When asked what’s to come in 2025, that was the key theme, but specific answers stretched across topics from pedagogy and politics to data and AI ethics, from leaders of nonprofit ed-tech professional groups to private ed-tech companies.
PEDAGOGY FIRST
Before AI can be of any use to teachers, they must first be trained to use it, according to Tara Nattrass, managing director of innovation strategy at the International Society for Technology in Education and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
“In 2025, we’ll see an ongoing shift in how educators approach AI, moving from uncertainty to empowered implementation,” Nattrass wrote in an email. “They key to this transformation will be large-scale, educator-led professional learning that builds both competence and confidence in using AI to enhance teaching and learning.”
Educators must be central to the development of AI tools as well, according to Sean Michael Morris, vice president of academics at online learning platform Course Hero. He said he worries that, without educator input, AI tools risk “turning learning into an isolated rather than a shared experience.”
Nhon Ma, co-founder and CEO of Numerade, a company that offers videos to help students solve STEM problems, also expected teacher input to be a key trend in 2025, along with personalized learning.
“Integrating short-form videos created and vetted by actual educators, interactive simulations, and audio content will cater to different learning preferences, making education more inclusive and effective,” Ma wrote.
NATIONAL ISSUES
Outside the classroom, state leaders will take on more responsibility in 2025 for critical ed-tech issues such as cybersecurity, data privacy and digital equity, according to the State Educational Technology Directors Association's Executive Director Julia Fallon.
“With shifts in leadership following the elections, states are poised to take an even greater role in driving systemic change and the modernization of our education system, helping schools integrate technology in meaningful and sustainable ways,” Fallon wrote.
Other national issues that could impact ed-tech in the coming year include IT workforce shortages, advances in teaching and learning, and the fate of the federal E-rate program that funds school telecommunication services, according to Consortium for School Networking CEO Keith Krueger.
“Education leaders face pivotal challenges in 2025, including a Supreme Court case that could devastate the E-rate program,” Krueger said. “We must proactively educate Congress and the public on why E-rate is indispensable for equitable broadband and Wi-Fi access in schools nationwide.”
Adding to the uncertainty are leadership changes at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which oversees the E-rate program, as FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel steps down to make way for Brendan Carr, author of the FCC chapter of Project 2025.
MORE DATA
Another national issue that affects ed tech is the end of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program. The pandemic-era resource, which provided $189.5 billion to schools, ended in September.
No longer flush with cash, districts will be more discerning about ed-tech buys in 2025, according to Melissa Loble, chief academic officer at software giant Instructure. This means vendors must focus on data to prove their product works.
“In the post-ESSER era, evidence-based decision-making is crucial for K-12 schools striving to sustain effective programs without federal emergency funds,” Loble said. “Schools must rely on data to evaluate the impact of educational initiatives on student outcomes, from academic achievement to mental health support.”
AI development also depends on data, and more people will realize in the coming year that AI tools are only as good as the data they train on, according to Marc Booker, vice provost of strategy for the University of Phoenix.
“In 2025, I predict that many institutions and organizations will find how important having good data on student and learning interaction experiences actually is,” Booker said. “With all the promise AI gives us, the true power of AI cannot be unleashed for optimum value using poor data sets.”
COLLEGES EVOLVE
Saravanan Subbarayan, managing director of managed modernization services advisory for higher education at the professional services firm KPMG, made the case that a need to gather good data will drive more colleges to overhaul their approach to technology in 2025.
Subbarayan wrote in an email that he thinks college technology leaders will adopt a “connected campus” approach, using new tools to create a unified online experience, prepare classrooms and research labs for the future, and collect data to make better decisions and more helpful AI.
“A connected campus will not only transform the educational experience but also drive innovation and sustained growth in the digital world,” Subbarayan said.
Ryan Lufkin, vice president of global academic strategy at Instructure, also cited college modernization as a trend for 2025, with an emphasis on AI.
“In an era where rapid advancements redefine industries and job requirements, institutions are reimagining how to best prepare learners — not just for their first jobs but for a lifetime of learning and reinvention,” he wrote. “Central to this shift is AI, which is poised to serve as both a subject of study and an enhancement to learning experiences.”
AI ETHICS
As AI enters more classrooms, students must learn to view its output with a critical eye and to interact with it in ethical ways. This is called AI literacy, and several experts said it will be a priority in 2025.
The nonprofit Digital Promise defines AI literacy as “the knowledge and skills that enable humans to critically understand, evaluate and use AI systems and tools to safely and ethically participate in an increasingly digital world.”
“By 2025, AI literacy will likely become as essential as basic digital skills, empowering students to engage critically and ethically,” Lufkin wrote.
Besides understanding how to use AI responsibly on a personal level, there’s a dire need to discuss the issues associated with its use on a global scale as well, according to Course Hero’s Morris.
“We need to move past surface-level concerns like plagiarism,” he said, “and address the more pressing ethical dilemmas AI presents — its environmental costs, its cultural impact and how it reshapes our understanding of intelligence.”
