Benefits of technology in education

Technology can support education through more targeted practice, faster assessment, accessible learning materials and flexible ways to study. However, introducing a digital tool does not automatically improve learning: its value depends on the educational need it addresses and how effectively it is used.

Here, we explore the benefits of technology in education, with practical examples of how it can support teachers and students, what the evidence tells us, and the limitations to consider.

What exactly is Education Technology (EdTech)?

Educational technology, often shortened to EdTech, refers to the tools, software and digital systems used to support teaching, learning, assessment and educational administration. Its applications range from providing learning resources to helping teachers review pupils’ progress and identify where additional support may be needed.

The variety of educational technology available to teachers is vast. The starting point should not be which tool looks most impressive, but which educational problem needs solving.

How can technology improve education?

Technology is most useful when it supports a clearly defined teaching or learning objective. A school trying to identify gaps in pupils’ understanding has a different need from one looking to make lesson materials more accessible.

Rather than asking whether a platform is innovative, schools should ask what it enables teachers or learners to do, how that supports their objectives, and how they will assess its impact.

The benefits of technology in education

1. More targeted practice and support

Digital tools can support the quality and quantity of pupils’ practice, giving teachers another way to reinforce learning and respond to gaps in understanding.

For example, a maths platform could identify repeated errors in a particular type of question and offer additional practice. The teacher could then review those responses and decide whether the pupil needs a different explanation or further support.

This should not be confused with matching teaching to fixed “visual”, “auditory” or other learning styles. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) finds insufficient evidence for this approach and cautions against labelling pupils by a supposed learning style. Prior knowledge, barriers to learning and assessment provide more useful starting points

2. Faster assessment and useful feedback

Technology can help teachers gather responses and use them to decide what to teach next. However, the value lies in the quality of the feedback and how pupils act on it, rather than simply receiving a score more quickly. The EEF’s feedback guidance emphasises information that helps learners understand and improve their work.

For example, a teacher could use a short digital quiz before moving to a new topic. If several pupils make the same mistake, the teacher could revisit that concept with the class.

An automated response that explains an error and prompts another attempt serves a different purpose from a message that only says “incorrect”.

3. More accessible learning materials

Accessibility is about more than being able to find information online. It also concerns whether learners can perceive, understand and use the material.

Captions can make spoken content available to learners who are deaf or hard of hearing, while transcripts provide a text alternative to audio. Descriptive transcripts can also include essential visual information from a video.

For example, a recorded lesson could be accompanied by checked captions and a descriptive transcript, allowing learners to access the explanation in different ways.

These features need to be designed and checked. Automatically generated captions are not necessarily accurate enough to use without review.

4. Support for teacher planning and workload

One practical benefit of educational technology is its potential to reduce the time spent on specific preparation tasks. There is evidence for some carefully defined uses, rather than for a universal reduction in workload.

In December 2024, the EEF reported findings from a randomised trial involving 259 teachers across 68 secondary schools in England. Teachers using ChatGPT alongside an implementation guide spent 31% less time preparing their Year 7 and 8 science lessons and resources than the comparison group, which was asked not to use generative AI.

That represented an average saving of approximately 25 minutes per week on those planning activities. The finding does not mean teachers’ total workload fell by 31%, nor does it establish that pupils learned more.

5. Collaboration and communication

A shared digital task can give pupils opportunities to contribute ideas, review one another’s work and develop a joint response.

For example, a group could prepare a presentation in a shared workspace, with each pupil responsible for researching and explaining a different aspect of the topic.

The structure of the activity matters. The EEF distinguishes effective collaborative learning from simply placing pupils in groups: learners need suitable tasks, support and opportunities to participate. Providing access to a shared document is not, by itself, a collaborative learning strategy.

6. Flexible and blended learning

Digital resources can extend learning beyond a single classroom session, supporting a combination of face-to-face teaching and online activities.

For example, a pupil could revisit a recorded explanation before attempting an assignment, then discuss any remaining difficulties with their teacher.

A flexible approach should therefore include alternatives for pupils who cannot reliably access a device, connection or suitable study space.

7. Exploring concepts through simulations

Interactive simulations offer opportunities to build lessons around prediction, experimentation and explanation.

Consider a lesson about electrical circuits. A teacher could use a simulation that lets pupils change resistance, predict the effect on current and compare their prediction with the model’s output.

The educational purpose would be to connect the calculation with an observable result, not simply to make the lesson more entertaining.

A useful follow-up would ask pupils to explain what happened, identify the model’s assumptions and relate the exercise to a physical circuit where appropriate. This keeps the focus on understanding rather than clicking through an activity.

8. Developing digital literacy

Technology also provides opportunities to practise evaluating information and using digital resources responsibly. England’s computing curriculum includes evaluating digital content and using technology safely, respectfully and responsibly.

For example, pupils could compare two online explanations, examine the evidence behind each and justify which is more trustworthy.

The aim should be more than familiarity with a particular application. Students should be encouraged to question information, explain their decisions and recognise when a digital tool is useful, and when another approach would be better

How is AI being used in education?

Generative AI can assist with drafting lesson resources, suggesting activities and preparing material for teachers to review. These teacher-facing uses should be distinguished from pupils using AI directly.

The Department for Education identifies potential applications in planning, feedback and administration, while noting that evidence about effects on learners’ development and educational outcomes remains limited. AI-generated content can also be inaccurate, biased or inappropriate.

Professional review is therefore essential. Teachers need to check whether an output is correct, suitable for the pupils and relevant to the curriculum. Pupil-facing uses require additional consideration of supervision, age restrictions, safeguarding and data protection.

What are the limitations of technology in education?

The benefits are not automatic. UNESCO’s 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report highlights the importance of access, teacher preparation and appropriate governance, alongside limitations in the independent evidence supporting many educational technology products.

Before introducing a new tool, schools should consider three practical questions:

• Can everyone use it? Consider access to suitable devices and connectivity, alongside accessibility requirements.
• What will implementation involve? Assess training, staff time, ongoing costs and the support needed to use the tool effectively.
• How will its value be tested? Decide what improvement is expected and what evidence would demonstrate it.

For AI tools, this assessment also needs to address accuracy and the handling of personal information. The Department for Education recommends avoiding personal data in generative AI tools unless its use is strictly necessary and appropriate protections are in place.

The role of technology in education

The strongest case for technology in education is not that it replaces existing teaching methods, but that it helps address specific challenges more effectively.

For schools, that means selecting tools around learning objectives and reviewing their impact. For EdTech developers, it means being clear about the problem a product addresses, the conditions it needs to work and the evidence behind its claims.

A useful question for both is: what can teachers or learners do better because this technology is available?

Developing educational technology? Explore the funding available

Using technology in education and developing technology that qualifies for R&D tax relief are different things.

An EdTech project may contain qualifying R&D where it seeks an advance in science or technology and involves uncertainties that a competent professional could not readily resolve. The advance must concern the wider field, not simply something new to the business.

Read our guide to R&D tax relief and funding for software companies for more detail on qualifying development work and the evidence needed to support it.

Developing an EdTech product and unsure which funding routes could be relevant? Book a complimentary funding assessment with Kene to discuss your project, or explore our Grant Finder for current fudning opportunities.