, Cisco Systems

Written by: Tony Greenway

hen the global pandemic struck in early 2020, 1.5 billion students around the world were affected by school, college and university closures, practically overnight. So it goes without saying that COVID-19 has had a massive, disruptive effect on young people’s education, unlike anything we’ve encountered before.

Now vaccines are providing a route back to normality, many universities seem keen to get back to business as usual. But that would be a strategic error. Instead, they should see this moment as a golden opportunity to reassess and then transform their way of working. That means embracing hybrid learning.

Hybrid learning is not — emphatically not — about moving all teaching online, because we know that there are students who prefer face-toface learning and social interactions on campus. But it is about higher education institutions re-imagining themselves for the future, retaining those elements of their traditional model that work well and bringing in online learning where it makes sense to do so.

Hybrid learning offers security, flexibility and choice This hybrid experience — which the university can scale up and down as required — offers students flexibility and choice and the chance

to take advantage of a degree level education without always having to be physically present on campus. Instead, they can attend lectures from their accommodation, their homes, from the coffee shop down the street, or even from the other side of the world.

Of course, to make remote study possible and desirable, superior technology has to be in place that will deliver a 10x better experience — and a 10x safer experience. Cybersecurity should never be thought of as ‘bolt on’ in any circumstances, which is why every single product we develop has security built into it. Remote technology also needs to be integrated with learning management systems to make it easy for academic staff to schedule courses.

Switching to a hybrid learning model won’t just benefit students.

It will benefit universities too, and become part of their brand moving forward. Rather than needing, say, 100 classrooms housing 30 students each and 15 large lecture theatres, the campus of the future could feature a range of smaller learning spaces and fewer lecture theatres.

Data captured by camera technology — all anonymised to safeguard privacy — could measure traffic patterns to optimise the use of study spaces. So if 10 students are using a conference room that for health and safety reasons is only meant for five people, sensor tech can send an alert to highlight the

availability and location of a bigger room, and even book it for them. It can then tell cleaning crews to clean the room that has just been vacated.

Students must be recognised as customers driving change The truth is that educational establishments have always viewed IT has something of an afterthought, but the pandemic has outlined the crucial role it plays. And make no mistake: further innovations are coming that will dramatically impact university operations, from artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality and even real-time translation between people on video calls who speak different languages.

It’s no good arguing that students will find it hard to accept changes such as these because, over the last year, young people have shown how well they can adapt to new realities.

In fact, as empowered customers (and don’t forget, students are customers), they will be the ones insisting on the revolutionary change that technology can bring.

So now colleges and universities have two choices. They can either view IT as a tool for crisis management, or they can view it as a strategic priority and invest in it accordingly. If they want to survive and thrive by giving their students the best experiences, it’s imperative they choose the latter option.

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Digital-first teaching for a hybrid world In light of the pandemic, we must explore the importance of a digital-first strategy and the emergence of a classroomhome hybrid continuum.

WRITTEN BY

Dr John Collick Head of International Education Strategy, Promethean

W

hile the initial rapid move to remote learning left very little time for teachers to prepare, there’s since been the opportunity to evaluate how best to support students when it’s not safe for them to be in the classroom.

But where are the main challenges and what should the priorities be when looking to mitigate against these both today, and in the future?

Consider hybrid learning Shortage of personal devices, poor internet connectivity, lack of bandwidth and cost of data all contribute to students struggling to access learning materials remotely. This results in a digital divide and education inequity that is well documented.

Looking back over the last 12

months, it has become apparent that schools must constantly navigate the unpredictability of when students, and teachers, will be in the classroom.

Self-isolation, shielding and sickness all impact a school’s attendance levels, which for an average student population is rarely above 80% in a COVID-19 context.

The most significant learning in recent times is the role that hybrid learning has to play in supporting schools in seamlessly moving along this continuum.

But how can schools achieve this when they are subject to so much change?

Structure socially switched-on lessons Education is fundamentally a social experience and people, by their very nature, are social beings. If learning takes place away from the classroom environment, the social aspect of learning is also removed. So, when implementing a hybrid learning strategy, building in a social element is crucial.

One of the easiest, yet high impact ways to do this is to focus

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on familiarity and authenticity.

This can be as simple as the student’s usual teacher recording a lesson in the normal school setting – even if the classroom is empty it will still be an effective psychological trigger for learning.

Trust in your technology It has become increasingly apparent that schools do not have the budget to rapidly implement distance learning platforms, and teachers do not have the time to learn how to use these effectively.

Lessons from lockdowns have shown that leveraging existing technologies can support schools to operate on the classroom-home hybrid continuum, with the familiarity helping to ease stress levels and workload. By adopting a digital-first approach with established technologies, teachers can easily repurpose learning materials for use at home.

These learnings have been highlighted as areas that can help to deliver maximum positive impact with the smallest of time investments.

To learn more about using education technology, like the Promethean ActivPanel, to support a classroomhome hybrid continuum, book a free demonstration session today.

Prometheanworld.com/ gb/future-of-edtech

Despite the many challenges and prolonged unpredictability experienced by educators and learners alike – schools across the UK have demonstrated extraordinary resilience and adaptability. ~ Phil Blackburn, Past Chair of the Board of Management, Naace ~ Laurence Boulter, Chair of the Board of Management, Naace ©IMAGE PROVIDED BY PROMETHEAN