Estonian delegation took part in the largest online learning and remote working experiment in history – the online EdTechX Summit which brought together key decision-makers to help further accelerate change across industries and discuss how digital transformation contribute to global education.
Estonia, the Baltic nation of just 1.3 million people has attracted the attention of world leaders, academics and venture capitalists thanks to its high-tech digital society. Therefore we decided to focus our webinar on the digital transformation of Estonia’s education – the use of smart solutions to support learning and teaching, the development of digital skills and competencies and the integration of cybersecurity and creativity, but more specifically, how Estonia managed to switch to distance learning with an ease. How did Estonia become a new role model in digital education?
„Why do we top the global ranking in education? We have succeeded in applying smart digital solutions, learner-centred and inclusive education and lifelong learning as a lifestyle. We have valued education through the generations, we have an innovative start-up mindset,“ stated minister Mailis Reps and added: „We are always looking for new ideas and innovation. We enjoy co-creation more and more to make sure our education system is as multifaced as possible we are open to our EdTech companies to take our school life and learning process even further.“
See also:
What helped Estonian schools successfully handle the coronavirus crisis?
Let´s introduce Estonian EdTech startups changing the face of education worldwide:
eKool
eKool has 17 years of experience, it´s a school management tool that brings together students and their families, schools and supervisory bodies. Schools get full reporting and analytics, teachers can focus on teaching, not admin work, students get maximum support for learning and parents are always aware of progress and problems. „Thanks to eKool teachers have cut their administrative time in half, saving up to 45 minutes per day. Also, eKool has reduced skipping by 30% in 5 years,“ said Tanel Keres, the CEO of eKool.
Clanbeat
Clanbeat has built virtual teacher´s room to empower teachers and help them solve problems faster. They´ve also built a classroom which is a virtual space for the class. Students can communicate on a safe platform and grow as self-directed learners with features to support them with their daily tasks. „We have set ourselves to support self-directed learning, smart problem-solving and emotional wellbeing of students. With strong support from the community. Leading them to realize their potential,“ introduced Kadri Tuisk, the CEO of Clanbeat. „Clanbeat is being built together with users – teachers, psychologists, scientists and most importantly – with students.“
Tutor.id
Tutor.id is a private tutoring platform that connects students searching for a tutor with tutors looking to generate additional income. Established in 2015, Tutor.id is constantly looking for ways of transforming the education industry, growing tutoring businesses, and enabling novel ways of income. Education professionals who are willing to begin private tutoring or upgrade their existing businesses deserve a professional tool carefully tailored for their needs. „Education is a business where educators get paid the least. We´re here to flip that around,“ stated Karen Ordones Roosileht, the CEO of Tutor.id.
Alpa Kids
Alpa Kids is a playful and educative mobile application where children can learn the essentials like colours, numbers, the alphabet all through game and through the examples of their own culture and local nature. Alpa got 500% of new users during the COVID-19 and expanded to 78 new countries. „Alpa Kids is co-created with specialists. We collaborate with a range of researchers, kindergarten teachers, education technology specialists,“ said Kelly Lilles, the CEO of Alpa Kids.
99math
99math is the easiest most fun way to practice math facts in a classroom. „Math is the foundation of tech, finance, smart economy and high paying jobs but at the same time it is seen as hard and boring subject by students“, said Tõnis Kusmin, the CEO of 99math. 99maths increases perfomance by positive reinforcement, the feeling of success and instant feedback.
Futuclass
Futuclass is an educational virtual reality game for upper middle school students. The goal is to solve puzzles based in science. Knowledge learned in science classes gets a practical outlet. Futuclass brings awesome science experiences to classrooms. „Learning in virtual reality is safe, cheap and saves time for teachers. Putting students into the world where they are fully immersed helps to bring the understanding of the subject to the next level. It’s okay to fail, it’s okay to set virtual lab into fire. That’s the process of learning,“ introduced Kristen Tamm, the CEO of Futuclass.
Estonia shared all of its digital education tools to support other countries during the COVID-19 crisis. The list of tools internationally available.
