A Brief Look at the Spanish EdTech Situation
After delving more into the question of Spain’s future regarding EdTech, some very interesting studies and figures came to light on overall Spanish technological use. In the previous article, I mentioned a lot about schools and their antiquated technology. Nevertheless, the average Spanish person uses technology very differently than the rest of Europe, and this has changed drastically in the last few years. For example, an article a few years ago posted by thinkSpain cites some figures that illustrate Spaniards lack of computer usage, compared to the rest of Europe. “Only just over four in 10 people have their own computer — or 43.4 per cent of the country’s headcount — and less than three in 10, or 29.5 per cent, use social networks such as Facebook,” states the article.
This is in comparison to through the EU, where eight in 10 people have a computer and about 32.6 percent use some sort of social networking site. However, this number has most definitely changed.
One can attribute this somewhat to Spain’s inability to bounce back from the Financial Crisis of 2008, as people now have less disposable income to spend on a PC or desktop for their home. In addition, this figure did come from 2011, and a lot has changed throughout the country since then, which is why this next figure is equally telling to Spaniards almost technological addiction.
The UK periodical DailyMail posted an article less than 3 years ago stating that Spain in fact is the most tech addicted country in Europe outside of work, with the average Spaniard, based on a survey of 5,000 people, spending 8 hours and 48 minutes outside of work on their devices, most of which is spent on smartphones. This article expresses a stark turnaround from the previous figure. Maybe Spain is moving in the right direction? I think it is most definitely is, and EdTech can follow.
The new Spanish generation is going to piggyback off of the extraordinary use of technology that is currently happening. The people will be glued to their phones using Whatsapp, Social Media apps, and most definitely educational apps from universities, lower level schools, and even for young kids who have been some of the major benefactors of this new technology boom. Think about the type of technology you used as a child, for me it was Lego. Now, the average 5-year-old can be playing Angry Birds, Ballz, or with a Fidget Spinner app while they are doing anything with their parent.
The Possibilities
Now, based on this evidence, Spanish people are beginning to use technology more than ever before, utilizing any sort of gadget for several hours a day, moving from one of the least tech savvy countries, to the top of the list for use outside of work in 2014. Obviously, this is some substantial growth that shows no signs of slowing down. Where can EdTech fit into this equation? I believe it is with the students who are old enough to have their own devices and especially with the parents who buy the devices and share with their kids. While doing some work at home, a parent can easily give a daily lesson for their young child to work on to improve a topic they have been doing at school, or maybe even try to help them improve their language skills in Spanish or even English. This preparation can stem directly from schools as well, considering more and more people are owning technology. Teachers can assign homework to be done on a computer or tablet at home and be sent directly back to be graded. This holds students entirely accountable and makes it a lot easier for teachers to grade assignments.
This growing market in technology for education has already been picked up by the rest of the world and with Spain continuing to utilize technology more, it is safe to say where the EdTech market in Spain will be going in the future: up. Spain has already placed major emphasis on improving technology in other sectors including energy, aerospace, automotive, and many more, an article written by the prestigious MIT Technology Review explains. This mass development even following the financial crisis shows that Spain is back. It is moving away from its lack of infrastructure, and beginning to put technology in the hands of its people, who can utilize the gadgets to do work, study, and learn.
Where does EdTech best fit?
During school, many students are bored by the monotonous routine of five days a week and the subject matter that does not directly interest them. It is not that the material is not worthwhile, students are unfortunately thinking about how much more fun they could be having playing on their phones and computers instead of listening to a teacher lecture. It may be more difficult to construct effective lesson plans through EdTech for older students, besides homework assignments and more advanced activities that are difficult to create for all subject matter. Moreover, the best place for EdTech to continue to develop is with the youngest children in school.
The mind at this point is extremely malleable and if you have ever noticed, kids are absolutely glued to any sort of technology they can get their hands on. The simple games that fit into this age group can get boring quickly and there is always a new trend that pops up and grabs the attention. Imagine that during these wasted hours on an ipad or other tablet that the child takes any chunk of time to do a quick lesson to improve their Spanish using the personalized content of an EdTech app outside of the classroom. The little educational games and packages can be simple, but artistic, perfectly adapted to catch the attention of a young child who does not really feel they are learning. They can feel comfortable working with the material, while having a great time working with the app’s features.
This niche market for young children of a truly technology based generation is thirsting for EdTech to jump in and make an impact on the educational and learning development. This is where the industry is going and this is exactly where there is the most room for growth. Currently according to edSurge, only 3% of spending is on digital education compared to approximately 35% in other content based industries, an almost 12 times growth potential in Europe. That screams big growth and inevitably big returns not only for the pockets, but also for the development of a younger, more tech savvy, and inevitably better prepared generation.
