What Does the Future Hold for EdTech

For decades education in the world has stayed largely untouched. The pandemic hastened fundamental upheavals in the global economy that were already underway. As COVID-19 spread, many governments elected to lock down their economies to the point where schools were compelled to shift into the virtual world. By the end of March 2020, an estimated 1.4 billion students had been kept out of school, accounting for nearly 80 percent of all students on the planet. Millions of students around the world were forced to resume their studies via online platforms, resulting in the largest platform shift in educational history. Teachers had to essentially rewrite their curricular and teaching approaches in a matter of days.

The pandemic has compelled educators and educational institutions to think outside the box and has hastened the process of determining what works and what doesn't. What was previously strange and unsettling is now commonplace, just as it was with Zoom. This paves the way for significant educational advancements in the future. This paves the way for significant educational advancements in the future. Imagine students all around the world having access to lessons taught by the most inspirational teachers and tutors who are most suited to their specific needs. Instead of relying on overburdened teachers to figure out which learning styles better fit each kid, technology can provide students, teachers, and parents with regular, reliable feedback and support. Instead of constraining educators to pace the class at about the median level, students can become more independent, learning at their own pace.

While technology is available, the digital divide between pupils who have access to devices and have at least some connectivity and those who do not is significant and varies significantly by country. To fully utilize the potential for EdTech to boost the productive capacity of a nation's future labor force and to accelerate their economic growth potential, this divide will need to be bridged. According to OECD statistics, only 34 percent of Indonesian students have access to a computer for schooling, but 95 percent of students in Norway, Switzerland, and Austria do. The Biden administration in the United States is attempting to bridge that gap.