Having now passed. ISE and BETT, two of the milestone events of the EdTech year, are we any nearer meeting the evolving challenges of state education? AV News finds the answer in the affirmative in Higher and Further Education, but is respect of Primary and Secondary Education, not so much. So, what more do they need, and is it the responsibility of the EdTech industry to provide it?
In a speech given at the opening of BETT, and generally supportive of the EdTech sector, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan commented: “I also want to reassure those of you who think that AI, or any other technology, is somehow going to replace our brilliant teachers. It is not. No technology can replace them.” Her problem is, brilliant as teachers might be, there simply aren’t enough of them – and this at a time when education has still not fully recovered from the effects of the Pandemic and the resulting school closures.
Questions are also being asked about the effects of a failure to invest in early years childcare and pre-school education. Shortage of appropriately skilled and qualified staff are not the only problems. In the week when this article was prepared alone, mainstream media was petitioning for teachers to play a role in safeguarding children at risk and even to supervise the contents of their lunchboxes Also new to me is the problem of children in unregistered schools. Less obscure is the issue of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), many of whom continue to struggle with inconsistent levels of support and a lack of joined-up provision.
Although improvements have been made, pupils’ attendance remains an issue for schools. Ofsted says that schools are doing well in this respect “are characterised by leaders clearly and consistently communicating their high expectations.” Concrete proposals from government, however, are limited to the usual tinkering with the curriculum alongside implied criticism of school leadership.
Outstanding issues in education
Outside of the skills shortage in education, there a number of specific issues that are currently besetting the schools sector. Of these, EdTech concerns include lessons learned from the pandemic in respect of the use of online learning; the risk factors associated with in online learning; pupil access to appropriate devices; risks associated with open access to the internet; the impact of the new GCSE grading system on learning; the accuracy of the SATs results (and the level of pressure these impose on children); and finally, supporting pupils’ mental health.
EdTech is clearly not a universal panacea for all of the societal issues in education, but technology does play a role in the key area identified by Gillian Keegan – persistent school absenteeism.
EdTech solutions
So. what can EdTech do to assist with boosting consistent attendance? As an alternative for a generation obsessed with devices, there is clearly an opportunity to make Primary and Secondary Education more exciting and engaging. Gillian Keegan seems to need little persuading: “Imagine the power of bringing a virtual George Washington into the classroom to explain his role in the Revolutionary War. Imagine how this can improve educational experiences for children and teachers.” Of course, we know that “a virtual George Washington” doesn’t necessarily a function that depends on AI, but in principle Keegan’s idea is on the right track.
Her problem, however, is that the teaching profession already considers itself over worked – and it’s getting worse. Nonetheless, Roger Takacs, VP Education at Lightware Visual Engineering, feels that: “The modern classroom is undergoing a radical transformation, reshaped by technology and driven by the evolving needs of a digital-centric generation. As we look to the future, it’s clear that audiovisual (AV) requirements across educational institutions are also evolving rapidly.”
Across the board, the rate of tech-led progress is accelerating, bringing with it both opportunities and risks. Looking further into the future, the direction of travel is to create classrooms that are even more intuitive so that teachers and students simply need to plug in a device, and the system responds appropriately. This shift towards automation, facilitated by the widespread BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) culture, sets the tone for the future of educational AV. As audiovisual technologies continue to evolve, educational institutions must keep pace. By recognizing and addressing these important tech-led developments, from the ubiquitous use of USB devices to the transition to newer connectors or the seamless integration of old and new teaching methods, the future of AV in education is exciting for teachers and leaners alike.
Display options
Progress on connectivity and networks notwithstanding, interactive displays usually account for the largest share of the education EdTech budget. While budgets are under pressure in education, the sector stills represents a substantial market for an increasing number of suppliers
Vestel, for example, unveiled a series of new interactive screens for the UK education market at the recent ISE. Featuring a Google EDLA approved Android 13 SoC core, the new models will offer the latest zero-bonded screen construction. This display technology dramatically improves touch-screen accuracy, while simultaneously reducing power consumption and improving both visual quality and durability. Vestel’s economies of manufacturing scale at its 1.3m sqm European manufacturing facility brings this cutting-edge technology to value-priced interactive displays for the first time, backed by the brand’s enviable reputation for reliability and longevity.
“In our zero-bonded displays, the layers of the screen, including the LCD panel, touch-sensitive layer, and protective glass, are bonded together without any air gaps,” adds Tim. “The elimination of the air gap significantly improves touch sensitivity and accuracy by minimizing parallax errors, seals out potential contaminates such as dust, and leads to a slimmer, sleeker overall design. We have worked very hard on our 2024 IFPD range to ensure the class-leading benefits of zero-bonded interactive technology are now affordable for all of the education sector.”
Collaborations
Vestel also showcased successful collaborations with global industry leaders in display content management including Embed, Octopus, Telelogos and PLAYipp. At the recent BETT show, Vestel Visual Solutions announced a partnership with innovative education content platform provider TrilbyTV, with plans to transform traditional classrooms. The collaboration marks a significant step forward in making interactive learning more accessible for schools and colleges. Working closely together, the two companies aim to transform traditional classrooms into interactive, engaging, and technologically enriched environments, enhancing the learning experience for students and teachers alike and to encourage engagement as suggested above.
Vestel was at Bett UK to showcase its new Android 13 System on Chip (SoC) embedded Interactive Display screens. Tailored to meet the needs of educational institutions as well as corporate boardrooms, the new range offers an unparalleled user experience alongside stunning visuals, and seamless touchscreen performance. “Vestel’s expertise in high-quality, reliable, and affordable digital displays and IFPDs provides the perfect canvas for TrilbyTV’s CMS platform, enabling both local and third-party content to be merged seamlessly across unlimited screens.” TrilbyTV can playback content from several familial devices (Chromecast, AppleTV, Amazon Firestick etc) and offers a comprehensive catalogue of pre-made content and templates from some of the UK’s leading education content providers.
Tim Mathews explains: “Bett UK provided the ideal platform for Vestel to showcase our commitment to transforming education. Vestel’s economies of scale at our 1.3million sqm European manufacturing facility is driving down the cost of digital and interactive displays for education while TrilbyTV’s innovative CMS offers an affordable, fully featured, and easy-to-use education content platform. Together we are helping to facilitate a more immersive and interactive learning experience across the entire education landscape, encouraging student participation and making complex concepts more accessible and engaging for all.”
Reducing the burden
A further objective of government, teaching unions and individual teachers themselves is reducing their ever-expanding workload.. The EdTech suppliers announcing exciting new educational tools are often tempering their excitement with automation and other labour-saving technologies. Promethean, for example, has showcased the newly acquired Explain Everything Whiteboard app at the Future of Education Technology.
