Technology is transforming the world of education. What many do not realise, however, is that the common denominator behind some of today’s biggest ed-tech trends is something we’ve been familiar with for many years: video.

Video has been penetrating the education market like no other technology and is becoming one of the most popular activities on the Web. In 2012 alone, Internet users watched four billion videos per day. Between 2012 and 2017, mobile video will grow 75 percent per year, the highest growth rate predicted among any mobile app, including Facebook and Twitter.

When we consider these projections, it’s unsurprising that educational technology is also taking advantage of video in the classroom. Below are a few ed-tech trends that boast video as the central tenet:

To flip or not to flip, that is the question. The concept of the "flipped classroom" - where "homework" is done in class and class work is done at home - has been around for a few years and, thanks to advances in video technology and gradually shifting attitudes towards independent learning and technology, is now emerging as a viable alternative to the status quo.

The flipped classroom is particularly exciting because it require students to take preparation more seriously and become increasingly active in class; it also requires teaching staff to shift their attitudes so that class time is a place for conversation rather than lecture. And above all, it leverages new technologies (particularly video) in order to facilitate preparation in an engaging way that truly changes students' attitudes and motivation towards preparing for classes.