Top Edtech trends that are redefining 2023

2023 was always going to be an exciting one in the Edtech space!

With the emergence of AI tools applicable in this industry, the landscape was already getting set for the surge that was sure to happen. For instance, ChatGPT, an AI-powered application, was already experiencing increasing usage by students and educators worldwide by the beginning of 2023. According to Forbes, 48% of student respondents to a survey admitted to having used ChatGPT to do their assignments. Five percent of Educators on the same survey admitted to having used ChatGPT to teach a class.

Besides the increasing usage of AI, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) were also experiencing growth in the educational space. To improve students' learning experience, educators have started investing in VRs & ARs to help their students better understand the concepts being taught. Business Insider reports that the global VR market, valued at $3.42 billion in 2022, is expected to hit $4.40 billion in 2023 and as high as $28.70 billion in 2023.

Major Edtech conferences in 2023 were also going to play a role in influencing the trends in the edtech space. The points of emphasis, reports, and recommendations emerging from these conferences influence things. 

Workee experts have compiled major trends to look out for in the Edtech space in 2023. And as a bonus, we have also included edtech conferences you must not miss!

Let’s get going!

What is EDTECH?

The word Edtech was coined from two words: education and technology. It was coined to mean using technological tools in the educational space to improve student's learning experience and make the work of educators easier. The goal is to leverage technological advancements to make education more engaging, efficient, and accessible to students and educators worldwide.

Edtech trends to look out for in 2023

Here are edtech trends that reshaped and redefined the learning industry in 2023

1. Increasing usage of VR & AR in Education

The advancements in VR and AR have led to their increased adoption in the education technology industry. Without question, they improve the learning experience, depth of understanding, and the general performance of students exposed to these facilities. Before we go any further, what are VRs and ARs?

VR, also known as virtual reality, involves wearing a headset that typically includes a screen and motion sensors. These sensors track your head movements and, in some cases, hand movements. As you move your head and interact with objects in the virtual world, the VR system updates the display to make it appear as if you're inside a 3D computer-generated environment. 

On the other hand, AR, which refers to Augmented reality, is a technology that overlays digital information, such as images, videos, or 3D objects, onto the real world through a device like a smartphone or smart glasses. AR enhances your perception of the physical environment by adding computer-generated elements. This allows users to interact with both the physical and digital worlds simultaneously.

AR and VR have been integrated into several educational projects that have become game-changers. This probably explains the increasing success that startups in this niche are receiving. For instance, Osso VR, Strivr, zSpace, Neo Bear, etc., all offer AR/VR services and have enjoyed massive growth in the recent past because of the increasing value AR and VR are bringing to educational technology.

We expect the AR and VR trends to gain more traction in the edtech space in 2023 and see new companies emerge with unique solutions to enhance student learning further.

2. Increased use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

When ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, few would have guessed the amount of traffic they would get within a few days. It was so massive that the server was overwhelmed several times and could not keep up with all the users who logged in. To put things in perspective, it took ChatGPT just five days to hit a million users. Before then, the fastest app to hit a million users was Instagram, and it took 75 days! ChatGPT has over a billion monthly users from different age distributions and parts of the world.

While we understand that there are several AI tools besides ChatGPT, we used its numbers to demonstrate the increasing acceptance AI tools are currently enjoying. What’s more, the edtech space seems to be one of the places these AI tools are enjoying lots of usage. Several statistics have confirmed that an increasing number of students and teachers utilize AI for academic purposes.

In 2023, we expect many more people in the edtech space to embrace AI for academic purposes. We also have new innovative AI tools that will be more effective for different aspects of education to emerge. These are edtech trends in 2023 to look out for.

3. More innovative homeschooling apps

Although homeschooling has been a thing in the US for many years, COVID-19 and gun violence in schools have made many parents consider homeschooling their kids or wards. Parentingmode reports that about 3.7 million US kids are currently homeschooled. This figure represents a massive opportunity for homeschooling applications, and we expect new ones to emerge in this market.

A few popular apps in this niche include Prisma, Outschool, Primer, etc. Each app brings unique value to parents looking to homeschool their kids. Primer helps parents navigate local laws on homeschooling, provides a learning management system for students, and a wide array of study materials specially selected for your child's education.

Outschool matches students in small groups for online classes. It gives kids the experience of being in a team or class while learning. In 2023, we expect new apps in this space to bring a new dimension to homeschooling, resulting in quality education for homeschooled kids. This is an Edtech trend to look out for and latch onto.

4. Growth in eLearning

eLearning refers to all forms of electronic learning. Simply put, it involves using digital tools to educate an individual or a class. This learning style has become increasingly popular because of the convenience it affords students taking a course. Since classes are online, students can take their classes from any part of the world. Consequently, they do not have to pause their lives to learn or upskill. 

Data from Statista reveals that the revenue from online learning platforms is projected to hit $57.42 billion in 2023. At face value, we should expect more students to register on eLearning platforms in 2023. It also means we should expect to see the emergence of new innovative online learning platforms that would pull a larger amount of traffic and add more value to the eLearning space. This edtech trend is an opportunity for knowledge-preneurs.

It is worth mentioning that Workee provides amazing facilities for eLearning. As a knowledge entrepreneur seeking an all-in-one platform where you can handle the marketing of your course, hosting classes, keeping recordings of your classes, and all other administrative duties, Workee is your plug.

5. Increased use of gamification in Edtech

Another edtech trend to look out for is the increase in gamification in the educational technology sector. Simply put, gamification here refers to using game-like elements in non-game contexts to engage students and encourage them to achieve specific goals. The goal is to make learning fun and engaging and help students stay motivated and on track. The game-like elements picked and introduced in these classes are as follows:

• Points & badges: Points and badges can be awarded for completing tasks, hitting milestones, etc. The goal here is to reward progress and entice students to push for these rewards rather than for an abstract mark on a sheet of paper.

• Leaderboards: Leaderboards here refer to an actual board or a page where the scores or achievements of students are recorded according to their importance or success rate. For instance, students with the highest scores occupy the upper part of the board, while those with lower scores are in the lower part of the table. Please note that leaderboards aim to encourage healthy competition among students as they strive to top their leaderboards.

• Virtual Rewards: Giving out virtual rewards is another important aspect of gamification. As the name suggests, it involves giving virtual tokens to appreciate students performing well in a task. These rewards could be Avatars, promotions on the platform, etc.

Edtech companies have seen the value gamification brings to learning and are rapidly incorporating it on their platforms. Companies like Udemy, Coursera, Mimo, etc., added gamification features after they realized the benefits they would get from it. In 2023, we expect an increase in the adoption of gamification features among edtech apps and new edtech apps with excellent execution of gamification.

2023 Edtech conferences

An Edtech conference gathers educators, administrators, and technology experts to discuss the new trends in education technology. They usually feature keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities for edtech professionals. As expected, these conferences are a great place to learn about technology trends, share ideas, and connect with others passionate about education technology.

Here are some of the top edtech conferences you should attend in 2023:

• Edtech Week, New York, USA (October 2-5, 2023)

Consider marking EdTech Week on your calendar as a must-attend event in education technology. This unique conference is focused on facilitating the adoption of educational technology. It draws participants from a wide spectrum, including entrepreneurs, investors, educators, and policymakers, all converging globally. From October 2nd to 5th, 2023, in the vibrant city of New York, EdTech Week is a hub for exchanging valuable insights, the discourse of effective strategies, and exploring the most recent innovations within the EdTech sector. These are innovations that could set the educational technology trends for 2023.

• EduTECH Asia, Singapore (November 8-9, 2023)

EduTECH Asia is an event for educators, technologists, and innovators from across the Asia-Pacific region to come together and explore the latest educational technology trends and strategies. It will be held in Singapore from November 8-9, 2023.

It would feature keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities for edtech professionals. The topics covered will include the use of technology to improve student learning, the latest educational software and hardware trends, and the use of technology to personalize learning. Aside from educators, administrators, and other concerned professionals in the edtech space, the conference is also open to visitors interested in developing Education Technology.

• The Global EdTech Startup Awards (GES Awards)

This global competition identifies, showcases, and recognizes the most promising EdTech 2023 startups of the year. The awards are organized by the Global EdTech Startups Awards Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting innovation in education technology.

The GES Awards are open to startups worldwide who are developing innovative solutions to address the challenges facing education today. The startups are judged on several criteria, including their product or service quality, potential impact on education, and business model.

The winners of the GES Awards are selected by a panel of international judges who are experts in education technology. The awards are presented at a ceremony held in London each year.

Bottom line

As you may know, these trends often determine the future of education technology! To stay on top of your edtech business, you must be familiar with timely trends to help you make the right business decisions that would benefit your business, especially because of emerging educational technologies. The trends discussed in this article are important signs to look out for and adjust your business. Additionally, we encourage you to attend any of the conferences discussed. That’s one smart way to network and learn from industry leaders firsthand. You can also read about conferences you couldn’t attend to learn about any valuable information that could influence future trends.