Eummena had the pleasure to join hundreds of EdTech leaders at BETT in London, a show held in the EXCEL convention centre where over 800 companies, 100 EdTech startups showcase their work for improving education with the help of technology and discuss the trajectory towards the future of education.
Learning Tech
During our time in BETT, we were exposed to state-of-the-art software that inspired our team in multiple directions. BETT is always a great “platform” for amazing ideas to thrive. Some of the things that we still keep in our mind:
Data-driven solutions. Leveraging the digital era to create adaptive experiences for learners, takes paramount importance for us, making use of digital footprints to inform the learning processes while adapting to students’ needs.
Discovery learning. While there is an undeniable rise in software applications, hardware-based learning is being redefined by creating tools, gadgets and toys that cognitively stimulate learning and let them see an effect of it in the real world.
Gamification. With data and discovery learning in mind, there were very impressive solutions to create learning experiences that have the curriculum in the background of playful and engaging activities that tend to resonate with kids more and more these days.
Teaching Tech
Not only learning can be aided by technology. There are plenty of teacher tasks and processes that can be automated, others deepened and enhanced; leaving time for what matters most, teaching.
Personalised feedback. Students are not the only ones who have homework! There were solutions aimed to increase the level of specificity of teacher feedback when grading papers while at the same time automating it. Categorising mistakes and linking viable recommendations for each aimed to make grading time more efficient for teachers, being able to care for their students improvement without trading off so much of their home-time.
Reading comprehension. One of the most essential learning processes since the beginning of time is monitored through AI-driven evaluations, being able to track the learners eyes as they read a text, their speed and also the fixation on each word presented on the tests gets our highlight for learner outcome innovation.
Global Showcase
The presence of both the European (EU) and Middle East & North Africa (MENA) was evident at BETT. Countries championing their own startups, highlighting the advancements in software development, investment in education and learning outcomes by countries like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Spain, France, UK among others.
Management Solutions
School Management and Leadership. The quality of education at the institutional level was also addressed at the show. Our highlight for this category goes to NAACE, creating an EdTech framework and an international standard for schools to aspire to. Nowadays, there is more allocation for ICT in school’s budgets, however the presence of equipment in an institution is not enough, this framework assesses the issue of quality over quantity, making sure schools are doing all they can to maximise their infrastructure, hardware and software.
Going back from BETT 2020, we reminisce on our 2019 experience as well, and we are really happy to realise how far EdTech came in just one year! And we cannot even fathom or predict what we will find in BETT 2021 next year!
Story by: Guillermo Garcia, Eummena
