In the United States, there has been an ongoing discussion and debate about the future of higher-education including its affordability, access, relevance to the modern workforce, diversity, competitiveness in the context of the global community, and the role technology should play. In order for the U.S. to continue to be an educational leader in the global world, we must find innovative solutions to address these issues. In particular, the rising cost of attending a college or university, which is preventing an increasing portion of our younger population from attending and graduating.

Revolution has invested in the edtech sector because, like the majority of our investments, we believe that technology has the potential to transform major sectors of our economy, and education is no exception. If we want to compete in the global economy, it is important for the education sector to find ways to reduce costs while maintaining a high quality and desirable American education experience.

Echo360, the global leader in active learning, and a Revolution Growth investment, released a study on Wednesday from the University of Ottawa that showed through the use of its platform, class engagement rose 49 percent and exam grades jump 10 percent. Dr. Montpetit, who led the semester-long study, observed a significant improvement in student performance, engagement, and course preparation using the Echo360 platform. Below are more of his findings:

• Ninety-nine percent participation in three, 225 student classrooms
• Three to ten-point increase in final exam average
• Eighty percent reduction in failing grades
• Sixty-six percent of students actively taking notes each class
• Roughly 350-500 words per class were typed directly into the platform as digital notes
• Five to ten questions asked per student, per class

Echo360’s CEO, Fred Singer, said in a statement, “Dr. Montpetit is a trailblazer in his use of Echo360 to switch from passive to active learning. His data confirms that when instructors integrate Echo360 technology into their courses, they can identify at-risk students to increase retention while providing a tool to help increase student learning outcomes.”

Echo360 currently works with more than two million students at 625 schools in 30 countries. Assuming these types of results can be achieved elsewhere, we think the Echo360 team is at the forefront of the modern American education.