Reflecting on the 2013-14 school year, SmartBrief on EdTech polled readers to explore how well technology was used to improve outcomes in student learning and teacher collaboration and find out in what areas schools are making the most progress in effective technology use overall.
Regarding student learning, the results were mixed with just over half of respondents reporting that their school or district used technology either “very well” or “somewhat well” to improve outcomes, while the remainder gave their school or district lower ratings.
The results were slightly less positive in the area of teacher collaboration and professional development, with just 42% reporting their school or district used technology “very well” or “somewhat well” this year.
Respondents also weighed in about the technology-related areas in which their school or district was able to make the most progress this year, with a fairly even division among infrastructure/connectivity, online/computer-based testing and classroom technology/mobile learning.
Here is a breakdown of the results:
How well did your school or district utilize technology to improve outcomes in student learning in the 2013-14 school year?
- Not very well — 43.14%
- Somewhat well — 33.33%
- Very well — 19.61%
- Not at all — 3.92%
How well did your school or district utilize technology to improve teacher collaboration and professional development in the 2013-14 school year?
- Not very well — 44%
- Somewhat well — 30%
- Not at all — 14%
- Very well — 12%
In which area did your school or district make the most progress this year regarding the effective use of technology?
- Online/computer-based testing — 34.62%
- Infrastructure/connectivity — 30.77%
- Classroom technology, mobile learning — 26.92%
- Professional development, learning for educators — 7.69%
- District/school website, apps or social media — 0%
Katharine Haber is an education editor for SmartBrief, writing and editing content about a variety of topics in education.