How To Make EdTech Work For Teachers And Students

The state of EdTech today

In its latest Global Education Monitoring Report, UNESCO reported on the adoption of technology to transform education and whether it can help overcome the largest challenges in this sector.

The report serves partly as a useful check-in on the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) devised by the UN in 2015. Of the 17 goals adopted, the fourth aims to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’, with a strong focus on technology in the sector. Providing quality education is a vital goal in itself and without progress in this area, we are unlikely to see any of the remaining crucially important goals being achieved.

Decades after the introduction of the first computers into schools, technology is claimed to have reshaped how we teach and learn. However, the report found that this may not be the case, warning that the use of technology in education sometimes falls short of its promised potential.

The report expanded on this warning by pointing to the barriers preventing teachers and students from maximising the benefits of EdTech, including a lack of CPD provision and device shortfalls for teachers, as well as increased levels of distraction for students. In the US, over two-thirds of education software licences went unused and a staggering 98% were not used to their full capability. A priority now should be the introduction of a clear strategy, as opposed to the ad hoc and disorganised manner that characterised much of EdTech integration up to now.

Education stakeholders should look to respond to a rapidly shifting digital world by embracing new innovations and technologies that can transform the classroom and give children the skills they will need for the future. Utilising EdTech is also a mechanism for managing competing demands owing to finite resources, and ensuring that teachers and learners are best supported.

In 2023, a digital strategy is much more than simply providing the computer labs and IT lessons that we have associated with EdTech for many years. At its core, it is about weaving digital skills (and, where appropriate, tools)  across numerous subjects in an engaging, pedagogy-focused way, whilst ensuring that these skills are reinforced in students’ understanding. But what does an EdTech strategy entail and how can it help your learning community?

Creating your strategy

The starting point for any school in making your EdTech work for you is to undertake a complete audit of the resources and technologies that are currently being utilised across different subjects and classes, providing you with a comprehensive overview of what you have at your disposal. This is foundational to ensuring that any choices you make are grounded in data.

It may seem a daunting task for any school leader, but there is an array of solutions that can support you in performing an audit of your available assets, helping you understand where resources are currently being used and where they may need to be reallocated, as well as the overall utility of the technology. Beyond identifying what currently exists in your system, the audit also allows you to see the areas in which you can benefit from additional or different solutions.

Once an audit of your current resources has been completed, another essential step is in ensuring that your devices are kept up to date, so as to get the most from your technology. Without updated devices, it’s difficult to function as efficiently as possible, preventing your students and staff from unlocking the full potential of your digital transformation. Whilst this may appear to be a never-ending task, most operating systems will allow you to automate these updates, and many EdTech solutions are designed to allow you to understand the status of your devices with granular detail.

It may also be that you discover you have collected numerous solutions over time when one or two can meet all your needs in a more affordable way. Not only will this reduce the burden of costs, but it will also make things simpler for teachers by reconsidering how many platforms and services you are asking them to use.

Teachers should reasonably expect the appropriate training to effectively use any EdTech solution you bring to the school, and the more solutions you add to the mix, the less likely it is you or your teachers will have the time to devote to this. Getting feedback from staff on which features they need or prefer to use is pivotal at this point; if an EdTech solution does not meet their key needs, then it will likely be underutilised or worse – a burden.

Within the classroom, EdTech can help transform learning for some students by building more engaging teaching content and providing a more immersive experience. When deployed to its full capabilities, EdTech can support students’ development of digital skills and help them understand subjects and areas of interest to a greater degree than would otherwise be possible with more traditional teaching methods. Furthermore, embedding invaluable digital skills through a cross-curricular approach will better prepare young people for the rapidly evolving work environment that they are soon to enter.

Different EdTech solutions will have different capabilities, not all of which will be suited to every group of students. For instance, some will be better at facilitating communication between teachers and learners or supporting teachers to manage classroom behaviour. EdTech can be used to encourage self-paced, personalised learning, acknowledging that no two students are the same when it comes to learning and understanding topics.

By being able to accommodate all speeds, these digital platforms help to make a more engaging and positive school experience whilst improving a child’s skills and knowledge at the same time. The unique needs of your learning community should be a focal point in determining your EdTech strategy.

Important considerations

Despite the numerous advantages that a strong digital focus can have for a school, many are justifiably concerned about protecting children online, just as we would do with regard to physical harm.

An effective step in digital safeguarding is the implementation of safeguarding software; EdTech can be a highly effective first line of defence in protecting students as they navigate the online space. One of its roles can be to monitor online activity in the classroom and detect keywords that can be used to indicate when a child is at risk. Further, many solutions also include built-in cybersecurity functions to protect crucial personal details – a critical function when aiming to digitalise your education provision.

Throughout this entire process, providing everyone with the chance to voice their opinions and experiences is vital to ensuring support and success at every level; always think about co-production. The approach should be focused on improving educational outcomes and pedagogy-first learning and teaching experiences for all, rather than technology for technology’s sake. This is also a long-term project, one which must adopt a forward-facing outlook that prioritises the fluctuating needs within your learning community.

It will take time and careful consideration, but the right approach to your EdTech strategy will improve the teaching and learning experience at your school for years to come, all the while saving time and resources.

Al Kingsley is author of ‘My Secret #EdTech Diary’, Chair of Hamptons Academies Trust and Group CEO of NetSupport.