State of Tech survey blog
After the changes to education in 2020, the use of classroom technologies has shifted. Last year, delivering educational benefits through technology was a top-three priority however, many are concerned budgetary constraints will make it difficult to achieve their respective technology objectives, according to our State of Technology in Education 2020/21 report.
The research shows that tech is being used in more creative ways. This renewed confidence has encouraged 82% of all respondents to believe “technology use will be routinely combined with traditional resources and teaching methods” in the next ten years.
Now, as part of our next annual report, we’re asking school IT managers which classroom tech trends are on their roadmap for 2022. Is your school investing in technology that supports your school’s learning requirements and challenges, as well as providing straightforward deployment, robust warranties and top-level security? Have your say in our survey.
At a time when budgets are tight, there’s no doubt that school leaders and IT managers want to know that the technology on their roadmap will support the outcomes they need, as well as integrate easily within their existing infrastructure. But which tools are top of the list?
Will technologies support the pressure on IT staff?
More and more, educators expect edtech to foster connections and improve social skills between students and their peers. Technologies that encourage teamwork, collaboration and create efficiencies are expected to set students up with the soft skills to succeed in the workplace beyond education.
There has, however, been a threefold increase in the number of tickets for IT staff from students and parents managing connectivity, systems, and personal devices. So, with increased pressure on IT staff to resolve issues, support parents and roll out new platforms at speed, will there be a greater dependency on technology to streamline IT administration, too?
Next year, in line with schools looking for evidence-based procurement, will there be a higher number of educational-based and efficiency-streamlining tools available? Does that, therefore, mean less funding for ‘one-trick pony’ edtech developments?
Which technologies will be left behind?
The use of mobile devices in schools has reduced in popularity over the last few years. Technology clearly has its benefits in the classroom, but unless a school is using it specifically for learning, perhaps with an interactive hub in the classroom, mobile devices are minimally collaborative. Some schools realize there is a far wider range of educational technologies than personal smartphones — or at the very least, they need more than just smartphones to meet students’ educational needs.
Be a part of the State of Technology in Education report
So, how did your school prepare for the challenges of teaching during lockdowns? Which technologies enabled IT staff to support the entire school remotely and kept your infrastructure secure while giving teachers the tools to teach in a hybrid set up? Complete our survey to be a part of our most important State of Technology in Education report to date.
