Data scientists and experts in EdTech development, as well as educators, will examine the use of technology during the pandemic in the latest Shock to the System series of webinars, being organised by EDUCATE Ventures – the UK’s leading EdTech research accelerator.

Data scientists and experts in EdTech development, as well as educators, will examine the use of technology during the pandemic in the latest Shock to the System series of webinars, being organised by EDUCATE Ventures – the UK’s leading EdTech research accelerator.

The event, which will take place on June 24, will bring together a panel of leading voices in the field to discuss how technology has been used during the school lockdown, what data has been gathered and what lessons can be learned.

The webinar will be chaired by Lord Jim Knight, former Schools Minister in the government of Tony Blair, and the panel will include Caroline Wright, Director General, BESA; Timo Hannay, Founder, School Dash; Tom Hooper, Founder & CEO, Third Space Learning and Tariq Sasso, Principal, Blackfield Primary School.

The panellists will examine the impact technology made during the pandemic and how the lessons learned can be used to improve teaching and learning in the future. The discussion will consider how to engage with policymakers and persuade them to look at the data so that technology use becomes the norm and not the exception in the education process.

It will also present an opportunity to find out what kind of data has been gathered, and how far this can be trusted if it is to be used to inform and influence future practice and national policy.

Professor Rose Luckin, Director of EDUCATE Ventures, said the event aimed to move forward discussions around the future use of EdTech in the wider education ecosystem.

“At the present time, there seems to be little movement in the UK government towards building on the experiences and lessons learned during the pandemic, and how the many benefits of technology can be used to enhance the education process,” Prof Luckin said. “Rather we seem to be moving back to the way things were.

“While the pandemic has been challenging and often difficult for schools, learners and families who were tasked with home-educating children, it has also accelerated the use of technology at a speed we would not have experienced in normal times.

“A lot of data has been generated and gathered which now needs to be analysed so that we create a clear picture of what worked during the school lockdown and what didn’t, and how we can use this information to ensure EdTech design and development moves with the times for the benefit of all. This is already happening in other countries around the world, and we must not be left behind.”

EDUCATE Ventures’ own research report on the UK education system’s lessons from Covid-19 can be found here.

Further information and registration details are here.

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