What is international edtech?

A few weeks ago, I noticed that EdSurge doesn’t have an international section on the Edtech Index (their listing of edtech-related products in various categories), even though they do post a lot about international education.

@finnismundi most of the tools in the Index can be used around the world! What kind of tools would go in that category?— EdSurge (@EdSurge) September 22, 2014

As I’ve written before, international education and higher ed don’t get as much attention as they deserve in the edtech world. It’s understandable — neither topic has as much social impact in the United States or as much funding as K-12. But I believe that both have the potential to develop rapidly with the right technology.

So, to answer EdSurge’s question, what would go in the international section of the Edtech Index?

If you look at the Index now, the categories are defined by the issues they solve. Teach Needs and School Operations are clearly aimed at solving problems for teachers and administrators, while Curriculum and Post-Secondary products are focused on issues that arise for variety of people working in those areas (either as instructors or administrators).

In my experience, the main international issues that are faced in international education are the following:

Here are a few concrete examples of companies on the Index that would fit into the international category, but don’t fit the current categories very easily:

It would be great to see EdSurge focus more on international education. They do have great writing on the education outside North America and on specific companies working in international ed, but there isn’t enough to tie everything together.