EdTech is a relatively young industry that has existed only for 26 years. However, it has become one of the fastest-growing sectors in the recent past. The first boost in the size of the educational technologies market was after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. For almost two years, companies have been unlocking the potential of digital learning tools. Enhanced accessibility, teacher empowerment, and flexible learning gave a powerful push to the development of the EdTech industry.
Statistically speaking, the global education technology market size was valued at USD 142.37 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach 348.41 billion in 2030. The main reason for this lies in emerging edtech trends that revolutionize traditional teaching methods. Better knowledge delivery, more accurate analytics, and advanced learning functions are becoming the new game-changing elements that will move education forward in 2024. Meet the 6 latest innovations that will help you adhere to these key features in educational app development and stay relevant on the market.
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning in Education
The huge breakthrough for global AI in the education market was in 2021 when its value reached $5.4 billion. The market size is still gaining momentum and may reach $34.5 billion by 2031 at a CAGR of 36.14%. AI technology remains the main innovation in developing educational apps thanks to its capabilities of error-free checking, round-the-clock student support, generation of quality educational content, and advanced time management.
Amira Learning, Sizzle AI, and Workera AI are some of the most prominent examples of products with AI and machine learning in education. Companies that follow this trend to provide 1:1 support, personalized learning, and automated administrative tasks, revolutionizing the way people learn and study. Yet, there’s also a downside. Implementing AI in educational applications can bring challenges, such as teacher training and the digital divide.
Gamification & Game-Based Learning
The concept of adding game mechanics to achieve certain work or life goals has been around for a long time but has found its place in the EdTech sphere only in recent years. The trend of gamification apps for education continues to transform numerous approaches to learning new material in the current digital age. All thanks to the main idea of gamification — to turn boring and monotonous tasks into fun and exciting ones.
For instance, implementing elements such as points, rewards, badges, and leaderboards in educational apps can enhance students’ intrinsic motivation to learn more. Apps with gamification strategies can also provide long-term engagement, stimulating curiosity in achieving new goals. On the other hand, adding cooperative gameplay features can help increase social interaction among students. Furthermore, teachers can use gamified learning apps to help students overcome obstacles and encourage critical thinking, experimentation, and exploration. At the same time, many companies often offer adaptive gamification mechanics for personalized learning, which is also bringing studying to the next level.
Collaboration Tools & Remote Learning
In the modern education technology industry, many tutors have shifted their focus toward virtual classrooms, learning management systems, and other collaborative platforms as a must-have option for remote learning. Apps that offer features such as real-time collaboration on documents, online meetings, messaging, and virtual whiteboards are becoming especially popular. Thanks to their features, every student can have seamless collaboration during the educational process regardless of geographical barriers.
However, the list of problems that can be solved with collaborative tools doesn’t end there. While remote learning offers flexibility and accessibility, students also need proper communication and gradual adaptation to new teaching methodologies. Therefore, it is crucial for educators to find applications that will help them implement new strategies and best practices for distance education. Applications with options for clear communication channels, setting collaborative goals, group discussions of projects, and feedback will remain trendy in 2024 and the years to come.
Data Analytics for Educational Insights
Data analytics features that provide details about student performance, engagement levels, and learning preferences have become more advanced in EdTech apps. Khan Academy, Edmodo, and Socrative are some of the best technology tools for teachers. They follow this powerful trend to help educators make only informed decisions as the main key driver of educational improvements.
However, the impact of data-driven decision-making is still underestimated. From enhancing engagement and recognizing at-risk students to implementing evidence-based practices and personalized learning methodologies, data collection can optimize the overall educational process. For this reason, users will see a growing number of Learning Management Systems, Student Information Systems, and other specialized data analytics applications that can help educators track, assess, and control the progress of their students.
Virtual & Augmented Reality Integration
VR and AR technologies have a huge potential to become must-have features in education apps. According to statistics, education expenditures on AR and VR was $1.8 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach $32.94 billion in 2026. That’s primarily because they can both stimulate students’ engagement and facilitate immersive learning experiences. Using VR gear and a smartphone, learners can easily engage with virtual environments or scenarios in real-time at any place. Augmented and Virtual reality education effectively eliminates distracting triggers while studying and improves long-term memory of learned materials.
One of the best cases of using VR technologies can be educational simulations in medicine, where students can practice various medical procedures. Virtual Reality can not only help them safely test knowledge but also enhance communication and decision-making skills. As for AR technology in education, it can be useful in areas like geography or history to gain a deeper understanding of the studied topics. Additionally, Augmented Reality in schools can help students translate books and documents, as well as view personalized and interactive maps and artifacts.
Personalized Learning Platforms
Building AI-powered adaptive learning platforms is only gaining popularity, but in the near future of EdTech, this trend will become a true mainstream solution. The personalized learning approach ensures that the learning process is created based on students’ needs and preferences. For example, some ed tech tools for the classroom may already take into account students’ level of preparation, educational goals, learning speed, preferences in educational forms, and other attributes.
All this allows teachers to build non-linear teaching methods and syllabi, and at the same time, optimize the learning journey for each student. Some of the most effective learning tools with personalized learning technology are EdApp, Adaptemy, and Knewton. Each of them aims to provide accurate learning analytics and help educators decide which sessions, content, and materials are most effective for their students. Furthermore, the handy features of these platforms allow teachers to create lessons in just a few clicks as well as receive useful recommendations to improve their approach to teaching.
Conclusion
Considering that technologies are becoming more compact, cheaper, and better every year, companies are noticing that not only the tools are changing but also user habits. Today, ed tech tools for teachers and students require fresh solutions to provoke the next huge market size boost. They must engage and encourage students with interactive content. At the same time, apps have to implement more advanced technologies to help teachers make data-driven decisions and create convenient conditions for personalized learning.
However, there is a big “but”. Implementing cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, or adaptive learning can be a technically challenging task. Therefore, companies that do not have deep knowledge of software development may require additional help. On the other hand, following the above-mentioned trends remains one of the best ways to find a place among prospering pioneers shaping the future of education.