Reflections on BETT 2022: Blended Learning and the Future of Edtech

Last week, I had the pleasure of doing something I’ve missed for two years: attending the annual BETT education conference in-person. Catching up with familiar faces and striking up conversations with new people felt like the first day back at school after summer vacation. I quickly realized how much I craved the human connection and interaction that comes with being at an in-person event, a feeling that many teachers and students know all too well.

Walking through the booths, it was clear the pandemic has had a profound and lasting impact on education. Preparedness and sustainability are paramount, cybersecurity is prioritized alongside physical security, and blending learning is the way of the future. Following the rapid transition to remote and hybrid lifestyles, the acceleration of these trends comes as no surprise.

The collective global experience has been a turning point and opportunity for both a technological revolution and a shift in how instruction happens. By bringing together the best parts of education and technology, we have the power to create a more fulfilling, enriching experience that meets social and emotional needs, but it also equips students with the tools necessary to succeed in the economy of the future.

Blended learning transformation

The classroom is no longer limited to four walls. The future of classroom redesign includes a concept called blended learning. Blended learning is a methodology that combines traditional in-class instruction with strategic tech-enabled activities. It allows educators to puzzle piece and customize their approach, combining the best of technology and traditional ways of teaching to improve instructional outcomes.?

Students learn at their own pace through a combination of online and in-person learning, utilizing instructional videos and other relevant interactive digital content. However, a crucial part of learning is still done in the classroom. Students can experiment, collaborate, and connect their learning to real-life applications, all with an expert in the room to answer questions and clarify. The hands-on practice and reinforcement in the classroom help students retain what they’ve learned, while simultaneously giving more support when they most need it.

Opportunities for blended learning

As the husband of a former educator, I understand that technology cannot and will not replace teachers. Instead, technology will empower them to personalize instruction and make the greatest possible impact while setting their students up to thrive in the digital economy of the future.

Blended learning can improve teaching effectiveness by facilitating flexibility and differentiated instruction for each pupil. Take, for example, learning the concept of slope in an algebra class. As a student, I would have greatly appreciated learning about slope by watching instructional videos at my own pace. Afterward, I could use class time to ask questions and work with classmates on a project demonstrating how slope affects skiing, a real passion of mine. Making a topic personalized inherently makes it more engaging and transferable than a traditional lecture. Not to mention, personalizing material relies upon human interaction and connection and helps ensure social and emotional needs are met.

Challenges of blended learning

The main challenges of blended learning tie to two of the main conversations we also had at BETT 2022 – preparedness and the digital divide.

While many schools were already on track to adopt blending learning modalities, the pandemic accelerated the shift. Now, schools are 3-5 years ahead of where they expected to be, often with limited resources or training to be truly ready. During the pandemic, teachers were required to learn new technology skills and deploy them in a matter of days, all while having the additional pressure of facilitating social-emotional learning through a screen.

In a world where technology is a defining element of education, the digital divide sets children without access to hardware, digital literacy, and connectivity even farther back.?UNESCO research shows that half of the total number of learners – some 826 million students – kept out of the classroom by the pandemic do not have access to a household computer, and 706 million have no internet at home. COVID closures are still impacting over 400 million pupils, and UNICEF estimates 147 million children have missed at least half of their in-person schooling.

This topic came up during one of my favorite parts of BETT 2022. Charlie Radman, Interim Global Head & GM of HP Education, joined Sarah Brown, Chair of Theirworld and Executive Chair of Global Business Coalition for Education, for a conversation on sustainable equity in education.?

I caught up with Charlie and the team afterward to continue the dialogue. He said:

"Prior to COVID-19, over 260 million students were already struggling to get an education; COVID and conflict in places like Ukraine, Syria, and elsewhere have significantly added to that number. However, after my discussion with Sarah Brown, I walked away with a renewed sense of purpose and empowerment that the work HP is doing to improve education outcomes and close the digital equity gap is absolutely essential in helping transform the lives of hundreds of millions of people. This urgent need is what gets me out of bed every morning and drives everything we do!"?

The success of the blended learning model depends on teachers and students having widely available connectivity and technology, as well as the training and skills necessary to fully take advantage of it. That means we will need to not only provide adequate training and professional development for varied circumstances, but we also need to address the larger scale challenge of the digital divide.?

The road ahead

As technology leaders, we have a responsibility to ensure that edtech innovations are sustainable, secure, meet the instructional needs of blended learning, and consider social emotional needs. But above all else, our top priority must be continuing to advocate for digital equity. Because without digital literacy or access to hardware, software, and connectivity, students and teachers won’t be able to benefit from edtech advancements and opportunities.

Whether through free, skills-based courses with HP LIFE, or partnerships with Aspen Digital, MIT Solv[ED], and Girl Rising, HP is prioritizing access to the resources and skills necessary to better learning outcomes for 100 million people by 2025. We are also equipping our devices, like the HP Fortis Portfolio, to meet the growing needs of blended learning. This includes larger screens and garage pens that give students a better canvas to problem-solve and create. The Fortis portfolio also provides better cameras and LTE capabilities to ensure productivity wherever and whenever learning happens.

The last few years have proven that uncertainties can become eventualities and that the routines and infrastructures that have defined our world for generations are not guaranteed to continue. Still, regardless of what the future holds, if we continue to invest in sustainable, inclusive edtech, we are investing in a better tomorrow for the next generation of students.