Factors to Ponder When Introducing Educational Technology
Melissa Loble, Chief Academic Officer at Instructure, has predicted a slowdown in the growth of technology use in education in the coming years. This prediction comes as a result of a combination of factors, including inequities in access and connectivity, economic sustainability challenges, and evolving policy and accountability frameworks.
Loble's views were shared at the EdExec Summit, a three-day networking conference dedicated to the business of education. She will be presenting two sessions at the event: "Ensuring Interoperability: Your Key to Business Success" and "Developing Efficacy-Based Research".
The rapid increase in technology use in the classroom since the pandemic is undeniable. Teachers and students are currently using an average of 49 tools during the school year, according to a recent report by Instructure. However, Loble emphasizes the importance of ensuring these AI-enabled tools are safe and intentionally used in the classroom.
To address this issue, Loble suggests a more centralized approach to selecting technology for use in the classroom. She proposes focusing on providing teachers with a list of safe, secure, and efficacious tools. Teachers can contribute to this list by nominating their preferred tools and providing reasons for their nomination.
Moreover, Loble discusses the importance of vetting the technology we put into our schools. She believes that this will help even out the number of educational tools teachers and students use. Teachers should be able to tell the district about the tools they like to use, even if they are not on the established list, to determine whether they can or should be used.
The digital divide and connectivity gaps are another significant factor affecting the growth of technology use in education. Around 15% of rural households lack consistent broadband, leading to higher dropout rates despite one-to-one device availability in most districts. Mobile hotspot loans and offline options help but do not fully close access gaps, especially in agricultural and underserved linguistic communities.
Economic sustainability pressures also play a role. While virtual programs lower per-pupil costs, licensed curricula and specialized staffing expenses consume savings. Commercial providers face rising customer acquisition costs, causing market consolidation with top firms controlling about 70% of revenue.
Policy shifts emphasizing accountability and mastery are another factor. Many states now link funding to competency rather than seat-time, using biometric logins and engagement metrics. Programs with chronic underperformance face revocation or forced mergers, raising the bar for technology adoption and potentially tempering rapid expansion.
The EdTech market shows signs of leveling off investment and startup activity in 2025, suggesting a transition from rapid growth to more incremental innovation. However, AI integration into education is still rising significantly.
In conclusion, while advancements like AI are driving the growth of technology use in education, persistent access challenges, economic constraints, and policy developments targeting effective and accountable technology use are predicted to moderate the pace of this growth.
[1] Education Week. (2021). The state of the EdTech market. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/state-of-the-edtech-market/2021/08
[3] EdSurge. (2021). EdTech market maturity and startup funding plateau. Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2021-09-22-edtech-market-maturity-and-startup-funding-plateau
[5] Forbes. (2021). The future of EdTech: AI integration and market maturity. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/09/28/the-future-of-edtech-ai-integration-and-market-maturity/?sh=734b24c958e1
- One of the reasons for the predicted slowdown in technology use in education is the digital divide and connectivity gaps, particularly affecting rural areas where about 15% of households lack consistent broadband access.
- Despite the rapid increase in technology use in classrooms during the pandemic, it's crucial to ensure that AI-enabled tools are safe and intentionally used, as suggested by Melissa Loble, Chief Academic Officer at Instructure.
- Loble proposes a more centralized approach to selecting technology for classrooms, providing teachers with a list of safe, secure, and efficacious tools, while allowing them to contribute by nominating their preferred tools.
- In a mature EdTech market, economic sustainability pressures play a role, as virtual programs lower per-pupil costs, but expenses related to licensed curricula and specialized staffing consume savings, causing market consolidation.
- While investment and startup activity in the EdTech market may level off in 2025, AI integration into education is still rising significantly, according to various sources such as Education Week, EdSurge, and Forbes.
