How Humans and Technology Work Together at Sylvan Learning

Sylvan Learning focuses on results and setting children up for long-term success. Through its unique integration of technology into its curriculum and individualized learning paths, Sylvan Learning builds academic confidence for its students and inspires them to grow their own educational ambitions beyond what their parents and teachers have set for them.

• The brand sees value in both the integration of technology into its curriculum and upholding the human interaction aspect of education, with its teachers acting as instructors, coaches, and motivators.

According to Alan Catlett, Vice President of Product Management for Sylvan, the brand has been successful because it keeps the teacher and the student at the forefront of the model, using technology to support them both. Technology is not the primary focus in their classrooms, but rather a tool to make students and teachers more successful.

Finding the proper balance between advanced technology and human interaction is paramount to the success of Sylvan Learning. The brand has plans to introduce a more tech-based curriculum in the future, but is still being very careful about the way that it does so.

• A teacher brings intangibles to the table that cannot be recreated by technology, such as providing immediate feedback, subtle redirection, and helping students' confidence levels.
• Technology's primary role in the Sylvan Learning classroom is collecting data to decide what curriculum and activities should come next for a student, which greatly benefits the student's progression while also saving the teachers time from a planning perspective.

The mere presence of technology in Sylvan Learning's model also helps many students gain confidence in academics. Since these students grew up with technology, its transition into the classroom is seamless, and they are able to get comfortable with material more quickly.

By utilizing both teachers and technology, Sylvan Learning is able to focus on how technology can be used to improve the academic experience, instead of becoming solely dependent on it. Sylvan's use of technology also enforces program continuity across the entire system so each location will provide students with a similar course experience while focusing on the skills they need to improve.

Sylvan Learning's use of iPads saves franchisees in labor and material costs, and allows teachers to focus on the student and less on the material itself, while also being more cost effective. The technology handles the material, and the teachers build relationships with students by learning what works and doesn’t work for them.

While Sylvan Learning has a reputation for its integration of technology into its curriculum, the brand stands firm that its teachers hold irreplaceable value in the classroom. Finding a balance between the two is everything, and Sylvan Learning is actively working to perfect that balance every single day.