Navigating The Frontier Of Education Technology
The past decade has seen EdTech evolve from a supporting role in traditional classrooms to a force to transform education around the world. This rapid change is driven by changing user needs, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Before 2020, EdTech was a growing but complementary field, helping traditional institutions expand services online. However, the pandemic greatly accelerated digital adoption. On April 14, 2020, school closures in 188 countries affected more than 1.6 billion students worldwide—more than 91% of the world’s student enrollment. This scale of disruption has led to an urgent need for digital solutions for continuing education at a distance, which has led to a major shift in online learning platforms around the world. This dramatic shift has accelerated user expectations, pushing digital learning providers to create platforms that can not only deliver curriculum but also provide for special preferences, supportive communication, and adapt to varying learning speeds.
Today’s users—students, educators, and even institutions—increasingly demand platforms that provide intuitive communication, personalized experiences, flexible learning systems, and accessible design. These trends are detailed in OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030 report, which emphasizes the need for a flexible learning experience that accommodates users’ preferences and lifestyles [1]. Similarly, a KPMG report, The Future of Learning: The Transformation Imperative, highlights the key transformational initiatives in business learning, emphasizing that organizations must adapt to the transformative capabilities of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), shift to skills-based work models, and meet the increasing expectations of employees, especially those of Gen Z, who want learning integrated into their workflow [2]. These evolving needs offer EdTech product managers both a challenge and an opportunity to rethink how education can be delivered and done well in digital environments.
EdTech Product Managers Can Meet Evolving Expectations with Agile, User-Centered Design
The shift to a user-centric digital experience has redefined the success metrics for EdTech products. McKinsey & Company reports that today’s digital-first readers are largely shaped by the information provided by popular digital platforms, such as social media and mobile apps. These platforms prioritize user-friendly interfaces, interactions, and personalized experiences. According to McKinsey, many students want an educational experience similar to these levels of simplicity and personalization, suggesting that EdTech product managers must focus on improving user engagement by using common design principles and interactive features.
To keep up, EdTech products must address three key expectations: accessibility across devices, personalized learning methods, and engaging design. These sections demonstrate effective strategies that are often seen in successful educational settings. Many use game techniques to improve user interaction and retention, making the learning process fun and motivating. Additionally, modular course structures are becoming increasingly popular, allowing students to access content easily and on demand, catering to a variety of learning needs and programs. Such approaches are essential to meet the expectations of today’s digital learners, who want personalized and social experiences. [3].
The agile approach has become a staple for product managers who want to stay responsive in this ever-changing industry. An agile methodology emphasizes incremental updates, real-time feedback, and flexibility, allowing EdTech providers to quickly adapt to changing user environments. By integrating continuous development with agile cycles, EdTech product managers can track user engagement, incorporate feedback, and iterative features that directly address user satisfaction and learning outcomes. As highlighted in the article “Building a Better Teacher Learning Management System: How Agile Methods are Used to Support Educational Transformation in Tanzania,” agility is essential to effectively address the rapidly changing needs of teachers and students. [4].
Recommendations for EdTech Product Managers
1. Prioritize User-Centered Design
Building for user needs should be the focus, rather than mid-market trends. Product managers must prioritize user-centered design that truly addresses the unique needs of their target users. This approach goes beyond simply sticking to the existing market trend, especially considering the different demographics and areas where these products will be used.
For example, building a tech-savvy community in a metropolitan area like London may lead product managers to prioritize advanced features, gamification, and integration with other digital resources. Users in this context often expect a seamless experience, high interaction, and new functions. In contrast, the development of a less technologically connected society, such as that in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, requires a different strategy. Users in these areas may prioritize basic functionality, ease of use, and offline accessibility, given that their technology infrastructure may not support advanced digital solutions. Therefore, extensive user research is needed to address the unique needs of users.
2. Adopt Agile Methods for Continuous Improvement
Agile frameworks are essential for maintaining responsiveness in a rapidly growing market. By emphasizing iterative updates based on real-time user feedback, product managers can improve features to continuously improve the User Experience (UX). KPMG report, The Future of Learning: The Transformation Imperative emphasizes the important role of agility in EdTech, especially through the integration of productive AI and a skills-based organizational approach.
The report highlights that powerful productivity AI enables EdTech companies to create dynamic learning experiences based on user feedback, ensuring relevance and efficiency. This adaptability allows organizations to identify skill gaps and improve employee engagement by embedding learning directly into daily workflows. By focusing on employee expectations and fostering a culture of continuous learning, EdTech companies can create products that not only meet current needs but also anticipate future needs, ultimately supporting long-term success in a rapidly changing environment. [2].
3. Driving Engagement While Balancing Collaboration
Integrating interactive tools into the learning experience can greatly improve user engagement in educational settings. Strategies such as gaming, online forums, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and adaptive learning technologies, when used thoughtfully, have been shown to improve student engagement and motivation. For example, adding interactive elements that reward progress—such as badges, quizzes, note-taking features, and mini-challenges—can create a more focused and engaging environment.
Research shows that such methods can improve retention and motivate students to persist in their academic pursuits [3]. By making learning experiences rewarding, fun, and motivating, teachers can help students reach their goals more effectively. However, moderation is important; excessive use of gamification or other interactive tools can lead to distraction rather than enhancement of learning. Therefore, it is important to design these elements carefully to ensure that they are in line with the educational objectives rather than detracting from them. Ultimately, while the integration of interactive tools can transform the learning experience, careful consideration is needed to maximize their benefits while minimizing potential distractions.
4. Use Data Analytics to Personalize
Advanced analytics allows for tailored learning strategies based on user progress, helping users learn at their own pace and focus on areas where they need improvement. By tracking progress and customizing content accordingly, product managers can deliver a personalized learning journey that supports users’ goals, as demonstrated by Khan Academy’s success in K-12 education. [5].
5. Ensure Data Security and Appropriate Use of AI
As data plays a major role in EdTech, ensuring privacy and ethical use of AI is critical. I World Economic Forum report on AI and data in EdTech highlights the need for transparent data processes and strong data security measures. Product managers must work with legal and technical teams to prioritize user trust, ensure data security, especially when working with young users, as the learning journey of many users will be deeply personal, thus revealing personal information and user data.
The conclusion
EdTech is a dynamic field, shaped by evolving user needs and new technologies. For EdTech product managers, the opportunity lies in designing solutions that are user-centered, flexible, and highly engaging. By prioritizing user research, creative methods, and ethical practices, product managers can create products that not only meet current expectations but also anticipate the future needs of a global, diverse learning community. This approach is essential to creating lasting, impactful products that make education more accessible, engaging, and successful in today’s digital world.
References:
[1] The Future of Education and Skills 2030 [2] The Future of Learning: a critical shift [3] A Decade Enters Exams With Gamification, Edtech Rethinks How To Motivate Students [4] Building a better Learning Management System for teachers: How to use Agile methods to support educational reform in Tanzania [5] Research on the Use of Khan Academy in SchoolsSource link
