Your Must-Have EdTech Wishlist for 2025

If you’re looking for some EdTech goodies to start your 2025 off successfully, you’ve come to the right place.

From the latest developments in AI to exciting new AR technology, here are some essential additions you should be adding to your EdTech wishlist for the New Year…

AI platforms

If you haven’t already begun integrating AI into your tech tools, the beginning of a new year may be the perfect time to start. 

Rather than being regarded as a quick fix that strips young minds of their imagination, motivation and hard work, software such as ChatGPT should instead be recognised as an enhancement tool to reinforce these crucial qualities. When it comes to essays and assessments, it gives students more time to focus on exploring concepts and honing their ideas by simplifying ‘the boring bits’. This can lead to growth in student performance and instil a sense of confidence in pupils who have bright ideas but may struggle to articulate them. Additionally, with the ability to provide targeted feedback and identify areas that warrant improvement, AI can advantage teachers by relieving them of administrative responsibilities and granting them more time to allocate to their pupils. 

When it comes to selecting AI software that offers compatibility with your school’s existing systems, there are plenty of options:

• Microsoft Copilot - an AI assistant for education, Copilot provides AI-powered chat for the web with commercial data protection at no additional cost. While it's currently only available for institutions offering further and higher education for 18+ year olds, it enables increased collaboration in lots of exciting ways. For example, with Copilot in Microsoft Teams, students can get quick summaries of chats, remote classes, meetings, or calls they are part of. Recent updates to AI-driven tools like Copilot in Word and Excel also allow students to draft, edit, and analyse data more effectively.
• Gemini Education - a new generative AI suite designed to cater to the needs of learning facilities and students. Again, while it is only available to students aged 18+, it is tipped to become a valuable tool for sixth form and college students as they make the transition to independent learning.
• Google NotebookLM - particularly useful for research projects, Notebook LM is a handy tool that allows students to draw analysis from and summarise findings from research materials they have collated. Not only does it serve as a reliable study guide but it can also generate a podcast discussing inputted content.
• MagicSchool - a generative AI platform designed to assist educators with various tasks such as lesson planning, writing assessments and creating individualised education plans. It offers over 60 tools to streamline various processes and aims to save teachers significant amounts of time each week. The platform also offers a suite of tools specifically designed for students to enhance their AI literacy and learning experience.
• Magic Media in Canva - an app in the Canva platform, Magic Media enables users to create images, graphics and videos from simple text prompts. Teachers can generate high-quality visual content without requiring extensive design skills. Users can further enhance their creations using Canva’s editing tools, which offer options for adding animations, transitions and other effects to make the final product more dynamic and engaging​.
• Notion AI - this tool allows students to manage their notes or projects, perform various tasks and plan their studies efficiently. A solid organisational tool that helps increase productivity, Notion simplifies complex projects and can create content and summaries from notes.

AR/VR

VR allows students to experience historical events, explore the human body, or travel to distant lands, all within a safe and controlled environment. Students can use VR headsets to experience a virtual tour of the ancient Roman Colosseum, or they can even explore the inside of a human heart. Similarly, AR technology overlays digital information onto the real world, creating an interactive and engaging learning experience. For example, location-based AR can be used during field trips, outdoor learning activities, and geography lessons, providing students with real-time information about their surroundings and enhancing their understanding of the world. 

The immersive nature of these technologies can bolster understanding and increase student motivation - after all, students are more likely to remember information they have learned through virtual experiences due to active participation in the learning process. In fact, studies have shown that compared to traditional classroom learners, VR learners completed courses 4 times faster, were 4 times more focused, and were 3.75 times more emotionally connected to the content.

It’s worth noting that due to its increasing popularity, the costs of VR/AR technology is decreasing - making these immersive tools more affordable for all.

Here are some of our favourites:

• Anatomy 4D - medicine and health studies can be enhanced by taking Anatomy 4D, which presents the human body in an interactive view. Students can explore detailed 3D images of organs, muscles, and other body systems.
• Quiver - this app is designed for younger students who can colour an image, and then see it morph into a moving 3D figure on the students' devices. 
• Orbulus - a virtual reality program that displays 360-degree views from across the world, including the Rockefeller Center and the Pyramids, as well as the Sydney Opera House and the Northern Lights.
• CoSpaces Edu - this app enables 3D creation for any subject. The app can integrate lessons into a lesson, and visual concepts such as architectural design to narrative plot can be taught by students - from coding skills to creative storytelling, it covers a wide range of topics and themes.

Educational apps 

Educational apps are a great way to keep students engaged and entertained. Interactive software and websites often serve as reliable tools to keep children immersed, adding an element of gamification to the traditional learning process. 

With most primary schoolteachers believing children’s attention spans are getting shorter and classroom behaviour has deteriorated since before the Covid pandemic, educational games and interactive activities could be the key to unlocking classroom motivation.

Here are some quality apps and learning platforms you’ll want to make the most of in the New Year if you’ve not already expert users because some of these have been around a while 

• Kahoot! - a competitive game-based learning platform that allows teachers to create quizzes, surveys, and discussion prompts. Students participate using their devices, earning points for correct answers and speed. 
• Classcraft - this software transforms the classroom into a role-playing game where students take on different roles, such as warriors, mages, and healers. They earn points for positive behaviours and academic achievements, which they can use to gain privileges or help their team. 
• Duolingo - a popular app that gamifies language learning by incorporating levels, points, and streaks into its lessons, Duolingo enjoys worldwide success. Users complete language exercises to earn rewards and progress through different stages. 
• Minecraft: Education Edition uses the popular game Minecraft as an educational tool. Teachers can create immersive lessons in subjects like maths, history, and science, where students solve problems and complete projects within the game’s virtual world. 
• Quizizz is another platform for creating and playing quizzes. It allows students to compete against each other in real-time or at their own pace. Teachers can also track progress and identify areas where students need additional support.

At Novatia, we’re constantly thinking of ways to future-proof your institution’s ICT strategy. We take our passion, knowledge, and experience of ICT to make a real difference to learning outcomes in education. From ICT procurement to audits and strategy, we supply the correct solutions for your organisation’s needs both inside and outside the classroom. 

For more information on our services, please get in touch with us today.