Startup Digest Education - Issue #78 - Data Tracking, Online Learning, & Asian Edtech Markets

A variety of tracking apps make it possible to track students as they move throughout the school, monitor their homework and other assignments, and collect large amounts of data along the way. Such tracking brings with it concerns about privacy and the use of the data that is collected. These concerns are exacerbated by the fact that much of the existing tracking software is not as transparent as it might be.

Statistics indicate the global online education market is expected to top more than $130 billion in the next few years. Meanwhile, on-campus enrollment is dropping, and the number of students turning to online education is steadily growing. But there is more to these trends than meets the eye.

While colleges and universities are investing in and offering online programs, they are not taking them as seriously as they could. This may stem from a lingering misconception that online curricula are not as rigorous as their face-to-face counterparts. Even when universities do create something innovative, such programs are often buried so deep in the organization that almost nobody knows about them, including the students. This must change if colleges and universities hope to compete for students and deliver the kind of education they desire and deserve.

Colleges, including elite schools, are making it easier to transfer from community colleges, seeing a valuable source of highly motivated students. A third of college students in the US attend a community college. Community colleges play an important role in helping students earn two-year degrees that prepare them to transfer to a four-year college. Groups of private colleges are convening with community colleges to develop a pipeline of potential students.

Technology has changed the way the world is looking at the penetration of Education in the far reaches of the world. The scope is humongous, but many challenges stand in the way of Ed-Tech start-ups becoming the success they are slated to become. The infrastructure challenges that impede growth in Tier II and Tier III cities are not insurmountable and can be smoothened out to make the Edtech dream a reality.

1. Brand Discovery Challenges

2. Technological Gaps in Knowledge of End-users

3. Digital Payment Methods are not Preferred in Tier II and Tier III Cities

4. Disrupted Content Streaming

5. Language Barriers in Using Online Platforms for Education

China’s push to become a world tech power, which has paid off with advances in telecommunications, batteries and robots, is yielding further results — it’s taken a leadership position in A.I. powered education investments.

The country is among the most-active regions for artificial intelligence-powered edtech investments, with K-12 classes, foreign language study and high-quality education getting the most attention, according to a Deloitte report released this week. Almost 20% of all education deals in the country last year involved AI compared with 4% in 2016, Deloitte said.