Last week, more than 300 education industry executives convened in unseasonably warm San Francisco for the Software and Information Industry Association’s (SIIA) Education Industry Summit. Education marketing discussions spanned the spectrum from brain research to procurement, and many points in between.
Main stage at SIIA Education Industry Summit 2014
Debating Data
As Frank Catalano notes in his write-up for EdSurge, debates around student data privacy echoed through the Palace Hotel’s long corridors:
In the wake of the shuttering of inBloom and SIIA’s own issuance of student data privacy guidelines for its members earlier this year, data safeguards and policies loomed large. In a general session, it was clear that one big unknown lay in products that cross the semi-permeable consumer-school barrier.
While the majority seems to agree student data privacy concerns are legitimate, it’s far less clear where the line should be drawn – and who should draw it. The vendor community remains wary of a “chilling” effect on innovation that could result from a severe overcorrection in privacy policies.
Shifting Perception of “Mobile”
In her SmartBlog on Education piece, Melissa Greenwood shares an “EdTech industry forecast,” including a new way of thinking about “mobile”:
Tiny screens may be the digital content delivery solution of the future. While the U.S. often frames “mobile” learning as learning that takes place on tablets, smartphones, etc., the global market is being driven largely by digital learning content provided via smartphones, which are more accessible to students in developing countries.
With screens shrinking, along with cost barriers associated with smartphones, expect to see more vendors capitalizing on “the new mobile.”
Celebrating Innovation
SIIA announced 31 winners in the 29th annual Education CODiE Awards. Winners encompassed a variety of companies, from household names to fledgling startups. CB&A client Learning.com brought back to Portland the CODiE for Best Instructional Solution in Other Curriculum Areas.
Innovation Incubator finalists were on display, as well, and conference attendees voted to determine winners and runners-up for Most Likely to Succeed, Most Innovative, and Educators’ Choice.
Next Event
Stay tuned for details about SIIA’s Education Business Forum, held during December in New York.