As anyone who has ever participated in sports betting or election forecasting knows, predicting the future can be a fool's errand. I find this to be particularly true in the case of education, particularly in the last five years. No one could have predicted the shock waves of the pandemic, and few foresaw the rise of generative ai and its impact on teaching.
All that said, I believe there are areas of educational technology and education in general that are poised to see significant change and evolution this year. Here's a closer look at these.
<h2 id="1-return-on-investment-for-edtech-3″>1. Return on investment in educational technology
The gold rush days of the pandemic, when new edtech tools were adopted out of necessity, are long gone, but as budgets get tighter, 2025 is expected to be the year school districts really look at take a closer look at their subscription plans.
<a target="_blank" data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.instructure.com/resources/research-reports/edtech-top-40-look-k-12-edtech-engagement-during-2023-24-school-year” target=”_blank” data-url=”https://www.instructure.com/resources/research-reports/edtech-top-40-look-k-12-edtech-engagement-during-2023-24-school-year” referrerpolicy=”no-referrer-when-downgrade” data-hl-processed=”none”>The average number of technology tools a district used in the 2023-24 school year it soared by 2,739, an increase of more than 200 tools from the previous year, according to a survey. You don't have to be an expert in finance, education, or technology to conclude that this might be too much of a good thing. Many district technology leaders are already Evaluate which tools are essential and gradually eliminate those that are not used. to save money.
<h2 id="2-ai-tutors-get-tutoring-3″>2. ai tutors receive tutoring
Sal Khan and Khan Academy's artificial intelligence tutor Khanmigo were recently presented in 60 minutes, and when I think about ai tutors, I hear that 60 minutes old clock ticking.
Yes, ai technology is improving at lightning speed and educators are finding new ways to integrate tutors, but research on the effectiveness of these ai tutors is still limited. One study even found that ai tutors hurt students' performance in math.
In 2025, ai tutors seem likely to lose some of their novelty appeal, and educators, researchers, policymakers and stakeholders will take a closer look at how well these tools are actually working and look to improve processes.
<h2 id="3-ai-cheating-boils-over-3″>3. ai traps overflow
<a target="_blank" data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://newsroom.wiley.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2024/ai-Has-Hurt-Academic-Integrity-in-College-Courses-but-Can-Also-Enhance-Learning-Say-Instructors-Students/default.aspx” target=”_blank” data-url=”https://newsroom.wiley.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2024/ai-Has-Hurt-Academic-Integrity-in-College-Courses-but-Can-Also-Enhance-Learning-Say-Instructors-Students/default.aspx” referrerpolicy=”no-referrer-when-downgrade” data-hl-processed=”none”>ai cheats have increased every year since ChatGPT ushered in the current generative ai revolution. It is something to watch in 2025, as the need for more effective responses to the problem grows. If more is not done at the institutional level to prevent this, I believe teachers will express increasing frustration and demand better support.
Although I'm not sure what exactly is going to happen, I have witnessed firsthand how ai trap It is much more common than many recognize and how demoralizing it can be for instructors. I don't see the current situation continuing for much longer.
4. Financing, financing and more financing
Funding is always something to consider in edtech, as digital tools and platforms often come with costs, but in 2025 it will become even more important.
President-elect Donald Trump has proposed eliminating the US Department of Education. While this seems unlikely to happen immediately, the policies of Trump and his pick for Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, could have far-reaching implications on school funding, both through direct allocation of government resources and by discouraging school funding in general.
Last year, potential links between digital devices, social media and student mental health became a focus in many schools. US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned against excessive use of social mediaand many districts<a target="_blank" data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.opb.org/article/2024/10/30/oregon-department-education-schools-cellphones-cell-phones-technology/” target=”_blank” data-url=”https://www.opb.org/article/2024/10/30/oregon-department-education-schools-cellphones-cell-phones-technology/” referrerpolicy=”no-referrer-when-downgrade” data-hl-processed=”none”> Telephone use is prohibited or discouraged during the school day..
This will be an important area to watch in 2025. Fortunately, recent research shows some glimmers of hope regarding the youth mental health crisis. In August, the CDC released new data indicating that the percentage of adolescents who feel increasingly sad or desperate has decreased. Importantly, this data was collected before many cell phone bans went into effect, so it doesn't really affect that debate, which will likely continue into 2025.
