Government launch new EdTech Strategy
The new strategy, the first since 2005, does come across as technologically deterministic and has a strong focus on the EdTech industry. It does highlight five opportunities where it believes activity should be focused:
- adminstrative processes - this reinforces recent messages which has seen investment in technology being on efficiency savings (see UCISA TEL Surveys - https://www.ucisa.ac.uk/tel)
- assessment processes - making it more effective and efficient - this is an area where there is some scope and the new assessment regulations will help support this
- Teaching practices - supporting access, inclusion and improved educational outcomes - not to be argued with but does need to be learning led
- Continued professional development - supporting teachers so they can develop more flexibly - an important issue which has likely contributed to impact of technology across the sector, awareness of the potential of technologies needs to be part of this.
- Learning throughout life - gaining skills for now and the future - There is a need to develop digital capabilities more broadly
EdTech strategy available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/realising-the-potential-of-technology-in-education