Tech Advances in Special Ed: Big Benefits for Students and Teachers

Globally, education is a fast-growing market in all types of economies with different levels of development. The EdTech market size was estimated at $254.80 billion in 2021 and will reach $605.40 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 15.52% during the forecast period.

More and more parents are realizing the importance of the education level in their child’s fate. This forms the basis for the demand for future technology predictions startups in the domestic and international markets. Technology entrepreneurs today invest more than money in their projects: time, connections, know-how, and branding.

In general, investments in education demonstrate higher levels of capital protection than other sectors, such as general purpose technology or some healthcare subsectors. It is a worthwhile investment in our future workforce, our community, and the long-term sustainability of the regional and national economy.

A striking example is provided by the United States, where more and more giants from Silicon Valley are building their educational institutions and developing their school programs using the developments of educational startups. In recent years, top entrepreneurs have been investing considerable sums in education. They are no longer waiting for ready-made specialists but are preparing future workers for their companies. This is a kind of “play ahead.” A strategic move that ensures the survival of a business. Especially if we are talking about a large scale.

Thanks to the pandemic, the EdTech direction has grown rapidly, including in our country. Digital distance learning is more relevant and accessible today than ever before. The key drivers of the sector’s exponential growth are technology, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the Internet of Things. However, the market in this segment is still at an initial level.

Educational Technology Trends

E-learning

E-learning is one of the apparent associations with EdTech general-purpose technology. Online courses gained popularity long before the pandemic due to the crisis in classical education. School loads children with unnecessary knowledge, which reduces the effectiveness of their learning. At the same time, it does not provide genuine career guidance. In addition, new professions are emerging that are in demand in labor markets. For example, prompt engineering is the generation of queries for neural networks. Anthropic has posted a vacancy with a 250-375 thousand salary!

This information technology education is not only for children but also for adults who want to learn new skills. In addition, it is only sometimes about professional growth. For example, some platforms offer knowledge in the “well-being” category, and personal development, which often do not directly connect with earnings but provide self-development skills that generally affect life.

Adaptive learning with artificial intelligence

Even the best teacher will find it challenging to find an individual approach for hundreds of students. However, this is fine for AI. By analyzing your academic performance, work schedule, and other factors, artificial intelligence can adjust the program specifically for you. Some EdTech projects are introducing AI into learning, such as ChatGPT and Jasper. 

Gamification of learning

This is an approach that introduces game elements into the educational process. Using game mechanics, challenges, points, levels, and rewards, gamification makes learning more engaging and interactive. Students can compete, achieve goals, receive immediate feedback, and develop skills in a stimulating and non-intrusive way. This approach helps to increase student motivation and engagement, improve learning, and develop critical thinking. Honestly, this one is my favourite approach.  

Online Tools for learning

As everyone knows, the Internet is full of free tools, programs, etc. This will help everyone, teachers, and students. The main thing is to choose the right and safe one. The major types of online learning tools: online classrooms, assistive technology, and apps.

There are several tools at teachers’ disposal, including email, discussion boards, chats, classroom websites, and video conferencing. Many learning platforms include most of these features, such as Zoom and Google Classroom.

It’s also worth mentioning that teachers and students frequently require tools for converting and managing different types of files as part of their educational activities. For this purpose, websites like OneConvert can be invaluable.   

Immersive learning

Augmented and virtual reality are two key innovations in basic technology that have the potential to change education dramatically. Through virtual experiments, schools can demonstrate science concepts at a lower cost. These technologies also allow students with disabilities to have learning experiences that would not otherwise be available. The use of AR and VR in education empowers students and reduces costs, making them an essential force in EdTech.

Conclusion

EdTech is not an old technology, it is a dynamic and rapidly evolving domain that weaves several exciting and challenging aspects together. From security and regulatory issues to the application of the high technology industries trends such as artificial intelligence, microlearning, and gamification, EdTech has several specific approaches and methodologies in software development. In this article, we reviewed the key technologies, methodologies, and requirements that shape modern EdTech. Given this industry’s rapid pace of change, it is important to stay updated with the latest trends and adapt methods and approaches accordingly.