What’s next in the education market

Although the current economic outlook is tempering the ability of some organisations to invest, the latest figures indicate that many major new projects are still going ahead. According to the latest IOTA report from AVIXA, education was on course to generate revenue of $28.5 billion in 2023, with compound annual growth of 4.4% expected through to 2028.

The increased interest in hybrid learning is feeding into the growing trend for asynchronous learning, where students are able to study at a time that suits them. To address digital inequality, the focus now is on ensuring accessibility to materials for all, making more engaging content available offline and offering a wider range of content.

While videoconferencing systems and kit to broadcast lessons online have been a focus of investment, more traditional learning tools such as interactive whiteboards and projectors are also finding a new lease of life, especially where students can connect them with their own devices to share and access content.

The introduction of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR) and 3D simulations looks set to take student participation to the next level. Highly interactive virtual learning environments utilising these technologies, without headsets, are already being used for a variety of learning environments.

Looking ahead, education could even move into the metaverse, with AR and VR combined with distributed ledger technologies providing new ways for students and tutors to interact with each other.

Greater adoption of cloud technology has been a key enabler for many of these advances, providing greater flexibility and the ability to manage and monitor installations remotely. In the future, data analytics will likely play a bigger role, giving insight into learner behaviours and how offerings can be made more impactful.

As in so many other sectors, AI will probably play a growing role in education in the future. In particular, the ability to automate time-consuming activities like marking is one area to watch, as is AI’s ability to develop more personalised learning plans for students that progress at a rate specifically tailored to each person.

Where do I find the most important companies in education technology at ISE?

At ISE 2024, leading names supplying the education sector will be found in the Unified Communications & Education Technology Zone in Hall 2. Big brands already confirmed include HP | Poly, Jabra, Microsoft and Zoom. On the display side, Clevertouch and Viewsonic will be among those showing their latest advances, while content sharing platform ScreenBeam and collaborative tools from Ricoh, Neat (in Hall 4) and Crestron (in Hall 3) will be available for demo.