A paradigm shift: How EdTech is revolutionizing international student mobility

For a long time, the world has clung to traditional education methods. Warnings from international organizations to transform education systems rapidly and continuously to keep up with the demands of the 21st century and the Industrial revolution 4.0 have reverberated in discussions across the globe. One pressing and long-pending drill was adopting and adapting technology in education.

The Journal, launched in 1972, was the first magazine to cover education technology. It chronicled the advent of pre-internet EdTech back in the late 90s. While attempts to incorporate technology into education have been made over the decades, they remained sparse and sluggish.

The catastrophic health crisis that eclipsed the world in 2020 and brought every aspect of life as we knew it to a standstill accelerated and made bare the need to jump the bandwagon of technological transformation at all rungs of the educational ladder. EdTech has the potential to transform and nurture the entire spectrum from PreK to university.

While a lot has been said about the transformative potential of EdTech for student learning outcomes, relatively less has been spoken about its potential to transform the admissions process for students seeking admission to overseas institutions. Let’s understand how EdTech influences higher education and international student mobility.

The emergence of EdTech

EdTech has been on the higher education horizon for a long time. However, the last decade could be cited as the period of EdTech evolution in India. According to Datalabs by Inc42, between January 2014 and September 2019, more than 4,450 edtech startups were launched in India. Many of these startups struggled to find a steady revenue stream, with 25% of them closing business.

Then came 2019, bringing the most deadly health crisis of this century. The pandemic brought norms of social distancing that disrupted the fundamental structure of imparting education. The changes were abrupt and profound and varied heavily across geographies. Adaption was contingent upon various socio-economic and accessibility variables. However, the resolve to commit to technological change to provide the best to their pupils largely remained consistent among institutions globally. Higher education institutions quickly adapted to digital resources to impart uninterrupted education to students regardless of their geographical location.

Not just for teaching and learning, but institutions globally are increasingly adopting EdTech to up their enrollment game. Students appreciate interactive communication with representatives at prospective universities, which necessitates relationship building on the university's end to achieve their enrollment goals.

Technologies like email, instant messaging, information access through websites and blogs, as well as the provision to connect with enrolled students through social media, podcasts, online forums, and virtual tours have become an essential part of the admission process. The Inside Higher Ed’s survey in 2019 revealed that close to 90% of admissions officials were using digital communication tools like chatbots and social media to interact with potential applicants.

Edtech has also helped streamline the application process through tools like online forms, FAQs, and other resources, where students can get instant updates on their application status. Moreover, facilities like virtual access to campus tours, events, and speaking to university representatives regarding financial aid, scholarships, career prospects, etc., have proved to be game-changers in student acquisition.

One more exciting development is the emergence of EdTech companies facilitating overseas education application processes. These companies are revolutionizing the journey for aspirants by combining cutting-edge AI and human expertise. The AI tools facilitate students in securing admissions to universities abroad. These AI and machine learning-based platforms provide university and course recommendations based on the aspirant’s profile. Additionally, there are AI tools that help universities shortlist candidates. Some tools also assist students in writing compelling SOPs and essays and even prepare them for university interviews.

Studying abroad for long remained a distant dream for youth hailing from TIER 2 and TIER 3 cities. Inadequate access to proper and ethical guidance emerged as the major constraint for students in these cities. However, EdTech firms are breaking down these barriers and providing students from TIER 2 and 3 cities with holistic guidance by putting them in touch with experienced counselors and coaches coupled with AI-enabled profile evaluation.Global student mobility trends- the Edtech way

With COVID-19 disrupting physical mobility, many novel factors have emerged that are reshaping the world of international education. Asian student diaspora is predicted to lead the global education demand. International student enrollments are forecasted to grow at a ~5% CAGR to FY30, driven by increased demand from India and developing Asian nations. At present, India is leading this growth. This megatrend is steered by multiple factors: a growing population, upward income mobility, and the desire to settle abroad. The growth of Edtech firms enabled by state-of-art technology and human expertise will help many materialize their dream of overseas education.

Author: Ashish Fernando,Founder and CEO, iSchoolConnect