EdTech, Explained

On September 3rd, 2020, the Rize Education Tech and Digital Learning UCITS ETF (LERN) began trading on the London Stock Exchange. LERN seeks to invest in companies that are using technology to disrupt and redefine education (“EdTech”) to better accommodate the digital, societal and demographic shifts we are seeing across the world today.

EdTech, a conjunction of ‘Education’ and ‘Technology’, can be broadly defined as technologies, both hardware and software, apps, platforms and new business models that support education and learning for the purposes of enhanced educational experiences, outcomes, access or efficiency.

EdTech operates across the whole learner lifecycle and examples can be found at every point of the learning journey, in both formal and informal education settings – from platforms to support of educational opportunities, new ways of generating content and experiencing learning, software to support education institution management and administrative processes, through to the delivery, assessment and credentialing of learning.

EdTech at the level of learning refers to the ways in which technology is directly involved in, facilitates, or mediates learning processes. Examples include adaptive learning systems, immersive learning technologies, synchronous learning platforms and apps, interactive, social or gamified solutions as well as digitally-led homework help and tutoring. The objective of EdTech operating at the learning level is typically to enhance student learning experiences and outcomes.

EdTech also refers to technologies that support institutions, organisations, teachers, parents and others who are delivering education. Examples include school management systems, learning analytics applications, assessment and feedback technologies, learning management systems, admissions platforms, teacher resources and support, and digital internship solutions.

Finally, EdTech also refers to new, technology-led business models in education that include new ways of defining the context of where learning occurs, how it occurs, and what ‘counts’ as legitimate learning. New business models include subscription-based content, education and learning, revenue sharing partnerships between technology companies and education institutions and, peer-to-peer knowledge and content sharing platforms.

Related ETF

LERN: Rize Education Tech and Digital Learning UCITS ETF

References

HolonIQ, “Education Technology and Digital Learning – Global Classification”, Pages 6-7.