According to mental health charity, Mind, nearly three-quarters (73%) of students said their mental health declined during the lockdown. As we begin to emerge from the seismic effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic, thoughts turn to the longer-term impact of over a year of isolation, upheaval, and disrupted learning.

According to The EdTech Report 2019/2020, it was predicted that by 2021 the UK EdTech sector would reach £3.4 billion. Despite this, findings show that more needs to be done to ensure UK schools and colleges are getting enough access to educational technology. In Northern Ireland, 3 in 4 teachers admitted that the children they teach don't have enough access to educational technology, with teachers in North East, West Midlands, Greater London, North West, and Wales agreeing. 

Leeds City College’s successful CAG process in 2020 resulted in just 24 appeals out of 29,000 qualifications, of which just 6 were upheld. In this article, Head of English and Maths, Jonny Diamond, and Director Quality of Education, Carol Layall, discuss how they achieved that, and consider the lessons learned to inform the 2021 TAG process.

Our latest survey of students using our Engage app shows that app technology is still the method of communication most preferred by today’s learners.

Predictive analytics will be the next logical step for many organisations, as educational institutions become increasingly data-led when making strategic decisions and the results, reports, and insights gained from predictive analytics continue to become more accessible. With more staff and stakeholders gaining access to data, predictive analytics will be integral to different roles across the institution.

Since 2019, influencer marketing has skyrocketed and become an integral part of many people's decision-making process when making a purchase. Whether it's a new clothing line from your favourite brand, a holiday destination or a cultural/political movement that you want to support, there is an influencer out there to help guide you into making a purchase that feels right for you.

Common misconceptions about predictive analytics in the education sector

Examples of predictive analytics are everywhere, and the education sector is no exception. The approach uses historical student data to create models that help forecast future problems or opportunities. Educational institutions are using existing student data to gain insights on current or future student performance.

Predictive analytics is invisible, yet its benefits are highly tangible. The use of predictive analytics can bring a range of advantages to all educational settings; the ability to easily access and interpret results and attainment data is integral to any institution’s forward-planning. A holistic, systematic approach to using data will unquestionably drive improvements to standards across the whole institution.

What is predictive analytics?

Predictive analytics use data, machine learning and statistical algorithms to work out the likelihood of future outcomes, by analysing patterns in historical data.

Due to the ongoing worldwide pandemic, there has been huge disruption across the education sector at all levels, the impact of which is still unknown as schools, colleges, and universities remain closed until further notice.