Reform analysis shows how using video tutoring apps instead of one-to-one tutoring could allow 300,000 additional pupils to make ‘significant progress’ at school. With the right input from schools and DfE, technology has the potential to narrow the opportunity gap.
The analysis shows how using online tutors to support disadvantaged pupils at school could allow for an additional 30 million hours of tutoring, within the same budget. The report shows how technology can free up teacher time in disadvantaged schools to spend on more pupils in need. Schools could cut the working day by 25 minutes and cut the time teachers spend monitoring homework by 95 per cent. Research shows that artificial intelligence systems can produce better learning outcomes than comparative human methods.
The report recommends that the Department for Education should identify ‘Tech Expert’ schools and link them up with schools that are struggling to use technology to help disadvantaged pupils. It should also allow schools to see the products available to them through an e-procurement channel with a dedicated stream for tech products.
The report finds that the money currently spent on helping disadvantaged pupils, worth £2.2 billion, is recorded unsystematically, making it difficult to understand what approaches schools are taking to help disadvantaged pupils. Reform analysis of how 40 schools spend the pupil premium found that only 3 per cent goes to tech teaching tools, while seven per cent is spent on one to one tuition between a teacher and pupil and eight per cent on additional teaching assistants, both of which are high-cost interventions. The report recommends enforcing tighter reporting standards to understand the impact of evidence-based guidance, and the extent to which innovative measures are applied to overcome the attainment gap.
The report also finds that education technology gives disadvantaged pupils equal opportunities to learn digital skills, which is critical for future social mobility. In 20 years, 90 per cent of jobs will entail some element of digital skills. The report also recommends that Ofsted conduct a survey report on how technology can be implemented in schools to improve digital skills. This would allow Ofsted to give schools individual feedback on their digital strategies and highlight best practice to schools around the country.
Recommendations:
- Schools should be required to submit breakdowns of pupil premium spending to be displayed on Analyse School Performance. This would allow for the collection of data on pupil premium strategies, helping policy makers to understand common approaches, the impact of evidence-based guidance, and the extent to which innovative measures are applied to overcome the attainment gap.
- Schools should provide Continuing Professional Development (CPD) as they are implementing EdTech. This should include sharing successful as well as failed EdTech approaches in the classroom.
- The Department for Education should support the upscaling of an expert organisation, such as the Learning Foundation, to provide more guidance and support to schools, particularly those with more pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The Department for Education’s e-procurement channel, Redimo2, should be reframed to operate like the Digital Marketplace and expanded to include a dedicated stream for EdTech products. This would allow schools to see the full range of options available to them and encourage companies to be transparent about the efficacy of their products.
- The Department for Education should identify and engage with ‘Tech Expert’ schools to celebrate their achievements and link them up with schools that are struggling to make effective use of EdTech to support disadvantaged pupils. It should look to recruit several private-sector providers to help fund these networks.
- Ofsted should produce a survey report on how EdTech can be implemented to improve digital skills. The report should provide feedback to individual schools on how they can improve in this area, incentivising schools to ensure every pupil is equipped with the digital skills needed for the future.
WEB LINK
Beyond Gadgets: Edtech To Help Close The Opportunity Gap