Digital Transformation in Education: How to use behavioral frameworks to improve edtech for digital educators
A 4-fold increase in edtech investment
As the pandemic shifted education out of physical classrooms into their virtual counterparts, investment in education technologies - or edtech - has grown exponentially. $8.2 billion was invested in 2021, an increase of nearly 4x from $2.2 billion in 2020.1
The emergence of digital education has not only made learning more accessible at scale, but created new possibilities for delivery. Seven out of 10 teachers surveyed responded that using digital education technologies in the classroom enables them to do “more than ever before”.2 And they’ve only had a taste of what’s to come.
Personalized learning can increase academic success, as long as we make the leap
Of the many innovative potentials for edtech on the horizon, perhaps the most promising is personalized learning. Edtech enables a flexible model for personalized learning by continuously evaluating performance and providing real-time feedback to deliver the right material, in the right way, at the right time.
Personalization also offers students more autonomy to determine their own learning path, allowing them to decide for themselves what they learn and how to learn it. Students thrive when they have this autonomy - a study of 5539 students found that personalized learning resulted in a significant 3 percentile increase in math scores.3
However, the adoption of personalized edtech is still lacking. Sixty percent of American teachers never or rarely use digital technologies to allow students to learn at their own pace.4 If edtech developers want their products to be adopted at scale, they need to target teachers.
They can start with personalized teaching interventions.
References
- Wan, T. (2022, March 8). US Edtech's roaring twenties begins with $8.2 billion invested in 2021. Medium. Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://medium.com/reach-capital/us-edtechs-roaring-twenties-begins-with-8-2-billion-invested-in-2021-99f01a662280
- Public Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). PBS survey finds teachers are embracing digital resources to propel student learning. PBS. Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/pbs-survey-finds-teachers-are-embracing-digital-resources-to-propel-student-learning/
- Pane, John F., Elizabeth D. Steiner, Matthew D. Baird, Laura S. Hamilton, and Joseph D. Pane. (2017). How Does Personalized Learning Affect Student Achievement?. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9994.html.
- Klein, A. (2021, January 15). Data: Here's what educators think about personalized learning. Education Week. Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/data-heres-what-educators-think-about-personalized-learning/2019/11
- Gross, Betheny, and DeArmond, Michael. (2018). Personalized Learning at a Crossroads: Early Lessons from the Next Generation Systems Initiative and the Regional Funds for Breakthrough Schools Initiative. CRPE. https://crpe.org/wp-content/uploads/crpe-personalized-learning-at-crossroads.pdf
About the Authors
Ryan McPhedrain
Ryan is currently pursing his PhD in neuroscience at McGill University, focusing on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of neural plasticity in the developing brain. His main interest is in applying behavioural frameworks to guide interventions that enhance mental health and wellbeing. A staunch advocate for data-driven solutions, he seeks to leverage data science and machine learning tools to improve behavioural outcomes in digital health and finance. He has also participated in McGill-affiliated science outreach campaigns, giving presentations on neuroscience topics for high school students and answering publicly-sourced neuroscience questions. In his spare time, Ryan can be found enjoying a good book, playing various sports like hockey, volleyball and tennis, or simply getting lost in nature.
Jayden Rae
Jayden has a particular interest in studying how public policy can be used as a tool to help individuals and organizations make decisions to protect the environment. She has previously worked in the domain of environmental policy at the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. She is a founding director of the environmental non-profit Climatable, which focuses on engaging Canadians in climate change action. Jayden received her bachelor’s degree from McGill University in environment and political science.
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I was blown away with their application and translation of behavioral science into practice. They took a very complex ecosystem and created a series of interventions using an innovative mix of the latest research and creative client co-creation. I was so impressed at the final product they created, which was hugely comprehensive despite the large scope of the client being of the world's most far-reaching and best known consumer brands. I'm excited to see what we can create together in the future.
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