A Times Commission into the state of Education in the UK recently reported, what educators have known for some time, we have a broken and out of date analogue model operating in a digital age. Schools are failing to provide students with the skills and experiences they need to be successful for the jobs that will define the future, the curriculum is no longer fit for purpose and is obsolete to those designing the future; students cannot see a route from education to employment. Finally, whilst the majority of the working world moves to find a better work-life balance through the introduction of four-day working weeks and remote working patterns, teachers are demoralised, overworked and leaving the profession in droves. It's time to reimagine education in the digital age.
Sophia Technologies Ltd, a UK based, female-founded EdTech company, is providing a blueprint for the radical reshaping of an education system that is increasingly seen as out of touch. Led by an educational leadership team that share a combined 60+ years of Headship, Senior Management and Teaching experience in leading UK Independent Schools and British International Schools overseas, Sophia is harnessing the power of digital technology to drive the rapid growth of their full-time British Online School, Sophia High School, as they work towards a sustainable, equitable and affordable future of education.
Before COVID-19, there was already high growth and adoption in education technology, with global EdTech investments reaching US$18.66 billion in 2019; the overall market for online education is now projected to reach $350 Billion by 2025. Today, this has only been exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 crisis and the rapid rise of online education is driving remarkable changes in the world.
At Sophia High School, children don't go to school, school comes to them. Our global learning community spans 23 countries on 5 continents. Our students have the remarkable opportunity to travel the world in just one school day as they develop global citizenship and are empowered to actively engage as creators of new digital content and meaningful and purposeful learning opportunities, rather than being subject to the often passive learning context of traditional classroom settings.
The online learning context that shapes Sophia High School, creates new avenues for engaging students and for teachers to connect with learners in ways that weren't possible before and this increased engagement helps students to better solidify and retain their knowledge and make accelerated progress.
Immersive learning opportunities through the use of virtual reality teaching brings new ways to transform the online learning experience in collaborative, virtual environments as the door opens to hands-on real-life activities not possible in the classroom. Just imagine being able to learn science on the International Space Station or explore the surface of Mars from the Rover, with students based all over the world, shrinking to the size of a DNA strand to collaboratively manipulate molecules hands-on, or travelling back in time to explore ancient Rome and role-play important historic events - all while learning from home.
But learning with Sophia doesn't stop there. Understanding the importance of developing student passions beyond the curriculum and opening the door to a global cohort of students, to explore and embrace a full range of opportunities and interests, this UK rising star in Educational Technology offers SophiaX online camps, workshops and courses for children. Through a program led by a team of qualified, UK based, vetted teachers and professionals, SophiaX provides engaging online learning experiences from home. Our latest endeavour, Athena Labs, sees our students explore the new realms of immersive learning through a metaverse experience, where shared compelling social experiences connect learners in a virtual reality environment that fuses traditional disciplines into one, holistic, engaging and immersive learning experience.
Educational Technology, the rise of leading online schools which rival traditional private schools at a fraction of the cost and new uses for immersive learning and VR content are revolutionising education. More schools around the world are adopting the technologies and seeking to develop hybrid models of learning to capture a more diverse student audience, and a growing number of families are no longer viewing online education as the lesser alternative to traditional school options.
As education shifts gears and is thrust into the digital age, the necessity to prepare the next generation of leaders for their life in digital, spatial worlds and provide them with both the personal skills and competencies in a social, cyber focused world becomes more important than ever.
The potential that the Metaverse holds for education could change education systems across the globe and help to decentralise education because, simply, the metaverse will allow anything to become a learning opportunity, and for anyone with a device and wifi access to be part of the experience.
At Sophia Technologies, we are ready for this exciting new future of schooling in the digital age.
This is Education Reimagined.
