World progress and education technology trend development
Thai education and technology have long been associated with each other including technology of Audio-Visual Projector, radio broadcast, and multimedia. The changes in technology could be clearly seen during the widespread use of computers and the development of functionalities of various devices that are able to connect to the Internet. It could expand the scope of learning but there still is limitation of speed until entering the 3G era and developing to 4G, then there could be a big change again. Limitless connection technology rises the efficiency of various device use and also technology is increasingly applied to education
Currently, under the Thailand 4.0 policy, there has a trend of startups including EdTech or Education Technology which is one of the hottest business. Besides, the COVID-19 epidemic is the factor that makes online teaching an essential tool in the education system and operational training for work as well. If we talk about EdTech trend that is applied to online study, we could give examples as follow.
Gamification
Put components of game to be part of the study course for motivating students to participate in class and achieve goals of hierarchical plan such as collecting points to exchange rewards or unlock special events. Not only helping motivate students but also facilitating to collect information systematically and bringing additional information to evaluate students.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
If AI (Artificial Intelligence) is a body, ML (Machine Learning) is comparable to a brain used to remember and send results to command AI to perform various functions and there is some writes program for AI as well. In term of education, it will be used for Personalize that helps to recommend additional courses and lessons in the online course platform. That makes the course suits to each student personally by analyzing different knowledge needs in terms of scope and depth.
AR and VR
AR (Augmented Reality) is bringing 3D objects to simulate into the real world, but VR (Virtual Reality) is the simulation of a virtual reality in 360 degrees and going into that place, we need to go through connected devices. Besides, it is applied to the class for students to gain more experience through computer simulation such as flight simulation that allows students to fly and trained in flight before the actual action or used in a class of special medical study which both help to reduce costs and also help students to practice more thoroughly.
As mentioned above, this is an opportunity to invest in EdTech, which is a large market but there are few competitors and gives the opportunity to compete and make a lot of profit. HolonIQ, education research institute, predicts that by 2030, global EdTech investment will reach more than USD 87 billion. It is one of the businesses with high growth potential in the future.
Principal Asset Management has an EdTech investment fund to invest as well, which is the Principal Global Education Tech Fund (PRINCIPAL GEDTECH). It would invest in fund that has an investment policy focused on investing in stocks and other company rights related to education. For investor who is interested in PRINCIPAL GEDTECH fund, you can find more information at https://www.principal.th/th/principal/GEDTECH-A
Disclaimer: Investors should understand the product type (fund), conditions, returns, and risk before deciding to invest because previous performance could not guarantee for future performance.
- This fund is focuses on investing in foreign funds, therefore, it might be affected by the change of securities cost invested by the Master Fund. In addition, it is main factor that affects investor’s investment.
- This master fund is concentrated in the United States and Japan; therefore, investors should consider the diversification of their investment portfolio.
- This master fund is concentrated in the Information Technology Sector, which is caused risks from changing consumer behavior and product obsolescence, therefore, if there is negative factor affects investment, investors might lose their investment massively. Besides, there might has risks and price fluctuation higher than general mutual fund that distributes across many industries.
- Thai funds and / or foreign funds (master funds) may invest in derivatives for prevent the risks associated with the exchange rate, that might arise from abroad investment following propriety and circumstance. Investors might lose or gain profit from exchange rate, also the master fund possibly receive loss from exchange rate or receive a refund lower than the initial investment.
References:
www.holoniq.com, www.trueplookpanya.com, https://www.hostway.co.th, https://voicetv.co.th/read/Yp6IRD0C1
