State of Tech survey blog
School IT managers were the unsung heroes of 2020. With fast-tracked remote working deployment and a universal reliance on technology for basic teaching, technical staff kept schools up and running after March 2020.
This year, is there a greater pragmatism when it comes to tech usage? As schools now recognize what’s truly useful and what’s not, this realism could be the first step to a refreshed tech roadmap.
Now we’re asking technical staff how IT impacted teaching and pedagogy in their school last year. Did you adopt a technology-first or hybrid learning approach? What impact did that have on your pupils and teachers? Have your say in our annual survey.
2020 was the year edtech came home
Perhaps unsurprisingly, our respondents selected the biggest growth in education over the next three years would be remote learning — classes designed to be face to face, but conducted remotely (63%) and virtual learning — interactive classes through a VLE (54%) and online content and resources (50%). It’s not unexpected that distance learning, apps and video conferencing software have seen huge uptick in popularity, this year, too.
How have these tools had an impact, one year on? A digital-first approach was needed, of course, but it had to be effective. Students thrive in a classroom environment, fostering essential SEL practices, and there are technologies available to support class-based learning in more ways than it is used.
Does your school align IT strategy to pedagogical goals?
Our State of Technology in Education report last year revealed that a majority of educators are ready and willing to drive education with technology, but need the right training and solutions. For many schools, it’s essential that any IT investments not only function consistently, but aim to address the digital divide that this past year has highlighted.
Do schools find that edtech is most effective if it takes a comprehensive, targeted approach to learning? When it comes to hybrid learning, for example, instead of thinking a mass drive online automatically solves the problem, schools should develop holistic strategies which minimize disruption with clear objectives for academic success.
Be a part of our annual State of Technology in Education report
What changes to pedagogy and learning have you seen in the past 12 months, thanks to technology? Has IT become a focal point in your 2022 strategy? Complete our survey to have your say, and be a part of our most important State of Technology in Education report to date.
