Exploring the Potential of EdTech | SXSW EDU 2024

Technology is advancing at rapid rates, and so is its inclusion in classrooms. Educators, among other education leaders, are leveraging edtech to enhance their teaching experience and engage students, providing more accessibility, engagement, and collaboration.

This past March, edtech organizations showcased at the SXSW EDU Expo, the central hub for innovations in learning, to share what is next and new in education. Organizations included EXPLR, a streaming video and curriculum service for grades 5-12, EGU, a nonprofit online university, and many more.

On Tuesday of the event, early stage startup entrepreneurs took the Next Stage to present their companies and compete for the grand prize at the Launch Startup Competition, presented by the Walton Family Foundation. Learn more about this year’s winners.

“Not all screen time is equal. There’s a lo of benefits to certain uses of screen time, and even the AAP, who originally put out the guidance… is now backing off and recognizing that it’s time to go beyond ‘just turn it off’ and think about how we utilize these tools.”

Jessica Sierra
Resource Teacher, San Diego County Office of Education

Experts took to the stage to get to the bottom of whether or not edtech is truly helpful, discover how we can engage students better, the benefits of using edtech in early education, and more.

Listen and learn more:

The Balance of EdTech Use

• Decoding EdTech Evidence: Are Our Kids Really Learning?
• EdTech for Littles
• Log-Off & Learn: Healing the Broken Classroom
• Co-Design for a More Inclusive EdTech Ecosystem
• EdTech Surveillance: How Companies Scam Schools & Hurt Kids
• EdTech vs. TechEd: Making Emerging Technology Accessible
• Why Education Needs More Big Bets

EdTech Strategies in Higher Education

• A Nontraditional Approach to Bridging the Skills Gap
• Austin's High Tech Boom: Powered by Higher Education
• Build, Buy, or Partner: HBCUs & Tech Innovations
• Tapping Tech to Solve the Student Debt Crisis
• Trending in Education: March Madness of Learning Trends 2024

EdTech Outside of the Classroom

• EdTech Investment – Is Europe Catching Up?
• NAF Research & Tech Talks: Why the Future of Work Needs a Work-Based Learning Movement
• From Spark to Sprints: Developing EdTech at Scale
• Holographic Horizons: Bridging the Educational Divide
• How EdTech Can Accelerate Economic & Social Development
• Ordering a Beer in Another Language Doesn’t Equal Mastery
• Reimagining Workforce Development: Bridging the Skills Gap

Watch SXSW EDU 2024 On-Demand Content

Take a look back at SXSW EDU 2024 and relive exciting Keynote, Featured Sessions, and more, now available to watch on our official YouTube channel, plus listen to hundreds of audio recordings in the schedule.

Stay tuned for more information about registration and participation opportunities for SXSW EDU 2025 coming later this summer.

Photo by Melissa Bordeau