The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants released a
Developed jointly in collaboration with online course provider edX, the report highlights how edtech makes it possible to study at any time and place, and how flexibility has become the most valued attribute of remote learning. Report author Narayanan Vaidyanathan said that it's best expressed in the popularity of blended learning across all age groups, which allows a mix of physical and online education. The mechanisms through which learners consume knowledge vary widely between countries, and ACCA has been striving to adapt to their needs.
"We want to drive access to good quality education around the world, and we see edtech as an important enabler to share content with people who would not be able to access experts, content or modules otherwise," said Vaidyanathan. "Promoting immersive-based solutions relevant to accounting learners is essential to develop soft skills and be workplace ready, but having employable accountants is not our only purpose. ACCA also wants to spread that message to as many learners as possible, and edX felt like the best fit for this goal."
Thanks to a global survey of over 1,400 accounting learners and instructors, the researchers have provided three edtech tips to support a student's professional journey: use edtech's potential to fit around one's life, consider the blended learning option and don't reject edtech as an option because of the student's life stage or the company's size. The most popular devices for learning were portable ones, such as laptops at 88%, mobiles at 72%, and tablets cited by 44%, meaning that content developers and assistant providers will need to ensure that the quality of their visual delivery and educational content remains the same across all platforms.
"These findings chime [in] with ACCA's own experiences as we seek to continue driving equitable access globally," said Alan Hatfield, ACCA executive director of content, quality and innovation, in a statement. "Some of our established efforts, such as ACCA-X, offering free ACCA courses online through our partnership with edX, have already shown us the power of technology. We also see increasing numbers of our Approved Learning Partners utilizing AI and algorithms to better support students and their learning outcomes. We remain excited about the possibilities for the future in this fast-evolving space."
The report also identified six edtech trends for educators, including bite-sized videos, integrated learning, AI-enabled learning and assessment, micro-credentials, gamification, simulation, and augmented or virtual realities, such as the metaverse.
While large educational partners and providers managed to put resources into a learning platform, others have found alternatives such as short accounting lessons, open-source textbooks, etc. Digital content seems to have gained particular attention, as 91% of those relying on edtech state that they use e-books or digital content.
"Micro-credentials, including boot camps, short courses, and other online and blended credit-bearing learning formats, are increasingly recognized by employers as a means of demonstrating employee qualifications," said Lee Rubenstein, vice president of partnerships at 2U, in a statement. "We are excited to work with ACCA to help leading enterprises across the globe embrace online learning as a credible and widely accepted modality to help employees acquire new skills, pursue career advancement, and contribute to enterprise agility."
However, the study also identified obstacles to the mainstream spread of edtech in the future, such as the digital divide, which refers to the gap in access to a reliable internet connection, power and learning-friendly environments. According to the Pew Charitable Trust, 21 million Americans didn't have proper access to the internet in 2019, and
