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This blog was written by an independent guest blogger.
Edtech is helping to provide children and adults all over the world with new and updated skills and knowledge. One important area it’s helping with is cybersecurity. A recent report by Forbes gave the opinion that edtech would provide the perfect backdrop for cybersecurity learning, and it's easy to see why.
Edtech is digital, meaning it's on the right platform; it’s accessible, so a range of students can access it; and it’s designed for learning, meaning that the lessons it provides can easily be picked up. The first question many cybersecurity experts will be asking is if edtech is effective at delivering learning.
Does edtech work?
Scientific studies have long sought to establish just how effective edtech really is. An in-depth report by the Brookings Institute found it works well; so much so that work needs to be done in schools across the world to ensure that edtech is brought into classrooms and implemented alongside learning to provide the best possible outcomes for students.
The benefits of edtech are clear - the ability to use on-demand feedback from students and combine with teacher’s insights can create a feedback blend that is effective in everything from teaching math to learning to play the guitar. With expert input, edtech apps can gather data in such a way that provides key learning insights - in the cybersecurity world, this is of crucial importance.
Early intervention
Many experts, including those at SecurityMagazine.com, have advocated for early training in cybersecurity. Children should be encouraged to practice proper digital hygiene from a young age, with educators suggesting K-12 is the perfect place to start in that regard. Edtech can make this process easier through being more fun, interactive, and by getting children and young adults to focus on their digital devices and what they can do to be safer online. This, ultimately, sets the ideal precedent for the future.
Enhancing expertise
Cybersecurity is one of the most dynamic fields in digital technology, and experts need to constantly be on their toes to stay ahead of emerging threats and the like. This is why CISA provides lifelong learning to their cybersecurity advocates and interested parties. Arguably, staying on top of current cybersecurity threats is equally as important as the basics of internet hygiene.
For experts, it can be easy to get tangled up in specific areas of vulnerability and to lose sight of other areas. Edtech-driven learning, which can work in a way that provides constant minor updates to learners, can help. Cybint concludes that the gamification of learning is particularly effective in cybersecurity for learners of all aptitudes and levels, helping to keep long-term learners engaged.
Edtech can be a transformative tool in cybersecurity. Awareness and ability are the key things that underpin being cyber-secure and being able to respond to threats on the fly is a key part of that capability. Edtech provides the exact tool required to make long-term and lasting change.