Listen to this articleBelow is our recent interview with Nora Murray, Public Relations at IMS Global Learning Consortium:
Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to your company?
A: IMS Global Learning Consortium (soon to be 1EdTech) is a leading educational technology non-profit partnership of innovative K-12 school districts, higher education institutions, government organizations, non-profit organizations and edtech suppliers. We work in collaboration to create and enable an open, innovative and trusted educational ecosystem, with the goal of better digital teaching and learning experiences for everyone. Together, we power learner potential.
Q: What is the next big thing for your company?
A: Our organization is preparing to transition from IMS Global Learning Consortium (IMS/IMS Global), a well-known and respected name in education, to 1EdTech.
Over the past couple of decades, we became best known for creating technical standards that make it easier for educational institutions, from K-12 districts to higher education to those serving life-long learners, to use education technology. We succeeded through the collaboration of our more than 700 members, who represent every facet of the educational technology ecosystem including, educational institutions, government organizations and edtech suppliers.
We believe the new brand will better communicates our goal of creating an open and inclusive education technology ecosystem that serves the needs of every stakeholder. By increasing the awareness of this goal, we hope to bring even more people to the table, which can only strengthen our efforts moving into the future.
Q: Can you give us more insights into your offering?
A: Educational institutions at every level are able to save time and money by using our standards when selecting their technology. That’s because our standards focus on making sure the tools work together, regardless of the companies supplying the tools.
By having members from every stakeholder group working together we make sure the companies are making products the educators want and need. Not only do standards help the technology work together, but also align the technology with curriculum requirements, ensure learner information is protected, create flexibility for personalized learner pathways meet needs of diverse learners on a large scale, and create a new way of thinking about employment qualifications to ease hiring practices.
At the end of the day, our members are leading the charge of creating equitable, inclusive and effective digital learning by working to ensure that the tools available meet the needs of everyone.
Q: What can we expect from your company in next 6 months? What are your plans?
A: Our annual Learning Impact conference is coming up, June 13-16, and will be held in Nashville this year. Learning Impact brings together innovators, thought leaders, and institutional and industry professionals to collaborate and drive the future of edtech. It also provides an opportunity for our members, who work together remotely all year, to get together in person, and for non-members to get a better understanding of the work we do, and how they can get involved.
