EdTech’s Impact On Higher Education

By: Justin Ferriman • October 14, 2015
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It probably goes without saying that education has been significantly impacted by the surge in educational technology (or edtech).

When most people think of edtech, images of mobile apps and Google tools come to mind.

Video streaming platforms (YouTube) in education is pretty common nowadays. So much so that we hardly even think of it as “edtech” anymore but rather just part of the educational environment.

The reason edtech has surged in popularity is multifaceted.

One one hand it offers educators a great way to present information and ideas to students to help maximize learning retention. It adds another component to learning, often requiring learners to apply what it is they have just been taught.

However, the other side of the equation is that edtech offers an economical incentive to classrooms and educational institutions.

Electronic books, elearning, edtech apps and the like all cost less than traditional instructor-led classrooms.

Students often prefer these various methods of learning because it gives them more flexibility in their schedules. As such, more and more schools are rolling out distance learning programs that rely heavily upon these tools.

To get a sense of the impact edtech is having on the traditional educational landscape, reference the infographic below created by FatWalet.

You can see that there are real cost benefits to edtech, and in a world where the cost of education is a major barrier it only makes sense that programs like this are becoming more frequent.

It helps to make higher education more accessable to those who might otherwise be unable to take the on-site courses. At the same time it helps these schools and universities reach a larger audience and build their brand.

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter