The sudden shift in digital learning in spring 2020 instigated new and sustainable changes in K-12 education. Project Tomorrow, the nation’s leading education nonprofit, is providing new insight into the efficacy and future of digital tools with this year’s Speak Up Research Project findings. Presented during a lively virtual Congressional Briefing yesterday hosted by edWeb.net and featuring student leaders from various states, this year’s results indicate an increased usage of digital tools by teachers and students, as well as other digital learning trends.
The Speak Up Research Project is a national research initiative and free service to schools and districts. Since fall 2003, Speak Up has helped education leaders include the voices of their stakeholders in annual and long-term planning.
“By examining Speak Up results from before and after school closures, we are able to see in almost real time how the unexpected shift has altered not only teachers’ expectations for using technology within learning, but also parents’ perceptions on the value of digital learning and the impact of this experience on students’ aspirations for enhanced learning environments,” says Dr. Julie A. Evans, researcher and CEO of Project Tomorrow (she is pictured above upper left, with co-host and student panelists).
Key takeaways from this year’s survey include:
- Increased usage of digital tools by teachers and students due to the COVID-19 pandemic brings new opportunities to discuss what constitutes rigor and quality in digital resources for classroom use, and new ways to articulate the value proposition of digital learning more comprehensively.
- As a result of the sudden shift to digital learning, parents developed a stronger appreciation for the value of technology as a learning vehicle and their role in supporting their child’s education from home.
- Students continue to value how technology supports learning. The realization of the value of digital learning by the adults in their lives resulted in an improved learning environment for many students. The use of digital, online and videos games provide an excellent example of this new impact.
Educators can view the Congressional Briefing recording here and earn an edWeb.net CE certificate. Closed-captioning will be added to the recording within two weeks of the live presentation. Download this year’s Speak Up Research Project report here: https://tomorrow.org/speakup/speakup_congress_2020.html
For Project Tomorrow background, learn more.
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