May 28, 2024 | By Hannah Cheever and Charles Harding
Originally published by the Postsecondary Teaching with Technology Collaborative

The shift to online learning due to COVID-19 appears here to stay – with a lasting increase in the share of undergraduate students enrolled in online courses. Critical in these online courses is the use of technology. When used effectively, new edtech products can enhance the student experience and instructor effectiveness in a number of ways, including enhancing discussion board interactions, enabling multi-media interactivity, increasing the scaffolding of instruction and materials to meet student needs among many others.

Despite the potential for evidence-based edtech products to have high impact in online instruction, there is often a disconnect between the research, practice, and development communities.

In a new three-part series, LEARN Network and Postsecondary Teaching with Technology Collaborative principal investigator Rebecca Griffiths speaks with two leaders in these fields: Meaghan Duff and David Yaskin. Duff is vice president of programs at Minerva Project, where she leads learning innovation strategy design and implementation. Yaskin is CEO coach and consultant at Ed Tech Coaching, founder of Starfish Retention Solutions, a leading provider of enterprise student success platforms to postsecondary institutions. He also ran Blackboard’s product strategy.

Part 1: How Can EdTech be a Tool for Equity?

In this blog post, Duff and Yaskin debate whether and how digital learning products can be designed with equity at the center. Read more…

Part 2: Who are the Customers for EdTech Innovations?

In this second blog post, Duff and Yaskin discuss how entrepreneurs can think about who their customers are and what needs they should focus on when trying to break into a new market.

Part 3: What Strategies Can EdTech Developers Use to Successfully Launch a New Innovation?

Coming soon! In this third blog post, Duff and Yaskin offer some strategies they have used to launch successful edtech products and help create a new market.

Visit the Postsecondary Teaching with Technology Collaborative website to learn more.

Tags: Education technology Evidence-based Innovation Research & Developers