Smart education involves more than just the use of smart gadgets. Rather, it has more to do with a shift from traditional forms of education to ones that are more innovative, inclusive and learner-friendly. Smart education software has made several important changes in education.Smart classes now exist that are equipped with hardware and software, allowing for greater dissemination of knowledge and a better learning experience overall.
A typical smart education scenario involves the use of interactive visuals, such as videos, presentations, or analytical applications that help students improve their logical thinking, visualization, and effective problem solving. This has created the need for improved IT infrastructure in classrooms, cloud-based solutions to support multiple forms of e-learning, including virtual classrooms and distance education, and, most of all, smart education software. In 2015, the global smart education software market was valued at $11.55 million. According to analysts at Technavio, the market will grow at a CAGR of 17% by 2020.
The smart education software market in APAC
When it comes to the global smart education software market, APAC holds the third largest market share, after North America and Europe, respectively. The market is divided into three product-based segments:
- Content
- Learning
- Assessment
Of the three segments, the content segment dominates the market.
Emergence of m-learning
The growing need for simplified learning environments has led to the emergence of the m-learning (mobile learning) platform. One major advantage of m-learning is that it provides users with real-time access to educational content, anywhere and at any time. The primary components of smart classroom content and software are also available on the m-learning platform.
Growing number of virtual schools
As the education system in APAC becomes more efficient and learner-friendly, there has been an increase in the number of virtual schools. Full-time virtual schools bring students and teachers from various regions onto a single platform and enhance the learning experience through audio, video, and interactive, real-time sessions. As virtual classrooms and smart education software go hand-in-hand, this trend has contributed a great deal to the growth of the smart education industry.
Increased use of cloud-based software solutions
Cloud-based software solutions have gained popularity not only because they are flexible, enable work regardless of geographical borders, and are secure, but also because they are capital-expenditure free. Cloud-based software solutions also improve accessibility and integration, contributing to the seamless use of smart education tools and software.
These trends can help to explain why the market for smart education software is growing in the APAC region. In fact, governments in most APAC countries are implementing large-scale technology initiatives that can boost the market for technology-based learning. Along with investment in infrastructure, they are working to provide free tablets for students from low-income families. Most of all, there has been a major initiative to convert traditional books into digital versions. South Korea, for example, began the digital conversion initiative in 2011 by investing $2.1 billion to substitute all school textbooks with e-textbooks. Due to aggressive digitization efforts and the adoption of smart learning methods, it is predicted that by the year 2020, APAC’s share in the smart education software market will grow substantially.
Blackboard, Knewton, Instructure, Educomp Solutions and Think Academy are some of the leading vendors in the smart education industry.
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