This is how Eton College teaches tech.

Prince William, Prince Harry, Eddie Redmayne, and Tom Hiddleston (Loki!)…former Prime Minister of the UK and even George Orwell! With the big names, though they look irrelevant with each other, they all come with one common factor: the Etonians — the Eton College graduates.

Eton is the name that always gets said when people discuss and seek the best school in the world. Founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, Eton has a rich history and has educated many of the UK’s most influential figures.

One of the most intriguing traditions at Eton College is the King’s Scholar, where each year, approximately 14 students (70 King’s Scholars across the school) are selected based on their academic excellence. They are allowed to wear special black gowns and can use the letters “KS” after their names, signifying their elite status… some kind of special, very movie-like traditions are there.

And today, for you, busy educators, rather than their long history and unique traditions, we want to discuss how Eton College teaches tech in the modern days. Here’s the part 1.

General Tech Education at Eton College

“Preparing Boys for their Future.” - Eton College

Eton publicly emphasizes the importance of tech education. Some of the findings you are about to see may not be surprisingly unique… but you will gradually appreciate their strong foundation with meticulous details and governance.

Eton decided to go with iPads — a classic, solid choice. Titled as “1-1 iPads,” Eton assigns one iPad per student, offering “opportunities to engage them, as well as enhance and deepen their learning… develop key skills through digital learning platforms, tools, apps, and content.” (Note: I could not find any trace of whether they give an Apple Pencil and a Keyboard case.)

With iPads, Eton students are found to not use their personal laptops. At least, they are not required to do so.

For your reference, Eton is a Microsoft school that uses Office 365. (Fun Fact: The Philips Exeter Academy in the US also uses Microsoft Office 365.) Their detailed guideline during the COVID-19 outbreak about remote learning support can be found here - Advice for Effective Distance Learning, where they also highlighted the effectiveness of Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and OneNote in learning environments.

They have also publicly highlighted some of the key areas of recent innovations, including artificial intelligence, data analytics, 3D printing, and virtual/augmented reality.

Tech Curriculum

Eton offers computer science GCSE and A Level. Eton doesn’t seem to variate its official school curriculum much. But here are a few factors worth checking out:

• Digital education lessons take place during the first year.

“We aim to ensure that every boy is computer literate and able to use technology to enhance his learning across the school curriculum. Digital education lessons take place during the first year and cover a variety of practical technology skills including the use of Eton’s email and online learning systems, the Microsoft Office suite, as well as how to use digital platforms to work collaboratively and creatively.” - Eton College (Source)

• AI-powered Learning Tool: CENTURY

Eton College adopted an AI-powered learning platform: CENTURY. The main purpose is to personalize the learning by making tailored recommendations of learning materials.

CENTURY is mainly used to perfect the students’ English literacy, such as spelling, punctuation, and grammar. It sets students’ personalized learning path based on their strengths, and their secondary school subject packages include English, Maths, Science, Geography, and PE.

If you are curious about this AI-powered platform Eton College uses, check this platform overview video.

• High-Performance Wi-Fi Network (Source)

In 2022, Eton College has invested in a robust wireless infrastructure that supports high-speed connectivity across its campus. With over 700 access points, the network allows students to connect seamlessly to online resources, cloud applications, and collaborative platforms.

Student-led Tech Learning Initiatives

Eton’s student societies are known to be very active and busy with 300+ society meetings each year, with up to 20 meetings per week. I say that’s a lot.

Engineering & Design Society

The Engineering & Design Society at Eton College serves as a platform for students to delve into various aspects of engineering and design. This society is instrumental in fostering interest and understanding of these fields among students. Here are some key features:

• Guest Speakers: The society frequently hosts industry professionals who share their experiences and insights into careers in engineering. For instance, Prof. Harin Sellahewa has spoken about topics like computer vision, providing students with practical knowledge and exposure to cutting-edge technologies, bringing a $70,000 robot dog to campus.

• Workshops and Activities: The society organizes workshops that allow students to engage in hands-on projects, enhancing their practical skills in engineering and design. This experiential learning is crucial for developing a deeper understanding of theoretical concepts.

You can learn more about their societies here. While Eton doesn’t publicly share the list of societies, Engineering and Computer Science societies are also included.

STEM Committee

The STEM Committee at Eton College is composed of senior boys dedicated to promoting interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics among younger students. Here are some highlights of their initiatives:

• STEM Symposia: The committee organizes events such as STEM symposia where students present projects they have worked on throughout the year. These events not only showcase student work but also encourage collaboration and discussion among peers.

EtonSTEM

There are also student-led initiatives in public promotions of their STEM-related activities. The EtonSTEM focuses on promoting the latest developments in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths for all levels from the boys of Eton College.

Etonet

Computer Science students at Eton release biannual magazines with regular postings on their official digital presence: Etonet.

There turned out to be much more information than I initially anticipated, so I’ve decided to split this post into two parts. In the next half, I will talk about even more interesting things, such as who are behind all of these tech learning and their STEM learning facilities. Stay tuned for Part 2!

I hope this post gave you an insight on how education is changing in the world. If you liked this post, subscribe to get weekly insights for educators on global innovation in education.

See you in the next one 👋,

Christopher Lee (Let’s connect on LinkedIn!)

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