What is EdTech? 10 companies transforming the way we learn

EdTech has been a crucial part of a digital learning experience for many students and teachers. Now, the market for online learning apps is drastically expanding.

The abrupt increase in the number of EdTech users, fueled by the pandemic, has shown that digital education is necessary to equip students with the skills essential for their future.

That’s why experts predict that the EdTech market will almost double in size by 2025 - meaning that the total EdTech spend will be $404 Billion.

Find out why the digital education industry is gaining such traction and which solutions are its most prominent representatives.

What is EdTech?

EdTech stands for education technology. On the one hand, it refers to the software, hardware, and other technological processes that are changing the way students learn and teachers teach.

On the other hand, EdTech includes a myriad of emerging solutions that aren’t necessarily meant to use in educational institutions. These include corporate learning solutions, tutoring, upskilling, and others.

In our text, we will refer to both.

Best EdTech companies in 2022

There are multiple innovative EdTech companies whose solutions are revolutionizing the way we approach learning and education. Have you heard of any of these game-changing industry leaders?

1. Rocket.Chat

Rocket.Chat is used at privacy-conscious universities that want to drive and succeed in their digital transformation initiatives. This collaboration app allows students and teachers to communicate effortlessly, even with associates outside of their universities who use different communication means.

Moreover, the open-source nature of Rocket.Chat allows higher education institutions to painlessly introduce it to their complex infrastructure without compromising data security.

➡️ Learn what are the biggest benefits of open source in education.

2. Unacademy

Unacademy is India’s largest learning platform that helps students prepare for exams. Daily live classes, practices, mock tests, lecture notes, and recorded classes enable students to prepare for important tests when and where it suits them best.

3. Outschool

Outschool offers over 140,000 interactive online classes to kids from 3 to 18 years old. Variety of classes and more than 10,000 experienced teachers on the platform ensure that students can choose to learn whatever they want.

Moreover, students can access small groups as well as one-on-one sessions.

4. Photomath

Photomath is a one-of-a-kind EdTech tool that helps students to solve complex math problems by scanning them from their blackboards or notebooks.
Besides that, their step-by-step explanation help students master all areas of math. It is used by students, parents, and teachers all over the world.

5. Masterclass

Masterclass is EdTech that we don’t see as EdTech. It just goes to show how some educational technologies have found their way to wide audiences without us even noticing!

What’s unique about Masterclass are its teachers. World’s most popular chefs, political and business leaders, scientists, writers, and actors can teach you skills they have mastered over the years. 

6. GoStudent

GoStudent is a tutoring platform that helps students and parents across the world to find the perfect tutor. Tailor-made learning plans and virtual classrooms, as well as ease of use for all parties involved, is what helped this Austria-based EdTech company raise more than $200 Million in series C last year!

7. Duolingo

Chances are you’ve probably heard of Duolingo - and maybe even used it. This app makes it fun to learn a new language.

Although it is not primarily used in schools, Duolingo is an excellent example of how EdTech can make learning a new thing interactive, more interesting, and fun. With gamification principles built into this app, it provides a great experience to millions of users across the globe.

8. Moodle

Moodle is, in their own words, the world’s most popular learning management system. Indeed, when you think EdTech, Moodle is probably one of the first tools on your mind.

Moodle is implemented in numerous educational institutions across the world. It helps to organize the courses better and give students and teachers more clarity and transparency.

Many advantages of this open-source software only make it easier for schools and universities to implement and adapt Moodle to their existing tech infrastructure.

9. Grammarly

Grammarly is a writing assistant used to review text for spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity, and more. 

Grammarly doesn’t just blindly overwrite wrongly written text, but asks the user to review the proposed changes. Moreover, it suggests alternative wording or rephrasing of entire sentences. It is a great example of how technology can help students learn by doing. 

10. BigBlueButton

This virtual classroom software was built by teachers for teachers. BigBlueButton is an EdTech tool used in schooling to provide great remote teaching experience.

Its native integrations with LMS systems enable teachers and students to use it seamlessly. Moreover, BigBlueButton is also an open-source software, which makes it highly secure and extremely flexible.

How EdTech is transforming the classrooms and the education system

Today, we know that there is more to learning and education than pure lecturing and listening. We all learn in multiple ways - and EdTech is enabling students and learners to learn in the way that suits them best.

In many ways, EdTech is transforming not only classrooms but the way we learn altogether. Here are the specific ways in which EdTech is transforming classrooms.

Changing the concept of learning

The way that different EdTech vendors approach learning and studying is highly innovative. First of all, learning doesn’t only occur in classrooms or university halls: it happens while you’re riding the bus to work, playing on your phone.

Secondly, the way we learn isn’t by listening to lectures. You learn by doing, by playing, in interaction with others, by watching videos, and in many other ways.

Automated grading

Some EdTech tools include automated grading, which helps teachers save precious time on grading essays, tests, and other assignments. The technology is AI-backed and it eliminates the possibility of human error in grading.

Classroom management

EdTech tools contribute to a lot of transparency between teachers, students, and parents. Teachers can keep track of students’ behavior and report it to parents, which is extremely useful in primary and secondary education.

Innovative teaching methods 

Traditional methods of teaching and learning are improved with EdTech. It gives teachers the opportunity to instill knowledge to kids in innovative ways.

One such example is the flipped classroom. EdTech is used to disperse materials for students to go over before they come to class. Then, in the classroom, they are involved in activities that involve higher-order thinking.

Teachers saving time

EdTech solutions can save so much time for teachers. Apart from automated grading, teachers can build their curriculum for multiple classes and even generations. With more time left on their hands, teachers can focus on individual students, learn about the new ways to teach, et cetera.

Increased collaboration

With digital education tools, students can collaborate with each other and with their teachers much more easily. Whether it’s collaborating within a group, on a project, online or in-person, educational technology can improve the quality of collaboration between all involved parties.

For example, Rocket.Chat - used in universities - enables students to set up various teams, channels, and discussions to better support synchronous and asynchronous communication. This way, student engagement is boosted, and the digital learning experience is improved.