Deliver Hands-on Learning in a Hybrid World: EdTech Trends to watch in 2025.

Educational technology trends are many and technological advancements continue to grow at a steady pace. If your organisation is struggling to keep up, be assured that many others are in the same boat.

If you are still trying to get your head around everything that ChatGPT has to offer, or not fully aware of all the AI tools that will make life easier in your job role or industry, that’s ok! The main thing, is to continue to be informed about some of the trends, tools and possibilities, and incorporate those into your digital roadmap.

Continuing EdTech trends.

Some of the continuing trends in education technology include:

Cloud based LMS
Hyper-personalised learning
Micro-learning / Micro-credentialing
Upskilling platforms for workplaces
Improved data collection and analytics tools, and of course
The use of AI to automate, optimise, create, research and more

The above have been on many education providers’ priorities list for at least a couple of years now; and the same applies to employee training and development teams in workplaces.

EdTech trends gaining prominence in 2025.

Some of the EdTech trends gaining prominence in 2025 include:

Immersive learning
Extended reality (XR)
Blockchain for EdTech
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Technologies
Advancements in accessibility focused tools, and
Mobile learning

Let’s briefly unpack each of them.

Immersive learning.

Also known as experiential learning, immersive learning means hands-on, real life experiences, where you apply knowledge to practice. Immersive technologies available to us today (such as VR sets) make hands-on learning possible anywhere anytime. Imagine training your new employees by simply putting a VR headset on them and making them feel like they are in your real workplace setting.

In an online / hybrid learning and workplace environments, this is a game changer. Simulating real world scenarios makes learning engaging and is proven to improve knowledge retention. Whether you need to take your team on a virtual field trip or make them practice something in a virtual lab or a manufacturing facility, it can be done thanks to ‘extended reality’ tools. VR headsets are becoming more accessible / affordable, and so this trend is only expected to pick up pace and is not to be ignored.

Source: https://www.educate-me.co/blog/trends-in-educational-technology

Extended reality (XR).

Relating to immersive (hands-on) learning is ‘Extended reality’ – another EdTech term (whether you want to call it a buzzword or not) that is receiving increasing attention. But what does it actually mean?

“XR is an emerging umbrella term for all the immersive technologies – augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality, plus those that are still to be created.” Source

For some industries, XR aided learning is particularly critical, as it reduces risk. By prepping your students / employees for real world scenarios better in advance, you minimise incidents that can happen during on-the-job training. This is particularly beneficial in high risk industries such as military or healthcare, where complex scenarios can be practiced without putting people at risk.

Blockchain for EdTech.

Blockchain is “revolutionizing how we handle academic records by creating secure, unchangeable ledgers for transcripts, diplomas, and test scores”. Here are some interesting stats from EducateMe:

Also by automating learning paths, blockchain can reduce administrative burden and provide more control back to the users. It is also praised for increasing transparency and security.

Mental health has been front of mind for many organisations. Social and emotional skills training has been gaining popularity since the COVID pandemic and as we continue to operate in hybrid learning and hybrid workplace environments, the trend is here to stay.

Again, immersive (extended reality) tools and scenario based learning have been popular in implementing such training – placing people in scenarios that can help them better understand others and improve communication skills. Improving people’s confidence in social settings is important for both their mental health and your overall team effectiveness.

Accessibility focused tools.

Accessibility in education is not a new trend but it is at the point where you must take it seriously. Supporting diverse learning styles and people with disabilities is more possible than ever, thanks to various technologies such as text-to-speech software, customisable learning interfaces and more.

If you are a Moodle user, you should check out Brickfield Education Labs’ (Moodle integration partner) Accessibility Toolkit.

Mobile learning.

Another not so new trend but one that’s rapidly increasing in popularity is mobile learning. This makes a lot of sense as many people are trying to manage work, life and study commitments, trying to find a balance.

Checking in with your study app while commuting or while on your work break is a ‘norm’ and many expect this option to be provided by their education provider. So make sure that convenience is placed at the top of the list of the values you want to deliver to your customer. In the world of e-learning, there is no more obvious tool than a mobile learning app to deliver convenience.

Moodle: Education App of the Year at the Australian Access Awards 2023. Read more

Personalised approaches and hands-on experiences can make learning more engaging and more effective. In this, a suite of innovative technologies is our friend.

Catalyst IT has experts from education and other industries where our clients come from. This ensures we understand our clients’ challenges and opportunities and are able to advise you on tech solutions that will help you achieve your goals.

If you need help with mapping out your digital learning roadmap, speak to us today.

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Deliver Hands-on Learning in a Hybrid World: EdTech Trends to watch in 2025.

Continuing EdTech trends.