Define “impact” in Edtech
If your edtech tools disappear tomorrow, will someone really miss them? This is worth asking, especially now that new Edtech tools and platforms are constantly appearing. Educational technology is changing rapidly, and tools that seemed innovative five years ago can feel obsolete. Many agencies are trying to catch up without asking whether they still offer benefits by adopting new tools. However, if the Edtech tools are useless or have no impact, they will miss money, boring learners, frustrated teachers, and opportunities.
So, how do you define “impact” in Edtech? The true impact is shown through learning outcomes. This means that students need to remember what they have learned, apply their skills in real life and perform better on the exam. It includes not only attendees, but also active participation and completion rates. Accessibility is also important. Will the tool work for learners of different abilities and backgrounds, or will they leave some? Impact includes teachers as well. If the tool doesn’t make education easier or more effective, it’s a burden. Finally, relevance concerns tools that adapt to the needs of the institution.
Overall, many parameters are involved in measuring the impact of educational technology. This article will help you find a practical way to assess whether the EDTECH tool is still worth it or is time for change.
Indicators for paying attention when measuring the true impact of edtech tools
Adaptation rate
Many institutions make the mistake of celebrating high adoption rates. While 90% of students using the program may sound impressive, they really show nothing about learning. Recruitment means people are using tools. What you should focus on is that it is adaptation. That means how well they incorporate it into their everyday learning and teaching. For example, if a student is downloading a university app but never uses it again, it will be adopted without adapting. But if they use it regularly, it shows adaptation. To measure this, look at the usage patterns over time. Do learners still use the tool three months after launch? Do teachers regularly include it in their educational strategies? The true influence is seen in meaningful use.
Learning and Performance Analysis
The main goal of Edtech is to help people learn more effectively. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize whether learners are truly maintaining knowledge, building skills and improving performance. Traditional testing is useful, but modern analyses offer deeper insights. To assess your learning, you can use the tools to check your knowledge before and after checking whether your score has improved significantly. You can then test the skill application to see if the learner will use what he has learned in a real task, project, or job. Finally, we want to ensure long-term retention. In other words, knowledge remains with the learner. To measure all of this, track performance over time. Compare the evaluation results with tool usage data to see if frequent users are superior to light or non-users.
Engagement Metrics
Engagement is an important term often used in education, but it is not just about the content consumed by learners. Avid learners are interested, interact with the material and ask questions. Unfortunately, many institutions only consider the time spent on basic engagement metrics such as logins and platforms. However, the more time you spend, the less likely it is to always mean better engagement. Sometimes, it just means that learners are confused and stuck. There are better ways to measure engagement. This includes how content interacts with content if learners use the content consistently and if they work with their peers there. Therefore, to effectively measure engagement, you need to track meaningful interactions, such as the number of uses, as well as the number of issues completed, forum posts, peer reviews, and more.
Educator experience
When measuring the impact of Edtech tools, people often focus on learners, but forget about the teacher. However, educators are essential to the success of any EDTECH tool. If the platform makes education difficult, add additional work, or finds it difficult to use, it won’t succeed. Overall, the tools to provide a great experience for educators need to reduce workloads, drive innovation and make users feel satisfied and supported. The first thing to do is gather teacher feedback through research and interviews. Next, compare your workloads before and after using the tool to see if they have become a regular part of your lesson plan.
Included
One important aspect of Edtech is its inclusion. The tool works well for some learners, but not for others. So, true impact means improving access for everyone, rather than creating a larger gap. Some of the things to consider are whether the tool supports a variety of learning preferences, including visual, hearing, and practical learning. It should also be accessible to students with disabilities, such as screen readers, captions, or students who require a variety of formats. If you need expensive devices or high-speed internet, you can limit some users. The same applies when it is difficult for people of a particular age or background to use. To measure inclusion, collect demographic data and compare results between groups. They also run accessibility checks and ask learners who are often underrated about how easy and comprehensive the tools are.
ROI
Finally, let’s talk about money. Institutions often spend a lot on EDTECH tools, but leaders need to understand whether this spending is worth it. Return on investment in education (ROI) is not only about saving money, but also about the results achieved. When evaluating ROI, look for direct savings first. This can be the case when the tool reduces the cost of other things that contain the material. Next, see if it is efficient and frees up time for educators. The value of the outcome is equally important as learners are ready for the job market and need to know whether they will learn new skills after using the tool. The best way to measure all of this is to simply compare the cost of a tool with both obvious and less obvious benefits. It’s not just about tracking costs. Also look at the results and times saved.
5 edtech tools are no longer relevant
1. The decline in engagement
All tools have a natural adoption curve. At first, people use it a lot because it’s new and interesting. However, if the usage and reduced additional training sessions are not helpful, then the problem is with the tool rather than the user. If the tool needs to constantly use reminders, it’s time to ask if it’s really useful.
2. Content that is unrelated to needs
The lessons change, and everything you need to learn will change. Sometimes, tools that were well-worked become obsolete. For example, language apps have helped me remember words and grammar, but learners want quick feedback, speaking practice and enjoyable experiences. If the app isn’t keeping up, it can make learning difficult. Staying relevant means that your tools should help students with how you teach and what they want to learn.
3. Bad integration
If the EDTECH tool cannot connect to an LMS, HR platform, or an analysis program, it becomes more of a problem than a help. This requires teachers to do the same task twice, administrators manage multiple logins, and students get confused switching between different platforms. Modern learning environments work best when tools can seamlessly share information. If the tool is working on its own, it probably isn’t relevant anymore.
4. Using Tool Alternatives
The clear indication that tools are useless is when people start to find their own alternatives. For example, if you are using Google Forms for ratings instead of the expensive evaluation platform your teacher has purchased, or if your student is choosing Slack for discussion instead of the official collaboration tool, it indicates that the official tool does not meet your needs.
5. Cost rise
Budgets are tough for everyone, including K-12 schools, higher education and corporate training departments. If the tool’s license or subscription costs continue to rise without showing better results, its value will begin to lose. The important question to ask is: Does the tool save money, time, or effort? If it’s not clear that it will do, it may not be worth maintaining.
Conclusion
The actual impact of Edtech tools is not seen in their features or number of logins, but they are seen in the outcomes they provide, the outcomes they promote, how they empower teachers, and their ability to adapt to changing needs. Tools that meet the above are valuable. Again, if we stop using the tool tomorrow, will learners and teachers complain, or will they just move on? Ask this regularly and ensure that the EdTech tool will always remain fresh and convenient.
