Higher EdTech trends to watch for 2023

Fierce innovation and digitisation sped up by the Coronavirus Pandemic show no signs of slowing down. The global EdTech market is forecasted to grow to over US$230 billion by 2028.

From data insight software to immersive reality tools — technology is revolutionising the higher education sector. It enhances global learning environments to create a space that is more accessible, engaging, and interactive for both learners and lecturers.

In our latest KEVRI Insight article, we take a look at four key Higher EdTech trends we see making waves in 2023 and beyond.

Personalised learning with Artificial intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence mimics and learns from us- so much so that it's capable of creating personalised learning experiences. Img Source: Kelly Teller/Unsplash

Artificial intelligence (AI) as defined by TechTarget, is “the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems.”

In recent years, the hype around this technology has truly skyrocketed — and all for good reason. AI has revolutionised so many different industries, transforming outdated processes and generating better results. And this includes its application in higher education.

AI technology has many uses within education. But one way it is having a particularly impressive impact is through its capability of creating personalised learning experiences for students. Through AI, algorithms are developed to learn from existing data and then make accurate predictions. These algorithms are adaptive and can change over time based on fresh data and information.

With AI-enabled adaptive learning, software is developed to tailor educational content and tasks to an individual learner’s needs. It works by using trained algorithms, as explained above, to understand the strengths, weaknesses, preferred learning styles, and abilities of a student and then using this data to provide the necessary learning content.

Why is this Higher EdTech trend set to soar in 2023? Well, that’s because AI-enabled adaptive learning offers both higher education settings and students many benefits including:

Increased student engagement
Improved learner retention and recall
Savings on costs associated with student dropouts or failure

Immersive technology for deeper learning experiences

Have you ever experimented with VR? Img Source: Maxim Hopman / Unsplash

Using a combination of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), immersive technology continues to transform the learning experience, giving students the opportunity to explore complex topics in a new and exciting format.

Engineering students can explore a construction site virtually and remotely, interacting with a 3D rendering of a structure collaboratively with their classmates.

With immersive technology, medical departments at higher education institutes no longer have to rely on cadavers to train students on the human body. Instead, students can harness VR to explore human anatomy in a fully-immersive and safe environment.

These are just two examples of the many applications of immersive learning technology that are becoming more and more accessible to learners in 2023.

KAVE space is a brilliant example of immersive technology in action. The KAVE 360˚ infrastructure presents multiple art forms and content possibilities for large headset-free audiences.

With AR and VR technology becoming cheaper and thus more accessible, we should also expect immersive learning experiences to become more engrained into certain courses within higher education.

Benefits of immersive technology in education include:

The ability to simulate situations that otherwise might not have been possible
Deeper student understanding of complex subjects
Increased engagement via an immersive experience
The ability to apply theory to realistic situations, but in a safe and controlled setting

Another key benefit of immersive technology in higher education is its ability to improve accessibility. From helping students in distant locations or those with physical or mental disabilities, having the option to join a virtual classroom puts everyone on a level playing field.

This brings us nicely to our next trend...

Using tech to improve EDI initiatives

Immersive technology helps to improve accessibility. Img Source: Christina@wocintechchat.com / Unsplash

Despite improvements in recent times, we still have a long way to go in terms of improving equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within the educational sector.

Fortunately, advancements in EdTech are helping universities and other higher education settings to close opportunity gaps and help enhance the learning experience for historically underserved students. For example:

Video conferencing tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams are improving access to education for those with disabilities.
Text-to-speech software, such as Speechify, is enhancing the learning process for students struggling to read.
Higher EdTech software such as Teachly helps faculty members track student participation in order to create a more inclusive environment.

KEVRI is a Higher EdTech startup that also helps universities and their academics to identify and capture missing Knowledge Exchange (KE) activities. As explained by KEVRI’s Chief Product Officer, Corin Mynett:

‘’Every university plays a civic role in transforming people and places through third-party partnerships and KE projects, and we want to empower those collaborations through our software.

''By centralising disconnected data, capturing diverse forms of impact, and supporting academics and staff understanding of KE, we can help streamline a university’s innovation pipeline.''

The KEVRI team are currently working on using their technology to improve EDI within Knowledge Exchange (KE). This will help to ensure that KE opportunities are inclusive and accessible to all including students, business founders, and lecturing staff. Find out more about KEVRI here.

Micro-course delivery and gamification

It’s no secret that the human attention span is growing shorter and shorter. We live in a digital era where there are distractions in every direction we look, all competing for a slice of our attention. Various sectors are adapting to this, including the world of social media where the likes of TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are continuously tweaking their platforms to favour short-form content in an attempt to keep users engaged.

Educators are taking note of this preference for short-form content, creating more easily-digestible learner content. This bite-sized, laser-focused approach to lessons that hone in on one outcome is being touted as much more beneficial from both an educator's and a learner's perspective.

Advantages include:

Enhanced attention span
Elimination of irrelevant material
Improved learner retention
Increased flexibility for the learner

Micro-course delivery is especially successful when paired with gamification. This refers to “the application of game theory concepts and techniques to non-game activities'' (TechTarget).

With over 500 million registered users, Duolingo is the most downloaded and used education app in the world. The app offers users the chance to learn a new language via interactive mini-courses. The company attributes much of its global success to its unrivalled gamification strategy that keeps learners coming back for more.

It's going to be another exciting year in terms of advancements in the Higher EdTech space.

What trends do you predict will take off? Let us know in the comments!

Find out how KEVRI software optimises university and businesses Knowledge Exchange by reaching out to our team today at info@kevri.co!