The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the lives of people around the world. We had to quickly adapt to different ways of working, learning, and connecting with each other. There has been continuous and mounting worry about the spread of the virus, disruption to the status quo, and it has been unlike anything we’ve experienced in modern times. 

Many of our recent conversations have begun with the proclamation that we are living in “unprecedented times.” This phrase is intriguing as it implies that we have never before known anything like this. While I have never experienced a pandemic, I have read that the global response to the 1918 pandemic, or The Spanish Flu—during which at least 50 million people died—was similar to that of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schools closed around the world as the virus continued to spread. In the United States, in Chicago and New York City, public schools remained open—even during the flu’s deadliest month, when approximately 195,000 Americans died. The Chicago Health Commissioner argued that keeping schools open would reduce virus spread as the disease was not particularly dangerous for school-aged children; cities that closed schools did not seem to do any better at containing the virus than Chicago; and children were much better supervised in school, where learning could continue uninterrupted.

Over one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, close to half the world’s students are still affected by partial or full school closures, and over 100 million additional children will fall below the minimum proficiency level in reading as a result of the health crisis. 

In the two months after the pandemic hit, the school districts in the United States used an average of 1,300 education technology tools each month, according to EdTech Insights research. Students, teachers, parents, and administration were dependent on technology for remote learning and classroom management, and this will likely continue through 2021 and beyond. 

Innovation in the education industry must extend beyond the pandemic

According to the United Nations policy brief on education during COVID-19 and beyond:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems in history, affecting nearly 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries and all continents. Closures of schools and other learning spaces have impacted 94% of the world’s student population, up to 99% in low and lower-middle income countries.”

Before the pandemic, the world was already facing challenges in fulfilling the promise of education as a basic human right. The crisis is exacerbating preexisting education disparities by reducing the opportunities for many of the most vulnerable children, youth, and adults. Learning losses also threaten to extend beyond this generation and erase decades of progress. 

Conversely, this crisis has stimulated innovation within the education sector. We have seen innovative approaches in support of education and training continuity, from radio and television to take-home packages. Distance learning solutions were developed, thanks to quick responses by governments and partners. We have also been reminded of the essential role of teachers and that governments and other key partners have an ongoing duty of care to education personnel. 

But these changes have also highlighted that the promising future of learning and the accelerated changes in modes of delivering quality education, cannot be separated from the imperative of leaving no one behind.

The COVID-19 pandemic could change the future of education

The shifts in the past year have brought about new developments in online learning, classroom management, data privacy, and cybersecurity, as well as continuing to focus on mental health, teacher appreciation, and educating students for a global world. 

On G2.com, the traffic to categories related to Education Software has seen steady growth between March 2020 to March 2021.

Educating students for an interconnected and globalized world

The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated how globally connected we are. The world has collectively experienced trauma throughout the last year. Learning about intersectionality and interrelatedness can help leverage differences to work in a globally collaborative way. 

The globalization of economies, mass migration, digital revolution, and other universal advancements have changed the skills required to succeed in today’s world. Students’ learning needs to be more relevant and must respond to these new demands and opportunities to achieve global competence. 

Global competence refers to the acquisition of in-depth knowledge and understanding of international issues, an appreciation of an ability to learn and work with people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, proficiency in a foreign language, and skills to function productively in an interdependent world community.

Prioritizing mental health and student support

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought different challenges into students’ lives apart from school, such as concerns about family health, accessibility to resources, and increased financial pressure. To help mitigate this, faculty and instructors are finding ways to make their courses more flexible for students who may be facing outside challenges or need extra support.

Sometimes, all a student needs is for someone to reach out and let them know that it’s okay to ask for help. By providing resources to students on ways to alleviate school-related stress, schools will better set up their students to succeed despite the challenges they’ve experienced throughout the pandemic. 

March 2020 was when the world fully went into lockdown at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. At G2, the category traffic for Mental Health Software has been on a steady increase over the last year. There has been a 217% increase from March 2020 to March 2021.

Ensuring connectivity in all communities

We have the technology. We just need to start using it. We need to start investing in the technological infrastructure needed to bridge the digital divide. Internet access and connectivity, and access to technology and textbooks must be available in all communities to help students thrive in our globalized world. 

During the pandemic, there’s been a scramble to find technology to support learning at home. As money gets tighter, families on the edge of poverty may also have to choose between maintaining internet services or putting food on the table. In this crisis, technology has supplemented teaching and teachers; not replaced them. Technology has helped develop projects in which innovation and deeper learning, not just technology, are in the foreground.  

Using technology to help teachers gain insight into student needs

The products within G2’s Assessment Software category can help teachers better understand students’ progress and create more impactful learning experiences. G2 saw an increase of nearly 70% to the category traffic from the start of the pandemic, March 2020, to March 2021.

Teachers are among the unsung heroes of COVID-19: preparing resources and guidance for remote learning, connecting with kids and their parents—even while many have kids of their own at home. What is needed most now are technologies that help educators better understand student wellbeing as well as the specific ways in which students learn. There will likely be more interest in tools that provide educators with insight into student learning behaviors. 

Growing collaboration between parents and educators

Parents had to engage with the learning process of their children while balancing their careers at home. Teachers experienced the home environment and the struggles that parents go through juggling jobs, children, and life. As we continue to move out of the pandemic, parents and educators can continue to build on this partnership to create a stronger and more engaged education system in the schools and at home. 

Classroom Messaging Software has come in handy to facilitate open communication between parents and teachers. G2 saw an increase of over 180% to the Classroom Messaging category traffic from the start of the pandemic, March 2020, to March 2021.

Embracing augmented and virtual reality learning

Blended learning is here to stay and online lessons will likely become more interactive with the help of augmented reality and virtual reality curriculum integration. This will allow students to become immersed in a subject through hands-on learning. These technology-based learning experiences will enhance comprehension of important concepts, for example, by allowing students to virtually travel to space for physics lessons or be in a rainforest to collect samples for a biology course.

Deepening concerns about data privacy and cybersecurity

Federal laws—such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)—should help guide school leaders in deciding what new technologies to use.

School districts face the challenge of balancing the quick adoption of new technology with protecting the privacy of students and staff. It is essential to fully understand how a tool works and how it protects students’ privacy before utilizing new technology. According to the National Association of Secondary School Principals, “While the collection and analysis of student data is essential to the teaching and learning process, this must be done within parameters that protect the privacy of students and ensure that their data is used only for legitimate educational purposes.”

Since 2016, there have been 1,180 cyber incidents publicly disclosed by U.S. schools and districts, according to data from the K–12 Cybersecurity Resource Center. There were 408 reported attacks in 2020, which is up 18% from 2019, according to the 2020 State of K-12 Cybersecurity Report. 

Source: 2020 State of K-12 Cybersecurity Report

With the increased use of technology, schools have become more vulnerable to cyberattacks. 2020 was a year that offered a profound stress test of the resiliency and security of the K-12 educational technology ecosystem.

Microsoft Security Intelligence found that 63% of nearly 9.7 million enterprise malware encounters reported in the past month came from those in the education sector, making it the most affected industry. 

What's next?

As our world attempts to return to a state of normalcy, it’s clear that the emphasis on safety, collaboration, privacy, and access to technology for students will continue to grow. I will continue to explore trends in education software and how the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the industry and lives of students, parents, and educators.