Even before the pandemic, improving student engagement in critical "gateway" math/science courses was a tricky business, especially in traditionally underserved communities. In this episode of EdTech Today, Aurora Martinez, VP & General Manager at Wiley, discusses the diversity gap in tech careers and how we can leverage education to help close it.

This week Kevin Hogan and the EdTech Today show went on the road to the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego. Hogan used the opportunity to sit down with the biggest leaders in EdTech to discuss what they have learned from the successes and failures of remote learning and more importantly the lessons we can take away to improve the technology instead of backing away from it as we exit the pandemic.

The more data that drops, the clearer the message for institutes of higher learning—in order to keep pace with today's society, operations must change. In this episode, Kshitij Nerurkar, Education Business Leader at Cognizant, drills down on his numbers for further evidence.

Big news this week from Digital Promise—it will co-lead a new five-year, $20 million initiative aimed at creating artificial intelligence (AI) tools to advance human learning and education. In this episode of EdTech Today, Jeremy Roschelle, Executive Director of Learning Sciences Research at Digital Promise and one of the co-Principal Investigators (PIs) of the NSF grant, explains what this phase change will mean for future learning tools.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt recently released its 2021 educator confidence report, and the findings were not particularly optimistic.

Levi Belnap wants to make this clear from the beginning—artificial intelligence will never replace human teachers, at least not in our lifetime. What he and his colleagues at Merlyn Mind believe is that AI can enhance teachers' work. In this episode, Levi introduces us to his nascent company's offering and provides some insights on how they believe the classroom experience can be better for all involved.

The current economic zeitgeist suggests that workers need to start re-educating themselves if they want to not only survive but thrive. David Blake, CEO of Learn In, thinks differently. On this of EdTech Today, David breaks down why the employers are the ones that should shoulder the burden of educating the workers in order to not only retain workers but save money in the process.

New research released today by the Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL) at Columbia University finds that digitally accessible, high-quality instructional materials designed to bring students, families and educators together increased student learning and engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research reveals possibilities for sustained partnership between schools and families moving forward.

Never before has edTech been more essential, or more coveted in the investment community. In this of EdTech Today, Liam Pisano, Managing Partner at EduLab Capital Partners, talks about the current phenomenon and what it means for the industry moving forward.

The idea of trial and error (aka failure) used to be a tricky subject in education circles. Now during pandemic times, it has become part of the process whether we like it or not. Al Kingsley, CEO of Netsupport believes that some new aspects of this risk-taking culture should remain, in both industry and the classroom. In this episode of EdTech Today, Al discusses this and several other ideas imparted in his recent book release My Secret #EDTECH Diary.

As a teacher, administrator, and now designer, David Jakes has always been at the forefront for reimagining the classroom experience. In this episode, David talks about how this current disruption makes for an opportunity to capitalize on new teacher enthusiasm and wider community acceptance of what "school" means to change the way we teach and learn.

Nothing about the ongoing attempts to solidify post-pandemic learning will be easy. On this episode of EdTech Today, Maggie Hallbach analyzes the machinations and relationships amongst government, industry, districts, and parents and explains how it is at least possible. Verizon recently released findings from its Look Forward study on how Americans have adapted to life one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and what they think it will look like a year in the future. The study, conducted with Morning Consult, combined with Verizon network data suggests permanent lifestyle changes in the workplace, a sustained larger appetite for streamed content, a comeback for phone calls, and a more equal mix of online and in-person shopping as the new norm. “The pandemic has forced all of us to face challenges we never considered,” says Kyle Malady, Chief Technical Officer at Verizon. “A year into the pandemic, data usage on Verizon networks remains at almost 31% above pre-pandemic levels, a clear indicator that internet consumption and the acceleration of technology adoption are major byproducts of this moment. We’ve seen the shift to digital jump ahead 5-7 years.”

For Andy Pass, this moment in time is an opportunity to improve everything—from the way the edtech industry works, to the way educational content is created, to the way in which we teach and learn. In this wide-ranging episode, he touches on all these points and more. For example, the company recently posted an example of the changes education publishers should follow. An excerpt is below: Publishers face an uphill battle when it comes to remaining profitable these days. Still, opportunities to maintain and improve profits exist. Per a survey by Gutenberg Technology, 37% of industry leaders believed, “the market will still be interested, and there will be no end for paper textbooks.” That’s great news! However, 63% believe the decline in paper textbooks will continue to come. Yet, the pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital content. Leaders can follow these six strategies to succeed.

For Michael Huseby, CEO and Chairman of Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.(BNED), navigating a $1.5B operation through the most dramatic upheavals in the history of higher education was a difficult, but ultimately fulfilling, challenge. In this episode, Michael provides a state-of-play for the university systems rocked by the past two years and offers up some steadying and hopeful guidance when it comes to the future. The company's latest research report, COLLEGE 2030™: Transforming the Student Experience. features insights from college students, faculty members and campus administrators, and provides a comprehensive view of the current state of higher education and an exclusive outlook on the decade ahead. “The pandemic did not change the path for higher education, but it did change the speed at which we’re traveling on that path,” said Michael P. Huseby, CEO and Chairman, BNED. “Within the next 10 years, we will see a transformation of the student experience – from admissions through graduation – that will ultimately create a better, more inclusive and smarter world.”

On this episode of EdTech Today, Christine Nicodemus, co-founder and COO of Ascend and now Chief Product Officer at Aperture Education, details the news of her company's recent acquisition.

On this episode of EdTech Today, Marcy details the latest launch particulars of  PowerSchool Unified Classroom 2021 and lays out the potential for better experiences for teachers, students, and families alike.

One of the things that should never go back to normal post-pandemic is traditional professional development. In this episode, Adam Geller, Founder and CEO of Edthena, details how new technologies behaviors give teachers more agency over their professional learning. Is this the end of sit and git?

Todd Zipper believes there will always be a place for a bachelor's degree. But don't think that will ever be enough. In this episode, The president of Wiley Education Services predicts a microverse of education institutions that will continually support lifelong education and points to a truly hybrid classroom of the future.

Never has there been so great of a disruption in education than the past school year. Likewise, never has there been such an opportunity going forward, according to Keith Kreuger, CEO for the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). In this episode, Keith follows the money and lays out specific steps the industry can take to ensure that lofty ideas like digital equity and personalized learning turn into practical realities as soon as possible.

In her career as an educator and administrator in DC Public Schools, Kerri Larkin worked through a variety of challenges that affected that community. In her new role, she intends to take those experiences to a wider population of students. In this episode, Kerri itemizes the lessons learned during the past two school years and divines some best-case scenarios.