The UK’s leading EdTech Research accelerator launches new diagnostic tools for developers and teachers

EDUCATE Ventures Research has spent the summer building a set of 3 new diagnostic tools for developers and users of EdTech, and those working with data-driven AI solutions in education and training.

Home to the UK’s leading EdTech Research Accelerator, the EDUCATE Programme, EVR has combined the expertise of its programme mentors with the skills of its software engineering team, developing powerful tools focussed on the three key areas of the company’s mission: education, research, and EdTech.  The diagnostics consist of a comfortable set of short, simple questions designed to quickly evaluate a developer or user’s current expertise in either EdTech or AI, and provide a wealth of resources and recommendations appropriate to their level.  In this way, anyone building educational technology for the workplace or classroom, or exploring the best way to use the rich data available in schools and training environments, can learn how to do so ethically and safely, in line with the proven academic methodologies used by EDUCATE.  The diagnostics are free to use and publicly available on the EVR website.

What is ‘Evidence-Based EdTech?’

The most successful EdTech businesses combine technological innovation with an understanding of the needs of learners.  The team at EVR believes that access to, and the application of research is fundamental to ensuring the educational ecosystems takes full advantage of the opportunities EdTech has to improve learning.  Evidence-based EdTech proves its positive outcomes for teachers and learners.  EDUCATE has its own awards bestowed on those companies who acknowledge an understanding of, and make use of, applied research in the development of their learning tools.

What is ‘AI Readiness’?

AI Readiness is the name of a 7-step framework that helps organisations develop ethical AI solutions with data.  Constructed and tested in the field over several years, AI Readiness has come to mean the process by which an organisation gets ready to responsibly leverage the power of AI and data in its educational settings.  EVR held a series of special webinars exploring each step in the framework for educational businesses and educators in late 2020, and you can watch all 14 episodes of the series on YouTube.

When should I take the diagnostics?

Each of the 3 diagnostics is a quick a clean evaluation of a user’s existing expertise in the field, and provides recommendations and further reading suitable for the user’s current stage.  Although the recommendations get technical in places, terms and definitions are provided, and everyday examples are used throughout.  EVR recommends users taking the diagnostics several times throughout the planning and development of their EdTech or AI solutions, in order to unlock more advanced recommendations based on self-reported progress.

For teachers, parents, and users of EdTech, a similar mechanism is in place to gauge their expanding knowledge of the field.  This diagnostic offers resources ranging from explanations, guides, and use cases to help them familiarise themselves with EdTech’s potential in schools, to research papers, frameworks, and whole-school digital strategies, helping them understand how crucial it is that evidence is kept firmly at the heart of EdTech.

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New to EdTech?  Read our EdTech 101 guide: https://global-edtech.com/edtech-definitions-products-and-trends/