AI

Pay Attention To What Your Students Think Of Technology

A new report from Computeam, 'A Student's Perspective on the Modern Classroom', offers fascinating insights on current student attitudes towards technology and AI in education.
Secondary school students and teacher looking at computer screens

The presence of technology in the classroom has increased dramatically in the last half-decade; a transformation undoubtedly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, when schools had little choice but to embrace digital tools to maintain some form of continuity through remote learning.

Now, as the dust has long since settled on those exceptional circumstances, what does the post-pandemic education landscape look like and what is the role of technology in this new era of innovation and discovery?

As more advanced digital tools become increasingly embedded in classrooms, with the recent emergence and rapid progression of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) such as Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT, it’s a good time to take stock and find out how both teachers and students have adapted to the changing paradigm and identify the challenges that exist and lie in wait. Through these insights, we can hope to shape a more effective and equitable educational experience for all.

About the report

This report is based on a comprehensive survey conducted by Computeam, focusing on the use of technology in UK schools. The data was obtained using Censuswide and the survey was sent to parents, who then completed it with their children. The audience is made up exclusively of secondary school students.

The survey was designed to gather responses from 50 respondents in each of the 12 regions of the UK, including London, North East, North West, Yorkshire, East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, East of England and South West. The survey consisted of 10 questions, capturing a broad perspective on current practices, preferences and perceptions regarding technology use in education.

How Technology is Being Used in the Classroom – Examines the current state of technology integration in schools, its effectiveness and areas for improvement.

The Future of Technology – Explores students’ views on emerging technologies such as AI and LLMs including Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT and their impact on learning.

Closing the Digital Divide – Addresses disparities in access to educational technology and proposes strategies for achieving more equitable access for all students.

By looking at key statistics and drawing conclusions based on Computeam’s 25 years in the industry, this report aims to highlight the importance of educational technology and provide actionable insights for educators, policymakers and stakeholders committed to improving educational outcomes. This article summarises the first section of the report, ‘How Technology is Being Used in the Classroom’.

Are students getting the most out of the education experience?

The encouraging news is that there are many positives to take from the data. Students, on the whole, want more engaging lessons and are wholly receptive to the idea of technology being an important factor in improving their educational experience. What’s more, there are tangible indicators that when technology is being used, students are reaping the benefits.

Meanwhile, students are showing a desire for more flexible or hybrid learning models – and, interestingly, an appetite for learning more about life after school, perhaps feeling they would benefit more from real-life experiences. Whether that’s learning how to pay a tax bill or writing a CV, there’s an active desire to prepare themselves for post-education.

There are also some revealing statistics about student’s expectations of how technology can be used to improve their educational experience. In addition to the ‘wow’ factor of virtual reality and AI, technology has the power to adapt resources to specific needs. Accessibility tools in Windows and Immersive Reader are already proving hugely beneficial for SEND students in helping them overcome difficulties. It’s here, perhaps, where technology’s influence and success are most keenly felt.

Technology Saves the Day: 4 in 5 UK Students Report Saving Up to 5 Hours per Week with EdTech (80%)

Some Teachers Left Behind? Nearly 1 in 5 UK Students Say Teachers Don’t Understand Technology (20%)

Is a Lack of EdTech Investment Failing UK Students? Almost half of Students Say There Isn’t Enough Technology in the Classroom (46%)

What, if anything, would you most want to change about your school?

Students want to be engaged: A significant 58% of respondents selected ‘more interesting lessons’ as one of the top three things they would most want to change about their school.

Graph showing what students would like to change at their school.

While there will always be a great onus on teachers to create more engaging lessons for their students, it can’t be argued that technology doesn’t have a role to play. With the advancement of interactive whiteboards, immersive educational software and online learning platforms, the classroom can be transformed – with passionate, technology-literate educators at the heart of each lesson.

Students want to learn about life after leaving school: 40% of students expressed a desire for more learning about life after leaving school. The Gatsby Benchmarks already provide a framework for school leaders to assess the development of their students’ employability skills; a model which sits naturally alongside the delivery of practical, real-world education and guidance.

Technology can certainly offer plenty of help in the supply of post-education resources. Whether that’s integrating financial literacy programs, career planning tools, virtual workshops or the unlimited supply of online content available to learn about non-curricular topics, students have the means to learn essential life skills.

Flexibility in learning location: 1 in 3 students want more flexibility in where they learn. This points to a growing demand for hybrid or asynchronous learning options. While exclusive remote learning might not be a popular vision of the future for educators, or a practical one, developing robust online learning platforms is essential for creating a more flexible learning environment for students.

This means providing reliable infrastructure, cloud-based learning management systems and secure access to educational resources so students can access their work anywhere from any device. This would be particularly relevant for STEM subjects, where hands-on experiments and interactive content can be delivered effectively through digital platforms.

‘What, if any, are the limitations of the technology used at your school?’

There’s a lack of technology in schools: Nearly half of respondents indicated that there is not enough technology at their school. What we’re seeing here is a significant gap in the availability of necessary devices, software and infrastructure. Schools may need more computers, tablets or interactive whiteboards to make sure that all students have access to the digital learning tools they need.

Better internet connectivity is also crucial to supporting these technologies. Investing in up-to-date educational software can supercharge the learning experience, providing students with interactive and engaging content, which we already know is a top priority for developing minds.

Meanwhile, it’s impossible to overlook the effect that budget constraints can have on a school’s ability to provide adequate technology for its students. Smart device management and creative solutions like leasing schemes and refurbished ecoprograms can help bridge the gap, giving schools access to the latest technology without the upfront costs, or providing affordable, sustainable options through green initiatives.

Elsewhere, cloud-based solutions allow budgets to stretch further by eliminating server costs. They also offer scalability and flexibility, ensuring that schools can adapt to changing technological needs without significant financial strain.

‘Are teachers getting enough technology training?’

1 in 5 students believe that teachers don’t understand the technology. This highlights a critical need for professional development and training for educators. Teachers must be proficient with the tools and platforms used in the classroom to integrate technology effectively into their teaching methods.

Regular training sessions, workshops and continuous support can help teachers stay ahead of the curve with the latest technological advancements and pedagogical strategies. Ensuring teachers are confident in using technology will maximise its potential benefits for student learning.

Where technology is making a difference: 21% of respondents said there are no limitations to the technology at their school. This, encouragingly, points to a number of examples where schools have successfully integrated technology into their educational environment.

Importantly, these schools likely have adequate resources and well-trained staff who effectively utilise technology to enhance teaching and learning. While budgets and limited funding will always have the potential to cause roadblocks for technology integration, success stories can serve as valuable examples of what can be achieved. Sharing best practices and strategies can also help other schools overcome challenges and improve their use of technology.

‘How many hours a week on average, if any, do you use technology at school?’

Pie chart showing how many hours a week students spend using technology at school.

Is there enough integration of technology in schools? 64% of respondents who use technology at school spend 1-5 hours a week using it.

While this indicates a reasonable level of technology integration in UK schools, it also points to a significant disparity – with some students’ usage in tech-rich environments up to four times longer than the majority. At best, this suggests that technology access and usage are inconsistent across the schools.

Taken further, when comparing these figures to the majority of jobs, where employees interact with technology for over 30 hours a week, this limited time spent in schools could be seen as insufficient. Even in practical roles, workers spend more than 5 hours a week on paperwork or administrative tasks. The relatively low usage in schools raises concerns about whether students are getting enough exposure to technology to prepare them for future employment.

While the results indicate some availability of digital learning tools, online resources and the incorporation of technology into lesson plans, they do not reveal the quality of the technology being provided or the core skills of the educators directing its usage.

Making technology accessible for those who need it most: 23% of students use technology at school for 6-10 hours a week.

There’s a substantial group of students who rely heavily on digital tools for their learning activities. The results suggest that this increase in technology adoption occurs as students get older and take on increased workloads, engage in more research assignments and collaborate online with peers and teachers.

This is a key demographic that cannot afford to be left behind with inadequate technology integration. Equally dependent (and potentially contributing to the higher technology adoption statistics) are those SEND students who rely on assistive software in their day-to-day learning.

‘How much time, if any, does using technology save you every week?’

Pie chart showing how much time students save per week by using technology.

Effective technology, productive students? 80% of students report saving time with technology, ranging from 1 hour to more than 5 hours per week.

Before arriving at any conclusions about what this data is telling us, it’s important to both consider what ‘saving time’ might mean for students and the actual significance of simply ‘remembering’ information as a value point.

Indeed, in Bloom’s Theory of Taxonomy, fact retention is described as a lower-order skill level – and, as such, if we can now ‘recall’ information so quickly using technology, we need to spend less time doing this manually and more time on higher-order skills such as analysis, evaluation and creativity. This is where digital tools can prove hugely valuable.

Meanwhile, students may have interpreted this question as ‘saving time’ on doing homework; simply meaning they can Google a solution. This, perhaps, is where the education system needs a re-think. If we are setting homework that is low-order thinking and only requires fact ‘recall’ skills, then is it worth setting the work in the first place? Are we changing our homework and classwork setting tasks to reflect the higher-order skills if we know time can be saved with the lower-order skills?

It’s not just students who benefit from time-saving. Time-saving is not only relevant or important for students. Recent studies show that a higher percentage of teachers used AI tools to support report writing this academic year than ever before.

Similarly, time savings can be found in the strategic organisation of school data or in embracing deeper collaboration opportunities within a school or MAT. How much time was previously spent replicating data entry in multiple independent documents, that can now be consolidated into a shared cloud document?

Many schools are now embracing ‘paperless communication strategies’, the time saved from producing and distributing paper letters and reply slips can also be felt when manually collecting paper replies. A happy by-product of this trend is also the environmental impact of reducing paper waste and, with it, the reduced budget spend on paper and printing costs.

‘Are you encouraged by teachers to use technology to assist your education at school?’

Pie chart showing how students are encouraged by teachers to use technology at school.

On the whole, teachers have a positive attitude towards technology: 60% of respondents report being encouraged by teachers to use technology to assist their education at school.

There’s a generally positive attitude towards technology integration, showing that the majority of teachers recognise the value of digital tools in enhancing learning. This positive perspective highlights the growing trend of incorporating various digital tools and improving student outcomes, while also suggesting that teachers, with the right guidance and training, are becoming increasingly comfortable and proficient with said tools.

What are the potential barriers?

That over a quarter of respondents aren’t encouraged to use digital tools would indicate that potential barriers or inconsistencies in technology promotion exist across schools in the UK. These barriers might include a lack of resources, insufficient training for teachers or varying attitudes towards technology use in different educational institutes.

We’re also seeing cases of specific curriculum areas discouraging the use of technology due to the stringent national standards and assessment guides.

To dig a little deeper, the way the national curriculum references ‘writing skills’ is divided into two parts: the formation of letters and handwriting skills is the first, and writing composition, creativity and grammar is the second.

Arguably, there is a lot of technology available for the latter, but some schools are still reluctant to use these tools for traditional writing as students will still require a pen and paper for their exams. The tide is certainly turning, however, with AQA’s pilot studies of digital exams revealing that ‘digital assessments allowed for interactive and accurate assessment of specific knowledge and skills’.

Meanwhile, students who took part in the study reported that they found digital exams and typing ‘more relevant than paper-based assessment’. It’s worth noting that 2024 will see the first ever set of GCSE results from ‘online exams’.

Lack of clear communication?

That 14% of respondents said they are unsure if they are encouraged to use technology points to a lack of communication or guidance from teachers regarding technology use. It’s essential for teachers to demonstrate the benefits and methods of using technology in education to ensure students are well-informed and motivated to utilise these tools.

Graph showing how students are encouraged by teachers to use technology at school.

The full report from Computeam can be read here. Its second and third sections, ‘The Future of Technology’ and ‘Closing the Digital Divide’, will be covered in upcoming releases.

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