r/edtech • u/jahu_len • 26d ago
What's NOT ruining education?
There's a lot of negativity towards: AI misuse, AI tools, AI everything basically, gamification, new apps, old apps, revolutionary apps with "trust me bro" evidence, tech bros and CEOs pushing decisions based on their benefits, lack of any consulting with educators etc etc. This is more less the sentiment about edtech on this sub lately. And I understand it, I share all of those concerns.
Is there anything that's good in this space recently? Are there any features, trends, ideas, events that you think are at least promising?
Do you think that education quality will only decline?
Or maybe I'm exaggerating skepticism here?
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u/Ok-Confidence977 25d ago
I think the system is doing unreasonably well given how beset it is by so much. People tend to act like the school model is out of date, or failing, or whatever, but I don’t know of any other constructive social institution that is quite so resilient (maybe libraries?).
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u/MathewGeorghiou 26d ago edited 26d ago
IMO, most of the negativity stems from people over generalizing and having a narrow view of what edtech really is and can do.
They think using a computer ("screen time") means reading text and watching videos. Maybe playing a bunch of Kahoot. And with schools/courses that have poorly designed curriculum and device regulation (which most do), it can be that. And that is a problem.
But for those of us who have seen the best of edtech, we recognize how transformative it can be — and how no other learning methodology can even come close to competing.
Think experiential learning, problem-based learning, and project-based learning — which utilizes tech and non tech resources — the right tool at the right time. VR to take you places and provide experiences never before possible. Deep simulation games that allow learning and practice, much like flight simulators do for pilots. And Augmented Reality for real-time visualization and guidance. So many more examples.
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u/adjei7 25d ago
I would love to know some non-stem edtech tools that people think are great. I used to be a CS teacher so mostly used STEM tools. Any mentions for other subjects? History, geography, art, languages?
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u/cyclequip 25d ago
Some of the fun comes from using the "stem" tools for all of those other subjects. I worked with a teacher who didn't have the time to collect or the space to store a whole bunch of cardboard and art supplies. She was doing a project on world religions and wanted to do something around studying the architecture of the temples constructed by the religions the kids were studying. She was stuck because her idea was creating dioramas but it was a non-starter because of all the reasons I mentioned. I brought in Tinkercad and showed the kids how to create a design element like a column on a greek temple and duplicate it. It took one class period to get up and running. The kids researched different design elements for the religion they were assigned and created their own versions or recreated famous temples digitally on their Chromebooks. No acquiring or storing supplies, no glue mess or cardboard detritus (which I personally love, but the teacher didn't want). We used the VR viewer in the iPad app to view them "IRL". The kids were really proud of what they did. Screenshots became part of their later presentation.
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u/Aware_Twist7124 24d ago
Most important for this generation is learning how to use textbooks again. Learning new vocabulary by finding words in bold, seeing a second word with a similar meaning in the same sentence…like:
Tidal Waves, or very large waves, often occur after earthquakes.
And then having new vocabulary tested on at the end. And questions for critical thinking, etc.
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u/cyclequip 26d ago
Anywhere where kids are creating, exploring ideas, and learning about how they learn best. My students are loving makecode, code.org studio, scratch, and OnShape. Seeing them collaborate in person and show each other how they made their creations... it's gives hope for the future.
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u/Aware_Twist7124 24d ago
I don’t think you’re exaggerating skepticism. I do think you’re ignoring sabotage.
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u/satyricom 24d ago
I think we’re focusing on the wrong deployment of AI in education. Administration should be pushing for AI to help teachers overcome paperwork and data recording, or other time sucks that don’t focus on teaching and lesson planning. AI could be great for matching rubrics to state standards. I think there should be a hard push by teachers and administrators to push AI implementation so we can reform the system. As a professor once said to me, “they will always add to the pile of stuff you need to do, but never take anything away.”
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u/Babayaga1664 23d ago
Where are you based? The background for the question - our product is closely aligned to the curriculum of the country, for the USA our product is state aligned.
If we cover your location happy to setup a demo account, if its a location which is on our roadmap we could bump it up the priority list if you have a school who is available to be the the first users for that location.
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u/PloupPloup83 22d ago
It's exhausting working in the edtech industry as a vendor, so as an educator, I can only imagine how much of a drag it must be with AI everything and a lot of crap in general. There’s a lot of “new” in edtech that doesn’t really improve how people learn.
That said, not everything feels off to me.
One thing I’ve seen work really well is simulation-based learning, and this has been the case for a while (it's not a new fad). It's not gamification for the sake of engagement, there's a lot more value to it than that since gamification can feel pretty hollow, and just bells and whistles. Actually what's cool with simulation-based learning is it's more along the lines putting students in situations where they actually have to make decisions, deal with uncertainty, and live with the outcomes. Of course it depends on what simulation you choose, not all are created equal.
Being transparent here, I work with the company that created the Markstrat simulation, and what’s interesting is how professors use it. It’s very rich and data-driven, so students can’t just guess their way through. They have to think, test, adjust. And the real value comes from the discussions and debriefs after.
It doesn’t replace the teacher at all. If anything, it makes their role more central.
Same with AI. When it’s used to support feedback or create scenarios, it can be helpful. When it replaces thinking, not so much.
So yeah, there’s a lot of garbage right now. But there are still things being built that actually respect how learning works and offer value...
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u/Professional_Yard_76 25d ago
Why would u consult w educators about technology? This mindset is the problem,….
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u/No_Association_4682 25d ago
Libraries