Embracing edtech

Although there haven’t been many positives to come out of the pandemic, the increasing use of technology in education has been viewed by many as a step in the right direction for the future of education

Even for those schools that had already embraced technology, COVID put the accelerator on and forced a step change that would have usually taken years to acheive. The speed with which schools managed to switch to remote learning was nothing short of remarkable – and showed how agile and innovative they can be when needed. In the last year the possiblities that online learning can provide have been brought to the forefront, and have demonstrated the many different ways that it can be used.

However, the move to online learning has also exposed a digital divide and accessiblity issues; to turn this on it’s head, the exposure of these issues does allow them to be addressed more directly. These problems have always existed – and would have continued to do so – but the attention that has been drawn to them will allow many of these inequalities to be actively tackled, rather than forgotten about.

The challenge will now be whether this momentum and progress in the use of technology can be kept up once schools begin to open up to all pupils when they return to the traditional setting of the classroom again. It is hoped that the foundations that have been developed over the past year can be built on, and a longer-term strategy can be set out which explores how the potential and advantages that an increased used of edtech can bring to education can be secured and exploited.

Schools will need to continue to progress their digital capabilities in order to make the most of the potential that new technologies can bring. The government has introduced schemes like the EdTech Demonstrator programme to help schools develop in these areas. This  programme involves a network of nearly 50 schools and colleges which will provide peer-to-peer edtech support. Currently, over 11,000 schools and colleges have benefitted from the programme through the use of webinars, bespoke advice and tutorials.

As the world continues to adopt technology more widely and rapidly than ever, it makes sense for schools to do the same so that digital skills are honed at a young age to prepare pupils for the working world. The rate of change that the education sector managed to adapt to this past year won’t leave much doubt in anyone’s minds that they will be able to continue to innovate, and embrace edtech, to use it to its full potential.