How EdTech can help schools play catch-up in 2022

As the New Year begins, schools are acutely aware of the difficulties caused by the past two years of disruption. There’s no denying that the pandemic chaos has impacted learning, with Ofsted stating that nearly all children have fallen behind due to COVID-19. Needless to say, parents, students and teachers alike are hoping for a more ‘normal’ school year in 2022.

In this blog, we’re highlighting how EdTech can support learning during schools’ COVID-19 recovery.

Where students have fallen behind

During the many lock-downs, teachers were understandably unable to deliver the same level of support to their classes. This has affected all students and was felt across all subjects, but not equally.

Unsurprisingly, the youngest students face the worst learning losses, with those aged between five and seven being the most likely to have fallen behind in maths, reading, and writing. Alarmingly, these losses equate to two or three months of education. 

Keeping engagement up 

EdTech presents opportunities to turn up the learning without overworking students or draining their motivation. In addition to traditional teaching methods, schools can keep learning exciting by having a range of up-to-date tech in class. 

Having access to digital technology allows teachers to diversify the learning format. For example, with the likes of iPads and Chromebooks, students can access online quizzes, videos, and games. VR equipment and coding robots offer even more exciting, dynamic new ways to learn. By incorporating these digital resources, learning can be more rewarding than just passively working through exercise books. 

For example, imagine a classroom of students growing tired of learning fractions from a textbook. Technology can help bring the learning to life by showing an engaging video of fractions applied to real-life situations. This kind of educational resource can make learning more engaging, impactful, and memorable than using worksheets alone. 

Adopting a data-driven approach

Due to inequalities in the support available at home during lock-downs, some students are further behind than others. Thankfully, EdTech can help teachers track progress so nobody’s left behind! 

Regularly integrating EdTech into lessons with digital activities, quizzes or games results in plenty of data on individuals and the whole class. This neatly shows where students are understanding or struggling with their learning, meaning that teachers can see knowledge gaps. By having access to this data, it’s easy to adjust future lessons to focus on areas for improvement before moving forward. What’s more, the software keeps track of students’ progress automatically, reducing time spent marking textbooks. 

We hope this blog has inspired you to use EdTech to get your school’s learning back on track! To support schools, Utility Rentals offers flexible payment plans for the latest EdTech. This means you can focus on students’ learning without worrying about costs. To discuss your equipment needs and our solutions, speak to our friendly team of rental experts today!