The Evolution Of Edtech—Will Your Company Make The Grade?

Innovation The Evolution Of Edtech—Will Your Company Make The Grade? Vivek Sunder Forbes Councils Member Forbes Technology Council COUNCIL POST Expertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based) Jul 5, 2022, 07:15am EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Vivek Sunder is CEO of Cuemath , an online learning platform for math.

Sunder leads Cuemath’s overall business and its global expansion. getty The pandemic caught everyone by surprise in early 2020, pushing companies and consumers to embrace digital channels like never before. Wellness classes, theater performances, cooking demonstrations and medical visits made the pivot to digital-only services, and some embraced a hybrid digital/in-person model that remains to this day.

Going virtual provided safe access during the pandemic but also helped consumers get easy and affordable access to needed services and products, no matter their geographic location. Online education saw tremendous growth in just two short years. Students around the globe, at all learning levels, moved to online and hybrid learning.

This, in turn, caused a ripple effect within the digital educational technology (edtech) space. From learning management systems, virtual classrooms and video conferencing to online testing and tutoring, companies in the edtech sector suddenly had an opportunity to grow quickly if they could move fast enough to capture mind and market share. Technology-based solutions that removed barriers to remote learning, created more “classroom-style” online environments, offered helpful apps and focused on improving student engagement were suddenly in great demand.

One of the greatest benefits of sudden change is the speed of adoption. edtech brands, technologies and tools that may have been growing slowly in usage were suddenly inundated with sales leads and demo requests. Schools made fast purchases, and sales cycles were condensed.

Tech aimed at parents of school-aged children fared similarly as parents looked for ways to help children keep learning on their own time or make up for missed educational days. MORE FOR YOU Google Issues Warning For 2 Billion Chrome Users Forget The MacBook Pro, Apple Has Bigger Plans Google Discounts Pixel 6, Nest & Pixel Buds In Limited-Time Sale Event All good news for edtech startups that had been working on getting that first foot in the door. But what happens now? As we move toward what might be a long-term endemic viral environment, educators and parents are looking at which of the pandemic-driven technologies and tools they will keep, and which ones they will shed.

This leaves newly minted edtech brands with a big question: how do we remain relevant through the next wave of changes and maintain our newfound revenue? Focusing On Longevity Not all edtech startups will remain relevant. There are a lot of companies that found a pandemic niche that may simply not be necessary in the new world of education, including traditional group remote learning platforms. To remain relevant, edtech brands will need to show that the value they brought through the pandemic remains valuable even after education returns to its pre-pandemic state.

Here are five things edtech brands should do to stay top-of-mind and show continued relevance. 1. Show your work.

If your edtech product helped students achieve success during the most turbulent times, then now is a good time to remind parents and teachers of that success. Provide reports, charts or rankings that show the positive change in achievements, access or ability. Then offer projected achievements if the students keep using your products.

2. Highlight your people. Products are easy to change or stop using when the perceived need is gone.

But people and relationships stick. Remember that your offering goes beyond the technology or tools you offer—these resources are made better because of the people behind them. For example, at Cuemath, we encourage strong relationships among tutors, parents and students.

The support and encouragement that comes from the tutors help our users become more confident in their math abilities and create brand loyalty. 3. Embrace word-of-mouth marketing.

While traditional marketing must be a part of any growth plan, do not overlook word-of-mouth marketing. When it comes to education, parents trust other parents. Creating programs that highlight student success and promote parents’ support for educational programs or resources can help solidify a brand in the minds of both new and existing users and keep them coming back.

4. Lean into scalability. We all know the saying, “Rome was not built in a day,” and the same is true when building a business.

While your growth may not accelerate as fast as it did during the height of the pandemic, don’t over-correct and change focus. Stay the course and build over time, adding resources as they become relevant. Be prepared to scale offerings up or down depending on the education climate and create agile frameworks to ensure that your technology can support your business goals.

5. Be snackable and accessible. As we move back into a more traditional learning climate, students may no longer need an entire day’s worth of education via technology platforms.

But what they will need are supplemental, snackable classes and lessons to help bridge the learning gaps. By creating fun, gamified activities and quizzes, students and parents will lean into educational tools and be more willing to invest in them—from both a time and cost standpoint. And accessibility is key.

Can teachers, parents and students access your offerings online, on tablets and on mobile devices? By creating ease of access, edtech brands can build a bigger base of users. Edtech has come a long way in two years, and both large brands and startup challengers are driving it. Technology lifts the geographic barriers to education, allowing a student in Oman or the U.

S. to overcome their fear of math by learning in real-time with a tutor based in India. It gives kids in underserved communities access to top-level teachers that can focus one-on-one with students who need to catch up without feeling the pressure of a traditional classroom.

The adoption of digital tools isn’t a temporary approach to education; rather, it is here to stay. But not every edtech company will be around to see the evolution of where we go from here. By embracing the future of a hybrid learning environment, creating relevance through the right tools and technology and leveraging your people and stories, smart edtech brands will find their place in this new world.

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