One question project: Renate Matroos

In what ways do emerging technologies influence the landscape of entrepreneurship within the digital education sector, and what challenges and opportunities do they present?

Emerging technologies impact the world of entrepreneurship in digital education immensely. 

I find that regular education often lacks innovation and doesn’t challenge students to colour outside the lines. But who blames them for this, they’ve spent years learning how to colour inside the lines. I think it’s an educator’s job to be extremely creative in creating programs that challenge students and help them reach their desired outcomes, and tools can greatly improve the current way the educational industry operates. 

As we delve deeper into the era of digital learning, it’s important to invest in learning about different methodologies that improve students’ engagement and align with their interests, learning styles, and educational needs.

During the pandemic, all my in-person classes were transformed into online classes. During this time, I invested a lot of time understanding how students learn best in an environment that, on one hand, is in their comfort zone, literally in their house, and on the other hand, still had the magical experience an in-person environment has to offer. 

It was early on that I realized that in-person learning couldn’t and shouldn’t be copied into an online learning environment. This was something way too many tried to achieve. Instead, and in general, I tried to understand as precisely as possible what students needed to thrive and how the use of the right technology could help improve digital education. It started with choosing the right video-calling platform that worked for both me and my students. Choosing Zoom over Teams, because Zoom had the breakout room option early on and when used right, the most magical conversations could be held in a smaller setting. Nowadays you can integrate Mural - a collaboration tool for teams- into Zoom, allowing your students to stay in one environment where they see each other and collaborate within an online environment made for collaboration. I also use Miro, a similar collaboration tool that is easy to use for students.

The thing with technology is that there is always a learning curve, it takes time to understand something new and to be able to use it correctly. That’s why I constantly try out many different tools to see what does and doesn’t work for the audience I work with. I made it a goal to use one new tool or a different technology for every project I do. This helps me stay in the loop of new ways of working, which consequently improves my way of working and keeps it fresh. It also makes it so much more fun for me and all those involved.

What doesn’t work

Wherever there’s technology, there is an unforeseen challenge lurking around the corner looking to be solved on the spot. The integration of a diverse range of technologies requires certain knowledge and skills.

Some things simply cannot be anticipated or prepared for in advance, such as a bad internet connection or audio issues. And these bad boys can disrupt an entire session. Not onboarding students well enough when using new technology or assuming that all students are tech-savvy can quickly turn a student’s learning experience into a nightmare. 

Influence on entrepreneurship

The funny thing about entrepreneurship is that people always think they’ve missed the boat. Or that they should have started earlier, that all ideas are already developed and offered, and that there is no room for new ideas. 

I believe the complete opposite is true. It’s so much easier nowadays to get started with an idea, partly due to the continuously improving technology and possibilities. The information today is more accessible but the amount of different points of view can be overwhelming. There are countless tools that help professionalize your business, and having a global reach now is also a game changer. A global reach within education allows students to study remotely and also reach underserved areas, but you have to work twice as heard at making it an impactful program. A global reach within entrepreneurship breaks down geographical barriers and allows you to tap into a completely different audience that isn’t within arms reach.

Keep in mind that the use of technology alone won’t do all the work for you; you still need a healthy dose of logic and understanding of how your audience thinks and feels. You have to put in the work yourself, figure out how to distinguish yourself, and, perhaps most importantly, consistently deliver value and quality. Technologies are reshaping the landscape of entrepreneurship as well as the digital education industry. While the potential and innovation are immense and advancements should be embraced, your audience's desired outcome should not be forgotten about.. When technology is used correctly, educational experiences can be transformative and can contribute to the future of learning.

About Renate:

I’m Renate Matroos, a learning designer and facilitator who delivers high-energy workshops to entrepreneurs—from beginner to scale-up. Hailing from Curaçao (and always up for a Latin party), I bring big energy, bold ideas, and brilliant magic to any learning experience that involves entrepreneurship. 

I hold a Bachelor's degree in Small Business & Retail Management, specializing in Small Business. After graduating, I founded my own company that focuses on facilitating workshops and designing learning experiences in a range of industries. My clients are in higher education, Governmental institutions, communities and organizations with an affinity for entrepreneurship. 

Through my work, I focus on the strategic aspects of a company, simplifying the application process to make it easy to apply.

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