Nordic EdTech News #119: 2024-09-16
Your Weeks 36 - 37 update from the Nordic and Baltic EdTech ecosystem
Hello and welcome to today’s Nordic EdTech News. I completely forgot to mention that NEN #118 came out exactly 5 years and well over 3,000 subscribers after NEN #1. So thanks to everyone who reads this newsletter for your support - I really appreciate every share, every click, every like and the positive feedback you give. 🙏
If you’re new to this community, welcome! This newsletter is the best way to keep up with the EdTech ecosystem across 8 Nordic and Baltic countries. I curate it from company updates and a wide variety of international sources. It’s a passion project of mine - the rest of my time is spent advising / consulting companies who lead the future of learning. If you’d like to find out how I could help your organisation, just drop me an email.
Let’s start this week with Boktugg, a newsletter focused on the Swedish book industry, who last week responded to the increasing push against mobile phones and devices in schools. Their perspective is content-focused, but hits hard, arguing that the moves are aiming at the wrong target:
The school's problem is not screens. It's that you don't succeed in engaging students in the same way as before. Of course, it was much easier to do 50 - 60 years ago, before the Internet and an unlimited supply of video. It is possible to succeed even today, but not with the same methods.
They continue, warning starkly:
“If schools offer pale, wooden and unengaging material, they'll lose the battle for attention.”
As I and many others have said before: it’s not the device that’s the problem - it’s the purpose it’s being used for and the content being consumed on it that cause difficulties. This perspective is strongly reinforced in new research from the University of Oslo, which confirms that students in active and participatory digital classrooms aren’t just sitting in front of a screen, idly fiddling with their phones (Link). New research from ILT Education, based on a survey of 350 teachers, also reiterates this point for preschool settings. (Link)
From coverage I’ve seen these topics were certainly front and centre at the recent Nordic Conference for Educational Publishers in Reykjavík. But as this excellent summary of the event outlines: “maybe AI will be one of the main topics on the agenda” at the next meeting in 2026.
Staying in Iceland, Ásmundur Einar Daðason, Minister of Education and Children's Affairs. has announced that he will be putting forward a bill doubling the fund that schools (Grades 1 to 10) can use to buy educational resources and EdTech (Link). This is in addition to content already distributed by the current government monopoly providers. He also confirmed plans to provide high school students with free educational materials, up to the age of 18.
If you’re looking for innovation in digital learning / teaching resources, then keep an eye open for the new EdTech product coming from Milda Mitkute, co founder of Vinted. She revealed in Sifted last week that she’s now working on a solution to “help teachers engage children with maths.” The interview reveals that she’s already “creating a second prototype, testing it out in Lithuania now, but the goal is, of course, to go global.”
On the subject of advanced technologies, don’t miss this upcoming event from AWS: “Generative AI for EdTechs and Publishers.” It takes place in Stockholm on 10th October - look forward to seeing you there!
And finally, a reminder that applications for the GESAwards are still open. Full details of the criteria and entry requirements here. They’re a great opportunity to accelerate your growth and come with significant international recognition. Closing date = 30th September.
As always, if you’ve got a story that you’d like me to include in a future issue of this newsletter, please email hello@10digits.org, tag me on Twitter or LinkedIn or use #nordicedtech / #balticedtech.
Thanks for reading, Jonathan
News from Denmark
Attender confirms a new collaboration with Wonde to “revolutionise school attendance.” (Link)
Budget for Centres for Teaching Resources, where teachers can borrow physical books and learning materials for teaching, will be cut by 20% according to the government's draft finance bill. (Link)
New research from Aalborg University highlights how Drama Studio can support language teaching. (Link)
Interesting interview with Shawn Boom, CEO of Labster, on the “innovative approaches that are transforming education.” (Link)
GDPR concerns have been raised with Danish high schools relating to their use of Lectio, the online learning platform. (Link)
News from Estonia
Great to see EdTech Estonia and members meeting up with a group of representatives from private schools in Brazil. (Link)
News from Finland
The Finnish Publishing Association has released their twice-yearly report on learning materials spend (Link). Print resources = €71.8 million (+0.7% yoy), Digital = €39.3 million (-0.3% yoy) and total spend = €111.2 million (+0.45 yoy)
“Books in, screens out: some Finnish pupils go back to paper after tech push.”
Small upper secondary schools are using virtual meeting tools to teach students across multiple locations. (Link)
Applications to join the Helsinki Education Hub Incubator programme are now open. Full details here - closes 2 October 2024.
See the Good adds the UK to its list of international markets. (Link)
How Seppo’s collaboration with Pearson’s Rise and Shine portfolio has led to it becoming one of their top-selling brands globally. (Link)
News from Iceland
Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV), the state broadcasting service, has launched a new website for learning Icelandic online. (Link)
Which is timely, given an OECD report made clear that Icelandic teaching for immigrants needed to improve for them to settle and succeed. (Link)
News from Latvia
As politicians consider amending the law to ban smart devices in educational institutions, one Latvian researcher asks the key question: “It is important to distinguish whether we are talking about technology in education in general, or whether we are talking about uncontrolled, spontaneous use of one's phone during lessons or during breaks.” (Link)
News from Lithuania
AI-powered digital maths tutor Alfa Space has raised €315,000 from Lithuanian business angels. (Link)
Edu Challenger, the new international EdTech accelerator, has begun operations and applications are open for its first cohort. Non-diluting funding is also available. (Link)
emokykla.lt expands its provision of resources and support for teachers and launches a new learning space for students. (Link)
News from Norway
A UK report on “What happened when Norway banned smartphones in schools?”
Curipod has partnered with BenQ to “enhance classroom engagement, discussion and collaboration.” (Link)
Fairsight, the workplace assessment platform, has confirmed that they’re starting up in Sweden. (Link)
New research from Jordan shows that Kahoot! can reduce students’ stress and enhance their academic achievement. (Link)
Useful selection of thoughts on the future of publishing curated by Ludenso. (Link)
Further detail released on the digital solutions / strategies Sikt uses to support education and administration at universities and colleges. (Link)
We Are Learning confirms a new agreement with Visma Talent Solutions. (Link)
News from Sweden
Bright has announced that Sage’s collection of textbooks will be available via their learning platform. (Link)
Change at the top of Digiexam as Marcus Dahlman steps down as CEO. Carl Nardini will take over with immediate effect. (Link)
Folkhälsomyndigheten published its detailed (and already widely discussed) recommendations for children's and young people's domestic screen use. (Link)
Gleerups’ digital learning materials are now available in the assessment platforms produced by Dugga and Trelson. (Link)
Imagi confirms that they will be launching an “AI-powered debugging buddy” within their platform. (Link)
Kattalo now offers English as a fully integrated language in their app enabling users to develop their skills in both Swedish and English at the same time. (Link)
Cohort 6 of the Pareto MBA has started with more than 35 participants from 10 nationalities. (Link)
Skolon signs a new agreement with a UK partner (Link) and CEO, Oliver Lundgren, outlines the future potential for the business here.
Tilda confirms their new portfolio of angel investors as they gear up for public launch. (Link)
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