The global e-learning market is projected to hit more than $460 billion by 2026.
The industry is growing fast and doesn’t show signs of slowing down as more individuals and organizations use Edtech for engaging, convenient and results-driven education.
Tofind out the key Edtech trends coming your way in 2024, we talked to over 2500 people and dozens of Creator Educators.
Here are the 5 top 2024 Edtech trends you need to know about to help you grow your business and take advantage of the technology that’s on the horizon.
- What is Edtech?
- Why is Edtech important?
- 3 top benefits of Edtech in 2024
- What are the new trends in Edtech?
- 5 top EdTech trends for 2024
What is Edtech?
Edtech or Educational Technology is digital technology that’s designed to enhance or aid teaching and learning, utilizing computer hardware, software, and educational theory to enrich learning experiences.
The term covers all aspects of computer-aided education, including virtual lessons, microlearning programs, community-led social learning platforms and more.
Why is Edtech important?
Edtech is on the rise in schools, businesses, and institutions thanks to the engaging, diverse and personalized learning experiences it can offer students.
Edtech gives learners the chance to acquire knowledge faster, easier and cheaper than ever before. At the same time, educators have the chance to create, deliver and refine content wherever they are, at a fraction of the cost and time of in-person, on-site lessons.
Advances in Edtech in recent years have seen a democratization in the education industry – opening up the opportunities to teach and learn to a wider range of people, and delivering a better educational experience at the same time.
Here are the key benefits of Edtech in 2024.
3 top benefits of Edtech in 2024
More accessible
At its heart, Edtech is about making learning more accessible to more people.
Gone are the days of asking students to sit in physical classrooms listening to a teacher deliver hour-long lectures. Edtech has opened up opportunities for people to learn anywhere, anytime.
This has huge implications for frontline workers, school students, individuals with special needs and more. Content is now accessible in a wider range of formats to suit different learning needs and styles, with highly individualized learning pathways that can be tailored to each person and accessed whenever it’s convenient.
Increase engagement
Edtech has the powerful ability to make content more engaging for learners. The development of bite-sized microlearning tools, for example, gives educators more opportunities to make educational content fun and interesting. From gamification to short, snappy videos, Edtech has transformed the way students learn – and it will continue to do so in 2024.
The opportunities Edtech presents for increased engagement has a knock on effect too. Edtech can improve course completion rates, knowledge retention and performance.
Reduce costs (and make money)
By moving education and training online, organizations can dramatically cut costs too. Edtech helps administrators to automate repetitive tasks like enrollments, assessments, gathering feedback and more.
As Edtech becomes more widespread in 2024, those costs are likely to reduce even further with online learning becoming more affordable for students and organizations, as well as reducing start-up costs for course creators and coaches.
Launch your online learning product for free
Use Thinkific to create, market, and sell online courses, communities, and memberships — all from a single platform.
Watch or read on to get up to speed!
So what are the new trends coming in 2024? Here’s what you need to know.
5 top Edtech trends for 2024
Here are the top trends coming your way in 2024 and what they mean for your business.
1. AI for creator productivity
AI isn’t here to take over from real creators – it’s here to help them. While we found that 49% of people would consume content created by AI, they greatly prefer content that still has a human touch. That means AI should augment, not replace, your content creation.
Use it to create lesson plan outlines, generate email drafts to your students, help you name your new course, or anything else that might help free up your time.
2. Downloadables lead to quicker monetization
48% of the people we surveyed have or would be willing to pay for downloadable content (such as templates, eBooks, PDFs, etc) from a creator they follow. That means online creators focusing on education (such as yourself) should consider repurposing content into downloadable forms for their audiences in 2024. Audiences are willing to pay for it.
(our 2024 Online Learning Trends Report is here. To get the details on these trends + how to actually use them check it out here.)
3. Unusual platforms may be the future of online learning
Edtech isn’t limited to online courses anymore. 47% of 18-25 year olds we surveyed primarily use TikTok for learning – that certainly isn’t a traditional online learning platform. Platforms like YouTube, Audible, Instagram, and TikTok are all viable options to grow a learning and education-focused audience. Edtech creators should focus on trying out speaking to their audience via different platforms to see what resonates.
4. Private communities and chats
The internet can be a bit of a bummer at times. Education-focused audiences are responding to this by seeking out private communities and chats as safe spaces. They’re looking for connections with real people (both their fellow learners, and the instructor they’re learning from) rather than impersonal online spaces.
Edtech-focused creators can capitalize on this by creating those safe learning spaces for their audiences. This could be in the form of private monthly memberships, private communities, 1:1 calls, and more.
To learn more about how to make this EdTech trend work for you – download our 2024 Digital Learning Trends Report.
5. The Edtech creator economy isn’t just for young people
For most “online creator” brings the image of a teenager or young 20-something to mind, but the average creator is actually a 40-year-old millennial. Audiences value experience in the education technology online space. They want someone trustworthy and reliable; individuals with more life experience can fit that narrative well. It’s not too late to try out a side-hustle in edtech or join the creator economy.
Make the most of these Edtech trends in 2024
There are clear trends emerging in Edtech in 2024 that will have far-reaching consequences for course creators, consumers and organizations. From the ever-increasing importance of AI to the emphasis on safe spaces and authenticity 2024 is set to be an exciting year for the Edtech economy.
Find out what each of these Edtech trends means for you and how to make the most of them for your business, along with key statistics, expert insights and real-life examples – download the 2024 Digital Learning Trends Report.
Launch your online learning product for free
Use Thinkific to create, market, and sell online courses, communities, and memberships — all from a single platform.
Updated January 2024 to reflect the 2024 Trends Report findings.
