Reforming Education Through The Digital First Mindset – Erica Farmer Tedx

The emergency response to online learning during the pandemic was just that, a response.

Prior to this, there had been little adoption of digital learning techniques in both the education and corporate learning sectors.

Lip service was paid to the future of learning technology and, aside from the trailblazers, most schooling and training was delivered in a classroom environment, with little thought to whether it’s the best environment for the learner.

Fast forward two years and we have seen leaps and bounds, in some areas, with many however reluctant to build upon these foundations and seek out educational future proofing.

The good news is we’re starting to see this shift, but it’s still early days.

‘The Impact of Digital Technology’ report tells us that there is now a growing body of both national and international evidence demonstrating the positive impact the use of technology has on learning outcomes.

Having access to a computer at home for online learning is associated with:

A 14-point increase in GCSE points which is the equivalent to 2 GCSE grades
An average gain in GCSE science was equivalent of 52,484 students moving from a grade D to a C.
A 5.8% reduction in playing truant at age 16.

Alongside this, according to the World Economic Forum’s Catalysing Education Study, digital learning and skills has a global impact.

They say, ‘investing in childhood digital skills helps people develop into successful, well-rounded adults and could also contribute $2,54 trillion to the global economy.’

Learning technology usage drives results. So why is adoption taking so long?

Watch Erica’s TEDx talk to find out, and what we all need to do to ready our workforce of the future. Let us know what you think!